Sometimes Lightning Does Strike Twice
by HunterBerserkerWolf
Summary: A chance encounter between Yu Narukami of the Investigation Team with the Phantom Thieves during the Kamoshida Incident has reaching consequences. What effect will this have on Yu? And what effect will this have on the Phantom Thieves?
1. Chapter 1: The Return of Izanagi

**A/N: Welcome, welcome. I don't know how much mileage this story will get, but I hope it is well received and liked by both fans of my writing and fans of the series. This is my first foray into the Persona series with writing, so I will be doing what I can. This story spawned from playing Persona 4 Golden after Persona 5 and I've decided to take a swing at it.**

 **A few things before we begin. I'm taking a few liberties with what happened to give some spice and flair to the story. I don't argue that Atlus is top notch when it comes to crafting stories and even relatable characters, but there is a limit to what can be done with a silent protagonist and I feel like I can bring out the emotion of things by adding just a tiny bit more flair.**

 **This story is set after the True Ending of Persona 4 Golden. Another liberty I'll be taking is the year. Japan had an election for the Prime Minister Position in 2014, so I'm going to say that Persona 5 is taking place in the year 2014. I know it's not, but whatever. I'm also bumping the date of Persona 4 Golden forward by a year, so from 2012-2013. Just bear with me on this.**

 **And lastly, the canonicity of certain events that happen in other games or media, I'm throwing out the window. I don't have a lot of time anymore to watch the animes, and I'm horrible at fighting games to be playing Persona 4 Arena. I'm not saying the events aren't canon, but that I'm sticking with Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5.**

 **Let's get this started and let this story write itself, yeah?**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 4 or Persona 5. Both are properties of Atlus Co. Ltd. I make no profit from writing this story. This will be the only disclaimer of the story.**

 **WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 4 GOLDEN AND PERSONA 5.**

 **Sometimes Lighting Does Strike Twice**

 **Chapter One: The Return of Izanagi**

There was a soft sigh as he walked through the backstreets of Shibuya. He knew that he should have been worried, the rise of rumored criminal elements going through his head, but it was hardly something that scared him. His university courses scared him more than some thugs with what would likely amount to some knives. Given what he had faced, some thugs with knives hardly worried him. He brushed a hand through his silver hair. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time that he confronted someone with a knife without thinking of the consequences. And he was more trained now than he had been then in the art of physical defense.

A memory tugged at his consciousness, but he decided to wait, focusing more on his feet moving him through the alleyways. Those were memories best enjoyed in private, not in the open like he was. Those memories could either be crippling or they could be invigorating. And he had no control over which they would be until it was already happening to him. They would either be a welcome reminder of the events that had taken place during his second year of High School, or they would be a reminder of his failures towards his friends in the time since he had returned from Inaba.

Life was… mundane for one Yu Narukami. And while there were indeed things he wished he could have changed about it, he enjoyed the mundane. There was something… refreshing about being able to really predict everything that was likely to occur in the day to day. Especially after the hectic and dangerous year that he spent in Inaba. Though his time in that sleepy little town had been thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying, there had been no doubt about the danger there. Serial murders, kidnappings, and the twisted personifications of humanity's desires had certainly kept him busy.

Yu hardly looked to fit in, even as he moved through the back alleyways that would have him cut across Shujin Academy. Dressed in a simple pair of charcoal grey slacks, a white dress shirt, and a charcoal grey blazer, Yu kept an appearance of professionalism while he went to University. Perhaps it had been the time he spent in High School, perhaps it was seeing Kanji dressed so casually that had made him want to keep the appearance of a modicum of professionalism. Either way, even with his choice in attire, he usually made for an interesting head turning individual. Being as tall as he was and with natural silver hair, he was hard to miss.

"Initiating travel."

The mechanical voice of a phone snapped Yu from his musings and he glanced up. He saw a trio of Shujin Academy students looking around, apparently having missed him some five meters away coming out of an alleyway. He felt a tug at his body and he felt like he was about to throw up. The world around them rippled. His vision swam and spun as he felt something inside of him snap like a rubber band. He braced himself against a wall lightly, even as his knees buckled from his weight. The suddenness of the transition and the presence of a weight on his shoulders had been… unexpected

"How about Panther?" A female's voice helped Yu to focus. He forced himself to stand up once more. Something in the back of his mind screamed at him to get up, to stand and be prepared, so he did so as best as he could.

"I like it." A male's voice, some distance away.

Yu felt his body tense with a certain pressure. It was a pressure that he was very familiar with. Someway, somehow, he was in the TV World. But… he hadn't fallen into a TV. He stepped back around the corner of the alley he came out of and pressed his back to the wall. He glanced out of the alleyway, hoping that he might be able to come up with some form of answers.

Those same three kids. Only now… now they were dressed oddly. The black haired young man was dressed in some sort of leather outfit, complete with red gloves, high boots, and a duster. He had a white domino mask over his face. "Alright then, let's see if we can't get that treasure." He said.

The blonde male punched one gloved fist into the other. He gave a cocky grin, even though part of his face was covered in a metal half skull face mask. He also wore leathers, though simpler in design. The red ascot was definitely eye catching. "Yeah, let's get that bastard. Kamoshida's gonna confess all his sins."

Yu frowned a moment. He pulled out his phone, just in case his body was playing tricks on him. No signal. Definitely not in Shibuya then. He glanced out again, catching the group leaving. How he missed the Shadow walking with them, Yu wasn't certain. But he stepped from his alleyway, only to see something that almost made him lose his composure completely.

How did he miss that?! Yu stared up at the castle that had taken place where Shujin Academy had been. He had been attempting to gather information. That was his only excuse. And what little he had gotten hadn't been useful. The rest of the area looked the same. The same apartments, the same alleyways, the same vending machine. But the red sky above definitely didn't bode well for things either.

He scrambled along the walls towards the front, open gate. "Damn." He allowed himself to mutter. Those kids had mentioned treasure. Were they some kind of thieves? He felt at least a little obligated to stop them, his strong sense of justice not wanting to see someone victimized by this place's power. This place wasn't some area for kids' games either. Did they not understand the danger that they had placed themselves into? The danger of the shadows was very real. It had only been a large dose of luck, some training, and plenty of medicine that had kept the Investigation Team from dying some times.

But the front courtyard held none of the kids. Where had they vanished to?

Yu then saw something that made his stomach want to do flips. A glowing blue… portal of some kind with bars across it in the shape of a doorway. A young girl with silver blonde hair pulled back into a simple braid and a distinct blue uniform consisting of a pair of black shorts and a blue long sleeved shirt stood with a clipboard, flipping it around between her hands. An inevitable doorway to somewhere special.

The Velvet Room. Did Igor and Margaret have something to do with this? Would Igor help a thief? Something told him that Igor definitely would if he felt the draw to do so. He could almost hear the half manic half sage like voice of Igor. He distinctly remembered the feel of Margaret's lips on his own.

He debated for a moment. Did he dare try to go through to the Velvet Room? Did he still have the power of his Persona inside of him? He had to right? They were just another aspect of himself. He had too many questions and not enough answers. And he couldn't leave either. He had no way of leaving. No Teddie to open the TV for them. Would that have even still worked? He didn't think he was in the representation of the TV World after all.

But if he just went charging in as he was, he'd definitely be in danger. While he certainly had the tools he had used back in Inaba, they were in a chest locked in his room. After all, those items he had gotten from when he finally destroyed that… Thing that chased them all over the place. A shudder rippled through him as he remembered what that had been like. He could still remember the gunshots, the way his friends scrambled for cover or sought to heal. It had been a merciless fight unlike any other.

Yu walked towards the front door. He had to deal with this. He had to. He couldn't let some bunch of kids screw around in a place like this. He tried the front door and pushed a bit, feeling it slowly swing open. He came to a grand foyer with a large staircase leading up and then to two sides. Plush red carpet softened the hardened soles of his shoes. But it was the large painting in the front of the Foyer that grabbed his attention.

Suguru Kamoshida.

Now there was a face Yu could have dealt without seeing that large. The man had a large, lecherous grin, and the yellow eyes of the portrait told Yu that it was the visual representation of the man's shadow self. Did Kamoshida have a chance to summon a Persona? A shudder ran down his spine at the thought. Kamoshida had rubbed him wrong during Yu's final year of High School at Shujin Academy. The man had pestered Yu about joining the Volleyball Team, but he had used the excuse of having to study for his University Entrance exams to be able to get out of that.

He preferred basketball as it was.

" **iNtRuDeR**!" The broken word cause Yu to spin to the right. Some golden armored knight was coming baring down at him with a sword. It then erupted like ink before something new formed out of it. It was some sort of horse of purple color with a white mane and two large green horns. It reared up and snorted before charging.

Yu's eyes went wide before he brought up both arms in a cross, hoping to be able to block the attack. It was stupid to do so, dangerous. At the very least, he'd likely end up with bruises. At the worst, he was going to have broken arms. Better to have jumped to the side to try and dodge it, but he hadn't had time to think. He just reflexively brought his arms up to tank the hit. It slammed into him and he slid back about a foot. But as he did so, he noticed something that caused something warm to spread through his body.

He was unharmed and hope was blooming inside his chest.

Completely unscathed. Not even an ache where he should have ended up having bruises form. Yu felt his lips quirk up into that smirk his friends had always claimed he had when he was having fun and in control. He had many Persona that had the ability to completely negate physical damage. But there was only one in his mind at the moment. The last one he had been able to summon. The one that represented all of the bonds with his friends.

He raised a hand up at the twin horned horse. Before his very eyes, a blue Tarot card began to spin into existence. "Ziodyne!" The rush of air behind him signified the summoning of his Persona. It was a humanoid figure in a white business suit with a large blade and a metal face mask. The figure spun the sword around before it swung the sword down. A bolt of lightning blasted the twin horned horse, the sound of an explosion echoing out as the creature took the high powered bolt of lightning to the back.

It shattered into black dust like other Shadows did and Yu felt the warmth spreading through his body as Izanagi-no-Okami returned his energy to full. It was a familiar warmth that he had come to miss since he had summoned Izanagi-no-Okami a year ago. Izanagi-no-Okami then faded back into the usual nothingness that signified he was no longer needed.

Yu glanced around at the sound of metal footsteps and decided a retreat was in order. While he could likely take them with the massively powered Persona, he didn't know enough. And his mind, working through the adrenaline, came to the conclusion that he needed help in figuring this out. He turned and ran out the front door again, sprinting across the courtyard before spinning around and placing his back to the wall.

Exhaling he closed his eyes and tilted his head back. It was always a rush summoning a Persona. Draining as well. Even with Izanagi-no-Okami filling him with energy once more, Yu felt the familiar drain. He didn't have the same stamina that he had at the end of his year in Inaba. While he certainly had kept up with some physical training, it was nowhere near as exhausting as fighting for his life and racing through the miles and miles of what some people's inner world had been like.

He needed a moment to catch his breath, and he could honestly go for a Tap Soda right about then also. He focused on catching his breath, muscles slowly remembering and shaking off the dust of a year of lesser activity.

He didn't know how long he had stayed against that wall, just thinking about what he should do. He should head in after the kids once more, maybe try and keep from getting spotted so easily. But he could definitely go for having his things before that. A sword and some armor would definitely make him feel a lot better. He could definitely rely on Izanagi-no-Okami, but he didn't want to press his luck in something being able to defend against him.

The sound of booted feet caused him to straighten up and hold his breath. He pressed his back to the wall a bit more.

"Woo! Man, those guys were pissed, eh Joker?" A loud boisterous voice said, panting a little bit. "Haven't had to run like that in a while. Wonder what got them all riled up."

Yu used this moment to slip back towards the alley that he had been in. This proved to be a good idea, as he could see the group of four slowly coming back out towards the alley that they had entered this world from.

"Skull, don't be so dense!" The shadow's voice almost raked on Yu. But he had heard worse. He had lucked out with Teddie's voice. While his antics were a bit… perverse, the voice he had heard was definitely bearable.

So codenames huh? Joker, Panther, and Skull were what he had so far. His mind went through a few ideas for a codename of his own, but he decided to hold off. He still needed more information, and if they were fighting through that castle, then he definitely couldn't walk up and introduce himself alone. Even if he had Izanagi-no-Okami, he didn't want to assume a damned thing. It could very likely end in a confrontation, even a misunderstanding that would have both sides fighting. And he didn't have medicine or a healing Persona to help out.

He watched them pull out their cell phone before tapping something. "Returning to the Real World." The voice on the phone said before the rippling effect occurred once more. Yu didn't feel nearly as sick as he had when he transitioned over. He glanced out to see that their clothes had returned to normal.

A black and white cat stuck its head out of the bag. "Remember, we'll give it a two days for security to lower before we head back in. Rest up." Yu blinked a moment. Did that cat just talk? Okay. That was definitely strange.

Yu walked off. A plan was already forming in the mind of the former leader of the Investigation Team. He had to get home as it was, and he noticed that the sun was much lower than the afternoon sun they had left under. So time seemed to work the same. He pulled out his phone, glad to see service had returned. He couldn't call the police about this, he'd be laughed off the line.

It was the same damned thing with the situation in Inaba. But this time, he didn't have the others to back him up.

Yu got home and took a moment to take his street shoes off, tucking them in the empty cubby. He pulled his keys out, holding them in his hand for a moment, glancing down to stare at the unusual key on the keyring. It was a car key done in gold with vibrant blue. A gold 'V' was etched on either side. He still remembered the day that Margaret had given it to him. He had tried to return it to Igor once the events with Izanami had been finished, but the crazed looking master of the Velvet Room had told him it was his key. And while he was not going to ever be summoned to the Velvet Room, it did not mean he could not return of his own volition.

Before, he had felt it was a symbol of stranger times, just like other objects that had dotted his room. Now though… now he felt as though the key might be a lead. Something to help him. He had never been indecisive. He was the type of person to give his all. Hell, he had even put in one hundred percent for the Cross-Dressing contest back in Inaba. Yes, it had been weird. But he hadn't been required to wear women's undergarments, so he was able to make do. And he thought Yukiko had done a fine job with him.

Still got beat by Teddie, but then Yu wasn't sure how fair that was. Teddie didn't have the normal social norms that everyone else did.

But the fact of the matter was that the past year had changed him. And not necessarily for the better. He had been in contact with his friends back in Inaba, less and less. He still called and talked to Nanako quite often, but the others like Yosuke and Chie, it was getting to be less. Especially now, with Yosuke going to University for business and Chie working to become a police officer.

He put the keys in the bowl on the table towards the door. His parents were gone for another year, off on another business trip overseas in America. He wished them the best, naturally, but it left him alone in the house this time, a first year University student. They kept the bills paid and gave him money for grocery shopping, but it still left him in a quiet house with too much time to think.

 _Later_

 _The dream had returned. No. Not a dream. A memory. Even now, he could smell the sickly sweet scent of rot. He felt the intense pressure of Izanami bearing down on him and his friends. He could smell the smoke of flames from Yukiko blasting the creature. Felt the cold from where Chie had tried freezing it._

" _ **You cannot compare! I am a God above you mortals! Your pursuit of the Truth ends here!"**_ _Izanami swung her skeletal arm at Yu._

" _Yu!" Yu could only stare as Yosuke, his first friend from Inaba slammed into him, pushing him to the side, falling on his ass and bruising his tailbone. A glowing portal with black skeletal hands appeared under him, and began to pull him down. Yosuke tried to fight, summoning Takehaya Susan'o and slashing with his kunai. But he was inevitably pulled under by Izanami's Thousand Curses._

 _And it was the start of a cascade of failures, over and over again. Yosuke. Chie. Yukiko. Kanji. Teddie. All of them had sacrificed themselves to Izanami's Thousand Curses in some vain attempt to keep him alive. Even as the battle continued on and Yu scrambled to his feet, it seemed Izanami would try again and someone else would take his place._

" _You need to live Yu-Sen-!" Naoto screamed at him as she pushed him over again. But as she went down, she raised her revolver and took shots at Izanami, even as she was dragged down, skeletal hands tearing at her clothes, covering her mouth to silence her. He could see the blood on her cheeks where they dug in sharply._

 _Yu had gotten up, tears in his eyes as he fought on. Izanagi had then taken to toying with him. Healing him when he was on the brink of death, taunting him over his failures to save his friends. She plucked the flesh from his bones like one might pluck the strings of a bass._

 _Then she'd heal him and start again, able to dedicate her entire focus to him. Even Rise was helpless to help and eventually consumed by the Thousand Curses. Yu had lost track of how many times he should have died, only to have the Goddess cruelly bring him back. But even she grew tired of her game and forced him to succumb to the Thousand Curses._

 _Darkness had swallowed him. He had truly ended up in Hell. But from that darkness, he heard his friends, his confidants. Over and over and over they told him the same thing. Get up. Get up. Rise! Stand! Fight! Once more into the breach!_

" _You need to get up Yu-kun. Please. One more time. For me?" The gentle, quiet words had finally given Yu the strength to push himself to his feet, to his hands and knees. But what was the good of rising up? He was against a Goddess. He was alone._

 _It had been like a strike through the heart as he realized the truth. No. He was never alone. He had made unbreakable bonds over his year in Inaba. He thought of everyone. Even the traitorous Adachi who had given him the final clue he needed to realize the truth of the matter of the Midnight Channel and that he couldn't just go home without pursuing the Truth one last time._

 _A foot fell and Yu pushed himself to stand. He squared his shoulders and licked his lips. He tasted copper on his lips. He thought back to his trip to Port Island. Izanami and Izanagi. He thought back to his first Persona. A warrior of lighting and blade. A blue card began to spin in front of him._

" **Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul, I come. From the very moment of my emergence, I have been a guiding light shed to illuminate thy path. I am the original God. My name is…"**

 _Yu opened his eyes to stare at Izanami's form. He hefted his sword and tightened his hand on the grip. He would not fall again. Not until Izanami did. Not until Inaba was safe from her machinations._

" _ **Even now you spurn the reality!?'**_ _The Goddess demanded incensed. "_ _ **The Truth you fought for is pointless! Humanity wishes for this fog!"**_ _She swung her arms again to summon up her Thousand Curses._

 _With tears in his eyes at his fallen friends, Yu stepped from the portal to death, ripping his legs from the grasping hands and swinging his sword with determination._

 _Her arms crossed and she swung them out. Clouds crackled to life above Yu and lightning came striking down upon him. He grit his teeth, even as his body was racked with pain. He exhaled as the blast ended and he continued staring up at the incensed Goddess with fury in his eyes. Another blast racked through his body and he dropped the sword to the ground. He almost fell forward onto his face but he roared his pain, stepping forward to better stabilize himself._

" _Go to hell!" he snarled. "Humanity doesn't want your damned Fog!" He poured his soul into those words. The defiance he needed to command, it came flowing from his lips. He was usually better spoken, but in that instance he felt simple was necessary._

 _Another blast ripped through him, but he stayed on his feet._

" _ **How?! Why?! Fall, damn you! Succumb! How can your powers rival mine?! How does the will of the few outweigh the Will of Humanity?!"**_

 _Yu stared up at the Goddess. The large, still rotting skeletal figure did nothing to intimidate him. He looked up at her, the one that had brought the damned fog. The one that had turned Adachi and Namatame into people similar to him. The entity that had taken his friends from him._

 _He reached up to grab the silver glasses on his face and he pulled them off. He didn't need them anymore. He tossed them to the side and forced his body to stand up straighter. He raised a hand up at Izanami. "Go to Hell." He reiterated. The spinning blue card appeared before his hand and he crushed it in one hand._

" _IZANAGI-NO-OKAMI!" He roared the name of his ultimate Persona. He let the name bellow out, to sound out across the pillars in the depths of the Hellish realm that Izanami had dragged his friends to._

 _The Persona shot into the air behind Yu, sword held in on hand. Dressed in a white suit, complete with a white duster that billowed. The mere presence of the Persona shoved the fog back in all directions. Lightning flashed across the endless skies. It arced across the Persona's body, even across Yu, but it didn't hurt him. He held one hand up fingers extended before he closed his hand into a tight fist. "Myriad Truth." He said_

 _Izanagi-no-Okami spun the sword around, even behind it before it lashed out. The eruption against Izanami as she took the powerful spell was impressive. And the Goddess began to topple, bones snapping off to land on the ground with a loud clatter._

 _But Yu… he fell to his knees and punched the ground. It didn't matter. It didn't matter that he won. It didn't matter that he summoned Izanagi-no-Okami to defeat the Goddess. None of that mattered. His friends were gone. He'd never hear their voices again. Yosuke talking about getting motorcycles. Chie talking about grilled steak or training martial arts moves. Yukiko talking with such passion about the people at the Amagi Inn. Kanji's embarrassed talk regarding the plush toys he made. Rise coming to the conclusion that every aspect of her were her. Teddie about what it was to be human. Naoto about the Tools of the Detective._

 _He punched the ground again. Hard enough that he felt something crack. It hurt. It definitely hurt. Even more than the lightning that had surged his body._

" _-Pai." There was a sound and Yu forced his head up._

 _The ground shifted and he forced himself to race towards it. He found it soft like soil and actually began digging at it, unburying Naoto's face. "Yu-Senpai." The blue haired girl said, coughing a bit. The glasses were askew on her face, and the hat was off, but it was her! Yu set to work digging her out._

 _A hand came out of another spot and he raced over and set to work unburying Rise. One by one, he helped his friends out, each of them gasping for air and none the worse for wear. A little scuffed, some torn clothes, but they were alive. Relief flooded his veins and suddenly all Yu felt was tired._

 _He actually fell on his ass and stuck his head between his knees, chuckling. It was over. It was finally over_

Yu snapped awake from the dream, sweat dripping and clinging to the long sleeve shirt as he sat up in his futon. He hung his head a moment. It had been a reoccurring dream of his that had steadily gone away. But it resurfaced with such… vividness. He could still smell Izanami's rot. Hear her words about how she could not guarantee the happiness of humanity.

He got up and went to the bathroom, washing his face and staring in the mirror. Sweat made his hair cling to his skin. Was it Izanagi-no-Okami reminding him of his friends? Friends he had fallen out of contact with? Reminding him of the strong, powerful bonds that he had made over the year at Inaba? He knew if any of his friends were to ask, he would be in Inaba in a heartbeat.

But he needed to be there in Shibuya. There were things going on that he was wanting answers to. Answers that he wasn't sure he could get by himself. But was he really going to ask one of his friends to come to Shibuya and possibly endanger themselves? No. No, he wasn't going to ask just a friend.

" _I love you."_

The unbidden memory of the words and the subsequent blush on her face came to his mind. He made his way back to his bedroom and grabbed his cellphone from the charger, flipping the phone open. He pulled up his contacts and stared at the contact information inside. A simple button press. She would come if he asked. She would come if he mentioned summoning Izanagi again. A simple button press and he'd be dragging the only woman he had so resolutely loved into an issue that had nothing to do with them. They had defeated Izanami. They shouldn't have to get back involved in this issue.

It should have been a non-issue to him. Back during his time in Inaba, he'd have already made the phone call. But this… this was asking her to come from quiet, sleepy Inaba out to Shibuya. He'd be asking his lover to come back to danger, to put her life on the line once more. Did he dare call himself her lover still? It had been such a long time. He hadn't even considered another girl in that time, but he knew that Christmas and Valentine's Day had been… disappointing.

Yu briefly considered the two jobs that he had been working the past year, scraping together as much as he possibly could. That he had done it so they could be together was an excuse. An excuse he didn't even give himself the luxury of using. He hadn't been a very good boyfriend the past year. She deserved better than him. But there was no denying the longing in his heart, the deep seated desire to have and hold his girlfriend once again. Faintly, he could recall the sweet scent of her shampoo.

He glanced down at his phone, and a bit amusedly realized that it was a non-factor. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't realize that he had made the phone call. Regardless of the fact it was after midnight, Yu brought the phone up to one ear. He felt something tighten inside of himself. He had never shied away from anything, he wasn't going to be a coward and hang up before the phone call completed. Either she answered, or he left a message.

This was too important to be squeamish about things. And he'd rather have someone he could trust at his back with this new, strange world. So he waited. He waited, listening and just waiting.

" _Yu-Senpai?"_ The voice on the other end of the phone asked, sounding tired but utterly surprised.

Yu felt his heart race and swallowed a little bit. "I'm sorry, I… shouldn't have called so late." He couldn't believe how lame he sounded. But he wasn't certain what to say. It wasn't like he could say 'Hey, drop everything and come to Shibuya.'

Even still, he needed to try to convince her to do just that.

- **Chapter End-**

 **A/N: Okay, so this is going to be the only time I do an Author's Note at both beginning and end of the chapter. I don't know how much demand there will be for this story, but it's been an ear worm for me. I was having this idea before the fight with Namatame for crying out loud.**

 **I should iterate as well, I don't have much knowledge of the culture of Japan. I'll try my best not to make myself sound too much of an ignorant ass, but there are still a number of things that I won't know being from America. I do know a few things, but just… bear with me for a bit.**

 **I'm not going to outright say who the pairings are with, but I already know who I've paired Yu and Akira with. The first few chapters will mostly be from Yu and his lover's perspective, but I'll swap to those of the Phantom Thieves soon enough.**

 **I'm going to try and start posting 10k chapters, but for my first attempt at writing in months, I figured getting 5k out is a good start to brush off the rust.**


	2. Chapter 2: Lovers Reunite

**Chapter 2: Lovers Reunite**

' **Out of Range'** She sighed softly at seeing the words upon her watch. The same words that had been there for eight months, two weeks, and two days. She knew, she had counted each of them. Ever since Yu Narukami had left August 1st after his brief stay during the summer break.

She sat up from her desk and stretched both arms over her head until she felt a pop sound in her back. She was getting ready, studying hard and keeping ahead. It was the only reason that she was up to the early hours of the morning. She slumped back into the chair of her study desk a little bit, letting her arms fall to her side even as she glanced up at the ceiling.

"Senpai." She said softly. Why hadn't he called? Why hadn't he texted? Had she done something wrong? Was he waiting for her to call? For her to text? She glanced to the new phone that still had her old number, the smart phone sitting there on her desk. Maybe she should… No. He was likely busy. Why hadn't she called or texted instead? It seemed she always talked herself out of it with a statement of he was busy.

They had talked, sure, over the past few months a few times. Enough that she hadn't forgotten his voice. Enough that she hadn't forgotten the warmth that she felt with him, even if he was a master at making her blush. But last she heard he was working two part time jobs while keeping up with his time as a student. Yu was busy, that was all there was to it. He always sounded apologetic about it, promising it'd be better soon.

But it wasn't soon enough. Not for one Naoto Shirogane.

She got up and yawned, stretching herself out again. She was dressed in a pair of plain grey pajama pants with a matching long sleeve top. The weather out in Inaba had never gotten hot enough at night for her to want to wear anything but those pajamas. Not only that, but she had distinctly shot down Rise when she had attempted to get Naoto to get different pajamas. While she didn't have nearly as big of an issue concerning her sexuality and her gender identity thanks to Yu, it didn't change old habits. Her pajamas were comfortable and suited her.

BZZ. BZZ. BZZ.

Naoto glanced towards her phone that vibrated on her study desk. She frowned a moment. Who was calling at this time? If it was Teddie, she was going to do unspeakable things to him and get away with it. She knew forensics and how not to get caught. She had told him before that she wasn't to be called at this hour. No one was supposed to call at this kind of hour. She picked up her phone and looked to the caller ID and felt her breath hitch. Her heart suddenly sounded so loud in her ears.

Yu Narukami.

Her fingers shook, even as her thumb moved to slide the lock open and answer the phone call. "Yu-Senpai?" she asked. She knew she probably sounded tired and confused. And she couldn't help but note that her voice had gone up from the usual octave that she kept it at. She had almost instinctually gone to her natural octave, the one she kept reserved only for her grandpa and Yu.

There was a brief pause. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have called so late."

Naoto's heart thundered in her chest. "No, it's fine Senpai." She said a little more animatedly than she intended to. "So please, please, don't hang up." She went over to a window and stood at it, staring out at the peaceful night. The line wasn't dead yet. "Yu-kun?" she asked softly.

A soft chuckle came from the other end. "Sorry… I… I'm just savoring the sound of your voice. It's been too long." He said. There was a tiredness in his voice that she could hardly believe.

"Yu-kun…" Naoto had rarely used the affectionate suffix, usually sticking with 'Senpai' as that was his title to her. "It has been too long. You sound tired though, shouldn't you be asleep?" She ignored the feelings in her heart for the moment. His health was what mattered.

He gave a soft yawn. She knew he moved the phone away from his mouth, but she could still hear the airflow. "I need your help." He said with all the seriousness he usually didn't have. The same seriousness that he had said Adachi's name when they had been thinking so hard about the real killer. "I summoned Izanagi-no-Okami again."

Naoto felt her blood chill. Just hearing that name had reminded her of the events just before Yu had left after his year in Inaba. To come face to face with Izanami had been… terrifying. None of her Holy or Darkness spells had worked. And shielding the entire team always had taken too much energy. She had been able to do it twice, but both times Izanami had broken the shields with minimal effort. It had left her shooting her gun which had been more like a peashooter, casting a few single target Fire spells, or casting Heat Riser upon Yu or Kanji.

And then seeing everyone going down. She had barely made it to Yu, pushing him out of the way. Izanami had been targeting the man she loved. She remembered pulling the trigger, even as she was pulled down. She lightly touched her left shoulder where she had a faint scar from one of those clasping claws.

"Naoto-ch… -Kun?' Yu asked. It reminded her that she had drifted into her thoughts. Though, she frowned at the use of the '-kun' suffix. She didn't necessarily mind it in public, especially when she was wearing her façade of the Detective Prince. But to hear it in a one on one encounter with the man she loved, that wasn't a comfort.

"I'm sorry Yu-kun." She said. "I got lost in thought a moment. But isn't summoning Izanagi-no-Okami a good thing?" She asked a little confused. "I mean, it's reckless of you to enter the TV World from where you are at, we don't know if you would land in a safe spot after all."

The Investigation Team still met once a month on a Sunday to slip into the TV World and just check on things, make sure the fog hadn't returned and that people weren't being forced inside. Even if their leader wasn't with them, even if the others were doing their own things at the moment, they had fought so hard to keep that world and the real world separate. It wouldn't do to let someone taint it.

But Yu's silence was deafening and concerning. She heard him take a deep breath, as though what he was about to say was not something he had told anyone else and that he was confiding in her a truth that was not easy to say. "I can't enter the TV World by myself anymore."

The reveal sent a shiver down her spine. The idea of never being able to see Yamato Sumeragi again was difficult to even fathom. It was a part of herself. A blend between her and her Shadow. And while they had gone on to protect the TV world because they felt they needed to, her and the rest of the Investigation Team had found that it had felt good to summon their Persona. Like the sight and feel of it was a comfort to their soul. It helped ease them from whatever they were going through.

And here Yu was saying that the last time he had been able to summon Izanagi-no-Okami was back in July when they had spent a few brief hours inside. But even then, she remembered that he hadn't summoned Izanagi-no-Okami then, Yu had summoned something else. Yoshitsune if her memory recalled.

Was this why Yu hadn't texted or called her? Why he hadn't been able to come at least during some point to come see her? No. He wasn't the only one to be blamed for that. She was as well. She could have called and texted him as well. But… Yu had changed. She could hear it slightly in the way he hesitated slightly. He had never hesitated. He had leapt in front of a knife, toy it may have been, without thought or hesitation. And then when she gave him a dressing down because of it, he boldly proclaimed that he loved her.

' _Because I love you!'_ Hearing the passion in his voice, even in a memory caused Naoto to blush and wish she had her cap to hide her face with. But she still smiled. It was what kept her going. It was what made her know that the decision she came to was the correct one. She was determined to help him, to bring back that passion once more.

"I'll need a week." Naoto said firmly, confidently even as she accidently slipped into the 'Detective Prince' mode she had created. Regardless of the fact she was standing in her bedroom in her pajamas. "I will need permission from Shujin Academy to transfer in. Thankfully it's before Golden Week, making it a little easier to anticipate a yes. Grandpa will listen when I tell him that I'm needed in Shibuya. I'll also need to make arrangements for housing." She said the last a bit more to herself. She felt her heart flutter. She was going to be seeing Yu again. "Please, Senpai, don't do anything reckless until I get there. It would pain me to hear you got hurt."

There was a sound from the other end of the phone. Naoto wasn't sure if it was one of worry or relief, but it was there. She heard that intake of air again, as though he was preparing for rejection. "I have room at my parents' place, and they've left the country for work again." Yu offered.

Naoto blushed hard. She knew that if she'd look in a mirror, she'd resemble a tomato. It… the offer… that was… it was more than she could have ever hoped for. To be able to stay with the man she loved?

' _I'll always love you. You don't have to change for me._ ' The soft words spoken at the beach that cold day had warmed her soul. Naoto smiled brightly though. "Th-that would please me Yu-kun." While she had gotten used to being a female, even able to enjoy a 'girls day' with Chie, Rise, Yukiko, and Marie, talking to her loved one was still difficult. "But I need to begin preparing and packing. I'm going to be tight on time." She wouldn't be able to ask her grandpa that evening, what with it being after midnight, but she could at least print off the documents for a transfer from Inaba to Shibuya's Shujin Academy. Before Yu could get a word in edgewise to let her go without a proper goodbye, Naoto spoke again. "I love you Yu-kun." She said strongly, even letting her voice slip to its natural octave.

Yu needed help. More so than she could begin to categorize from a simple conversation. Forget the situation that had let him summon Izanagi-no-Okami, she would go anyways.

She heard a sound of supreme relief coming from Yu. As though some burden that had weighed upon his shoulders was being unleashed by her words. She was glad that he thought that way that he still seemed to love her. But Naoto was selfish. She wanted to hear the words said to her again. "I love you too…" Yu hesitated at the end and Naoto felt her heart clench. "Nao-chan." The pet name he used Christmas had come back and Naoto felt herself blushing again. Anytime Teddie used it, it just irked her. But for Yu, it was a good pet name. Yu had always been able to read a situation correctly, switching between which suffix was needed at the time. Of course, it was pretty easy to tell usually based on what she wore, but the pet name was something usually more reserved. "You do know you don't have to right?" Yu worried from his end of the line. "I don't want to put you in danger again."

But he needed a detective on his side, or else he might have called Yosuke or Chie, even Yukiko who could heal a lot better. Anyone of the Investigation Team would have jumped at the call from their leader. But Yu needed a detective, or else he wouldn't have called her. Or maybe it was just that she was his lover. That was definitely a distinct possibility. Naoto didn't ask. "Hush, Yu-kun." She said softly. "I'm prepared to take that risk. I was planning on coming to Shibuya for Golden Week regardless. You just accelerated my plans by about a week and extended my stay for much longer."

Yu was quiet a little bit before he spoke again. "I have something I should tell you." Yu said. "Yosuke knows… But I went to confront Adachi. Alone." He said.

Naoto swallowed a bit. They had never gotten a promise from Yu to not confront Adachi. And Yosuke had never told her. "I knew." She said simply. And she did. "The way you two had been, it was easy to determine that someone with your mindset and strong morality would go see Adachi alone." She had never brought it up, never wanted to speak her suspicions, because that was always what they had been. But Yu confirmed it for her. "Why bring this up?" She asked.

"Remember when we pulled fortunes?" Yu asked. "I just… I just thought of yours. I still love you Nao-chan, as I said. I'll always love you. While I'm sure there's other things I've kept, I though it prudent to tell you at least that before you come."

Naoto smiled a little, blushing bright red. "You always love saying embarrassing things. Sheesh. Just like then. I love you too Yu-kun. Get some sleep, I'll see you as soon as I can."

"You too." He said before he hung up.

Naoto smiled and leaned into the wall a bit, inhaling a bit. The young girl in her just took a moment to excitedly think about the fact that Yu still loved her. Still said he would always love her. While she would see much more in the coming days, the fact of the matter was he had said it. She had thoroughly enjoyed the phone call, thoroughly enjoyed hearing his voice. She lowered her head a bit, the blush still on her face. Sheesh, she sounded like Rise.

But then the detective side of her come to the forefront. Yu was incapable of entering the TV World of his own power anymore. It was likely an occurrence that had come about from the fight with Izanami. Even thinking back to July when they had made their monthly trip into the TV World, it had been Teddie that had initiated the transfer. Even before Teddie had made it completely through, Yu was putting a hand through the rippling TV.

Because of this likely, Yu had lost a sense of himself. If he could not summon Izanagi-no-Okami, then he was incapable of summoning any of his other Persona. There had been some talk between the rest of the Investigation Team that Yu might have been fractured mentally and that was why he was capable of summoning multiple Persona. But as they were incapable of finding someone else that could summon Persona, nonetheless multiple Persona, they had no real way to go about proving this theory. And Yu had hardly ever showed himself to be suffering from a mental disorder. But the loss of being able to represent so many sides of himself, everything from brutish warriors to demonic bloodthirsty beasts and even to cute looking things or helpful Persona dedicated to healing, everything was incapable of being represented at once.

This had to of had an unforeseen side effect on Yu's repressed side. She was very curious if he would have a Shadow if he entered the TV World for too long again. But then, if he did enter, he'd be able to summon these repressed sides of him and be capable of expressing even the darker sides of his psyche.

And now, he had recently summoned Izanagi-no-Okami. Was it out in the real world? That could be incredibly dangerous. None of their Persona, none of Yu's Persona, looked particularly capable of fitting in with the real world. Izanagi-no-Okami floated and had a sword for goodness sakes. So if it was not out in the real world and Yu could not enter the TV World, then there had to be a piece she was missing. Was there an existence of a world similar to the TV World that showed the existence of humanity's desires?

A blush formed across her face at remembering the 'secret base' she had created.

But she wasn't going to get answers there in Inaba. She needed to go to Shibuya. It was with that in mind, she started to pack a duffle. The first three things to go into it were the gun she had for exploring the TV World, the armor, as well as the small orb earring. She had a feeling she was going to need them.

 _Scene Break_

Yu stood outside Shujin Academy, his back pressed to a wall of an alleyway. He glanced out to see the trio of students coming out, heading for a spot where they could then watch everyone else. They seemed a bit more oblivious to the people around them than the Investigation Team had been. But then, they had to crawl in through a TV in the middle of a department store. These three could do something with their phone.

He got a good look at them in the outside world. The leader of the group wore the standard Shujin Academy uniform for a male student without anything special to change it up. His hair was an unkempt mess of black. It didn't look dirty, merely a natural mess of hair that was impossible to do anything with. A pair of glasses also covered his face, though Yu doubted they would be used for corrective measures. After all, where did they go when they went into the other world and he was wearing a white domino mask?

The other boy was someone that reminded him of Yosuke or Kanji or some mix of both. Bright blonde spikey hair, wearing a modified uniform with a bright yellow shirt. Yu was pretty sure he had to close up the blazer during the school days, unless he didn't care that he got in trouble.

The last was a girl with blonde hair almost the shadow of Margaret's, and dressed in the Shujin Academy uniform. She included red tights and a sweater of some kind that fell almost to the point of covering up the skirt of the school uniform. She seemed like Rise, through and through.

And the movement in the leader's bag had to be the cat, and sure enough it poked its head out of the bag. "Alright, security should be light enough for us to go back in. Remember, we need to be careful." The cat said. Yu was going to have to get used to that. Hearing a cat talk was… bizarre.

"Relax Mona, we've got this." The blonde also seemed like a loud mouth. He pulled up his phone and tapped the screen. "Alright then, Suguru Kamoshida, Shujin Academy, and a castle." He said.

Yu felt that jerk and then the weight of the distorted world pressing upon him. He ignored it though, he had come prepared that day. He grabbed the sword he had brought with him, the same sword that had seen him through his fight with Izanami, the sword that he had gotten from the chest the Reaper had been in.

He glanced around the corner to watch the three students and the cat Shadow move their way towards the castle that had formed. Yu pushed past his nausea, counting to three before following. He kept his steps quiet, as though he were sneaking up behind a Shadow. He game to the gate of the school and leaned to take a look out of the corner of his eyes. He saw the leader head over to the Velvet Room. The young girl snapped her fingers to make the gate swing open before she followed him inside. Yu frowned a moment at that. Did he not have a key?

"Joker?" The blonde boy paused a moment, having been heading to what looked like a ventilation shaft. He went over to the spot with the Velvet Room and waved his hand at it. "Joker!" He snapped his fingers. "Man, he's totally spaced out."

Could he not see the Velvet Room? Yu frowned a moment. It was something that he would have to check with Naoto when she arrived. He had visited the Velvet Room plenty of times, but no one had ever made mention of him just standing there spaced out. If that was what non-guests could see, then he was curious.

But soon enough, 'Joker' came out of the room. "Yo, dude you just totally spaced out there." The blonde said.

Yu caught a flash of confusion in 'Joker' but he shrugged it off. "Just something I had to do Skull." The kid sounded a bit shy, introverted perhaps. He'd be curious as to what was getting a kid like that to trapize through this kind of world. He needed more information.

They headed to the ventilation shaft. The cat leapt up first, followed by Skull, Joker, then lastly was Panther. So that was how they were coming and going, not through the front door. Yu held his sword and headed towards it. Again, he glanced towards the silvery blonde haired girl that was undoubtedly an assistant of the Velvet room. Should he go in? No… not yet. He was on an information gathering mission.

He came to the ventilation shaft, just as the sound of a door closing was heard on the other side. Yu counted to ten before he clenched his sword tighter. He took a moment before scaling the brick wall and catching his hand on the ventilation duct work. He then slide the sword in before climbing up to crawl on through. He definitely preferred the TV World entrances. Yeah, he had to run for what seemed like miles at times, but that was hardly an issue after a while.

He came to a detailed storage room of some kind and he prepared himself with his sword. He touched upon that connection that he had with his Persona and felt that pulse of Izanagi-no-Okami within himself. He went out through the front door and glanced around. He headed to the right and opened the door a hair. He saw a group of guards standing at attention in the Foyer. More than he was comfortable with taking on his own.

" **fInD tHe InTrUdErS, nOw!"** The voice was distorted, but it almost sounded familiar. If it didn't sound like a Shadow, then it was likely that it was Kamoshida.

Yu definitely needed more information. He slipped away from the door, closing it carefully before he decided he was going to go to the left. He tried each of the doors. Over and over, he tried them. But he came to one that sickened him. Girls from Shujin Academy in various states of undress. Talking to them proved pointless. It was like they weren't Shadows or actual people.

Yu made his way through the halls. He got into a few fights, but the Shadows were no more difficult than those he fought in Yukiko's Castle. Dangerous, but if he could get them one on one and were strong and skilled enough, then they hardly posed a problem. And he was more than strong and skilled enough. Even the fliers fell when he broke a Ziodyne off.

And Izanagi-no-Okami kept him well topped off with energy. The armor he wore under his usual clothes took the brunt of their attacks as well, giving him little more than bruises which were also healed by Izanagi-no-Okami.

But as he went through the castle, stepping carefully, he came to the conclusion that Kamoshida was a sick, and twisted individual, with a strong feeling of a disgusting lust. And these thieves were after something important to him. While he wasn't necessarily against bringing Kamoshida to justice, in fact he wholeheartedly agreed with the idea, the methods seemed something else.

Yu didn't have enough information.

Of course, he also practically ran over the kids twice. They had apparently taken a break in two different rooms. Rooms that Yu had checked out after they left. Seeing the world he was in morph towards a classroom of some kind before back was a little disorienting. He took a moment to just catch his breath and stretch his sore muscles a little bit. He was definitely not used to running through large areas again.

He kept searching, kept looking as he moved. Yu was on the hunt for information. And all of it was pointing towards Kamoshida abusing the members of the volleyball teams. It was hardly the sort of person that Yu would be looking to strongly protect. It was like Adachi all over again. Kamoshida was doing it because he could, because he wanted to, because it was fun.

He came to a banister overlooking the Foyer, shadows milling about and looking through every nook and cranny. He could probably get through them, especially as equipped as he was, but the matter was that he really didn't want to take that risk. He had almost been put to sleep by an earlier Shadow. He had barely shrugged those effects off. But a sound caused him to look up and he could see the chandaliers moving like something had recently disturbed them. He glanced over to a bookshelf and saw how he could get on top.

He made his way up and over. He was careful not to make too much of a sound. And he didn't look down at the ground. He was rather high up. He liked his feet on the ground. He wasn't scared. He just had a bit of an issue with heights. Oh if only the Investigation Team knew… the thought made him smile. In fact, the entire time he had been smiling unless it came to something that he disliked or hated. He could feel some… relief off of his body.

He vowed to meet up with his friends sometime soon. He had to and he had to come clean.

He headed down again and soon came to a door where a battle was sounding. He opened the door just in time to see the cat Shadow slam into a pillar and slump over. Yu stepped in to the room proper and held the sword out. He snuck to a pillar, glancing about the battlefield. The area looked like some sort of chapel, complete with pews.

And they were fighting some armored figure with wings and a sword. Yu thought the Shadow looked eerily similar to one of his Persona of Justice.

"Panther, can you do something about Mona?!" The leader shouted as he dodged a sword swing from the Angel looking Shadow. He pulled a pistol and cracked off two rounds that practically bounced off the armor.

The blonde girl, who was now wearing a bright red, form fitting cat suit, dove out of the way. "Carmen, Dia!" She called out, looking to the cat. "Sorry Joker, it's not working!"

Of course it wasn't. They needed to patch the cat up after the fight. A fight they were losing, Yu noted. They were rookies, but Yu noted that they had the beginnings of what his team had once had. That coordination of a team that knew the abilities of the others, with their leader acting as an anchor that could help everyone.

The blonde boy rushed up closer, pulling a shotgun up by the sling. He unloaded two rounds, barely ducking under a blade aimed to take his head off. "Captain Kidd, Zio!" He shouted, turning around as he leapt backwards.

Yu was interested to note that his Persona was one of a pirate upon a ship. He was also interested to note that they had yet to figure out they didn't have to call out their Persona's names in order to use the skills.

' _So too did Thou.'_ Yu was a bit surprised to hear Izanagi-no-Okami in his head. It was not often that his Persona would speak, regardless of which Persona he had. But it did happen from time to time, as though to remind him of things.

In fact, it had taken him until he fought Kanji's Shadow before they had figured it out. He had been desperate and on his ass before he summoned a Mabufu to deal damage without summoning his Persona.

Yu frowned as the angel shrugged the lightning off. While it had certainly did damage, the creature was still healthy enough that it could take the blasts still. They weren't doing enough damage. He glanced over to the cat Shadow, Mona, and for an instance, he saw the bear form of Teddie. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. No, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

But charging in wasn't in the cards either.

Yu glanced back towards the door he had come in from. He'd have to beat a hasty retreat after this. But Izanagi-no-Okami's card spun in front of his hand and he gave it a squeeze. "Megidolaon." He said. Nothing resisted Almighty damage. Not even Izanami had been able to resist it.

He watched the energy build up above the shadow before floating down to the ground. He backed away as the explosion erupted away, walking to the door and opening it. He stepped through, closing the door behind him before taking off running on the plush carpet. Now was not the time to be encountering the Thieves.

He made his way back to the entrance, slipping out beyond the gates and pressing his back to the wall again. He inhaled a moment, just taking a moment to think. Yu felt… amazing. The rush and energy that was flowing through his form. He had dearly missed it. And the new kids had an idea that there was someone out there that was willing to help them, so hopefully that would make things a little easier. But he thought it time he went to slip to his alleyway that he used to stay hidden.

It was about thirty minutes before he heard the kids come out.

"Joker, we could keep going." The blonde boy said. He noted this Skull seemed definitely headstrong and wanted to stick it to Kamoshida faster. Yu didn't know why, but he would get his answers once Naoto was there.

"I know… I just don't like it." Joker said. He pulled his mask off and rubbed his eyes. "We were on the ropes, then out of nowhere, that explosion took out that guard captain. Let's regroup, let security loosen up again. We got a bit reckless, and we fell into a trap and Mona almost paid for it."

"Alright leader, your call." Skull said as they went to the alley one down from where Yu was at.

"It's a good call Skull." The cat Shadow said. "Besides, we don't know if that person is friend or foe, and from what you guys described, he used a high level skill. The Real World is probably safer than in here."

"Returning to the Real World." The voice on the phone said pleasantly. Yu felt the world spin before he adjusted his blazer and started to move off. Smuggling the sword around was definitely difficult, and he wanted to get home, eat something, and go to bed. He was so damned tired already.

His phone buzzed and he brought it up, flipping it open. " **MEET ME AT TRAIN STATION ON SUNDAY. PLZ. A:Y/N?"** Yu smiled at seeing Naoto's typing before he nodded to himself. He sent a simple 'Of Course' to her. He'd be seeing Naoto soon.

Things were looking up. It excited him that they were going to be meeting up, and all he had to do was wait a few more days.

 _Scene Break_

April 24th, it was finally the day, the day that Yu would be seeing Naoto again. He had arrived at the train station at the proper time. While there was no direct train from Inaba to Shibuya, it wasn't incredibly difficult to make a transfer or two. Yu sat at a table, just waiting. He had a book to spend most of his time, but a lot of the time his eyes were looking at the watch on his left wrist. " **Out of Range"** it read.

He had dressed in a bit more of a casual wear, a pair of plain tan slacks with a white t-shirt. He had brought a black jacket in case the day's weather ended up bad, but he didn't think it would. He inhaled and held it a moment. If he was honest, he was terrified of meeting Naoto. He had not done nearly as right by her as he had hoped he would.

He still loved her everything though. Everything about her made him feel warm. From the usual serious demeanor of Detective Prince Naoto Shirogane to the more subdued, even unsure woman version.

Beep. " **Distance 10m."**

Yu stared at the watch a moment, swallowing heavily. The moment of truth had come and gone. Sure, he could run away. Run far enough to be outside the watch's range. But he had asked Naoto there. He wasn't going to run away, not from her. Not when he so desperately wanted to see her and hold her again.

Those fateful days seemed like so long ago. But he stood up, keeping his eyes on the watch. " **Distance 9m."** Yu glanced up from his watch and grabbed the book that he brought with. He then headed over to the entrance of the train station, watching people coming up.

It didn't take long for him to spot her. "Naoto-kun." Yu called out to her. He noticed she was dressed fully in the garb of the Detective Prince. Black slacks, a dark navy blue coat over a white dress shirt, and the ever present cap that she tended to cover her eyes with whenever he made her blush. He heard the hard soles of her heeled boots as she picked up her pace, even though she carried a large black duffle bag slung over one shoulder

"Yu-Senpai. It's good to see you." She lowered her voice to sound like a guy of course. "Would you mind if I had a moment to stretch my legs? I've been sitting most of the day."

Yu smiled. "Of course Naoto-kun." He said. "Besides, my home is within walking distance of here. Do you need help with that?" He motioned to the duffle bag.

"No, I have it. I appreciate the offer Senpai." The two began to walk in tandem in the direction of Yu's choice.

"So… came as the Detective Prince." Yu said in a lower tone, dropping his voice a bit. While in Inaba, he'd have to go somewhere quiet for no one to hear the words, Yu knew that in Shibuya, with people constantly milling about, all he had to do was lower his voice a little bit.

Naoto put a hand on the top of her cap, tilting it down a bit as she lowered her head. "Yes. I'm afraid that I had to use my reputation a little bit to get into Shujin Academy. I have to meet with the Principal tomorrow. The man is all about prestige from what I have been able to gleam, and so he wants the Detective Prince to graduate from Shujin Academy and go on to attend a well-known University here in Shibuya." She seemed to be blushing.

"That's not all of it is it?" Yu asked with a knowing smile. He knew his lover was leaving information out.

"N-No." Naoto said. "When I'm not dressed like this… I tend to attract a different kind of fan base. Love struck girls are easier to deal with. They just want what they assume to be a famous and handsome boy."

Yu nodded his head. He had seen plenty of Naoto back during July. He knew what she was talking about with that comment. Naoto was a very beautiful woman that was blessed in a sense. And saying she had a boyfriend, or meeting her boyfriend, likely would not be enough to deter any of the more… troublesome guys.

Yu took her to his home, chatting the entire way about what Shujin was like. He told her about the various teachers he had experienced, though none of them had the quirks that the teachers in Inaba had, they were nonetheless very competent at their jobs. He even told her what the Principal was like from Yu's brief meetings with the man.

Sure enough, they came upon a quaint neighborhood that still had houses in it, despite the tightness of the neighborhood. They hadn't been forced out by committees wanting to build more office buildings, not yet. His home was the last one on the right of the street, a wall blocking off through access. He pulled his keys out and opened the door.

Naoto followed him, but paused at the sight of the actual motorcycle leaned against the house, locked up right. "Is that yours, Senpai?" she asked.

Yu nodded his head softly. "I bought it for cheap, but haven't been able to get it fixed. There's something wrong with the ignition." He shook his head. Probably a good thing, or else he might have run away to return to Inaba on that motorcycle. He missed the place.

"I feel there is a story in there about why you have a motorcycle well above 50ccs." Naoto said as she entered the house. Together they removed their shoes, though Naoto took a little bit longer to remove hers.

Yu smiled a little bit at the Detective Prince. He gave a minute frown though as he turned and locked the door behind them. He had the startling realization that, for the first time in months, he felt good again. It was almost as good as being back in Inaba.

"Yu-kun," Naoto's voice was softer now that they were out of the public eye. "Before we get down to things like dinner, might I see your TV? I want to see it for myself." She said.

Yu sighed and nodded. He put his keys in the dish by the door. "I've already got you a key ready. There's a spare taped under a small rock outside as well." He told her as he moved towards the front room. The house had always felt… cold and impersonal to him. He had gone through a string of baby sitters up to about twelve. Then he was able to take care of himself. Then he was shipped to Dojima. Not that he minded staying with his uncle, but…

The house didn't have much in way of personal effects from his folks. Even pictures were scarce. But he showed Naoto the large TV that rarely got use by anyone in his family. He tended to check the weather and that was it.

Naoto went right to the television and hesitated a moment before she tapped the screen with her finger. The ripple that formed was just like the one they had seen dozens of times during Inaba. "So it seems that it's not just tied to Inaba." She said thoughtfully. "Yu-kun?" she asked.

Yu nodded and inhaled before he stepped right up beside Naoto and reached out. He waited for the rippling to end and the TV screen to go back to normal. When he placed his hand on it, all he felt was the screen of the TV. He even pushed lightly, making it wobble to further demonstrate his inability to open the path.

Naoto's gaze softened for a moment before she stepped in and hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry Yu-kun." She said softly.

Yu returned the hug to his lover, squeezing her against his side. "It's not your fault Nao-chan." He told her softly. He didn't hold it against her. "Let me make some dinner and we can sit down and eat." He told her.

"Do you mind telling me where my room is to be?" Naoto asked softly.

Yu motioned to the stairs. "Up the stairs, guest bedroom is on the right. Mom and Dad swapped it to a bed instead of a futon." He told her. "Door to the center is the bathroom."

The blue haired Detective turned slightly to head for the stairs. Before she did though, Yu gently stepped forward and took her hand. He turned her around and dipped his head in to kiss her. He was relieved when he felt her press her lips back into his own. It had been a long time since they had been able to do that. "I still haven't forgotten what you told me to do Nao-chan. And I hope to steal your future so that it will be our future."

Yu was immensely pleased when Naoto blushed furiously. She grabbed the top of her cap and pulled down slightly, though he could see the corners of her lips pulled up into a pleased smile. "You still have a way of embarrassing me." She said before she turned and walked off.

He smiled a bit and turned to the kitchen. Dinner was a simple enough affair as he made mentaiko pasta. He knew it was one of Naoto's favorite from his time in Inaba. He would likely pick Naoto up from school the next day and go to this quaint little coffee shop that he had found. Sakura-san made the best curry that Yu had ever had.

He chuckled at the thought of what the man would think if he told him what Chie and Yukiko had attempted to make. The man was very proud of his cooking. It likely wouldn't go over very well. Still it could be amusing if he learned the recipe and took it back to Inaba for both Chie and Yukiko to taste and realize what real curry was supposed to be.

"Something smells delicious." Naoto said as she returned to the living room.

Yu smiled a little bit. "I do remember your favorites. Mentaiko pasta and California rolls." He said. He didn't need to look behind him to know she was likely blushing.

"S-sp-speaking of favorites," Naoto said as she came up behind him. "What are your favorites Yu-kun?"

"Your chocolate was fantastic." Yu said without any thought. He could still sometimes imagine he could taste it if he closed his eyes. Of course, the kiss they shared had also been a fantastic time.

"I'm serious!" she said. Her voice went to a higher pitch. As she had said before, he was a master at embarrassing her times.

Yu thought about it for a moment. Favorites… most of the time he had cooked for himself. His parents had usually been busy. And there were only so many times that he could get fast food before the smell of it threatened to make him sick. Even to this day, he usually made more than enough food so that the next day, he could take the left overs with him to University for lunch.

And he was always open to trying other foods. But for a favorite, he never really had a favorite dish. He turned to look at Naoto who was looking at him expectantly. He smiled a bit, seeing a chance to embarrass her some more. "Any meal I share with you." He said seriously.

It worked, she was pulling her cap down over her eyes again, trying to hide her blush. But Yu had long since been able to determine the look on his lover's face.

They sat at the low table and ate quietly, talking mostly about the things that he was missing from Inaba. After his departure, Rise ended up a bit depressed, but went on to do as she planned, re-emerging in the Idol World. Her own album was still a top seller, despite having being released six months prior. Kanji had really embraced the fact that, though he was a man he enjoyed doing the things like sewing and knitting, anything that really fit in with his mother's textile shop. Teddie and Yosuke were still up to their usual antics whenever they were together. They were a comedy duo really. Chie was well on her way to becoming some kind of detective with the police force, taking online classes and working with Dojima when he could afford to give her a bit of time. Yukiko was still helping out with the Amagi Inn, but was also in a relationship quite unexpectedly with Kanji.

Yu was happy the usually brash boy had been able to get past his crush on Naoto.

After dinner, the pair went to the kitchen and worked together to clean up. Yu washed the dishes while Naoto dried them off. Yu was just happy to have her back in his life. But all too soon it came time for them to both get to sleep. Naoto had to get to Shujin Academy early tomorrow to meet with the Principal as well as her homeroom teacher.

Yu let her shower first before he took a quick one himself. And as he got dressed for bed, he glanced at the watch on his left wrist once more. He gently pressed the button. " **Distance 3m."** It brought a smile to his face, after seeing the words 'Out of range' for the better part of a year, having a distance to the woman he loved was definitely a relief.

He got into his futon and settled in for sleep. However, before his body even got to that heavy state that said sleep was imminent, a knock was sounding on his door. Yu glanced up and stood up. "Nao-chan, is there something wrong?" he asked as he went to the door.

"Yes, there is something wrong with my room, Yu-kun." Naoto said from the other side before Yu had the door opened.

Yu frowned as he opened the door, but was quickly shocked into silence when Naoto pushed through the opening and pressed into him. He could feel the swell of her breasts against his chest as a hand came up and touched him on the shoulder. Though she was dressed in plain enough pajamas, Yu could hardly believe this was Naoto. And it reminded him that he hadn't seen her in quite some time as she had grown in… certain areas.

"What's wrong?" He asked, fighting to keep the blush off his own face. He wasn't immune to the charms of the girl when she was in a flirty or teasing mood.

"You're not there." She said. It was as if it was the simplest of things to expect. That Yu wasn't there in her room with her. But her other hand moved and grabbed his own. She turned and actually pulled him towards his futon. Despite the clear difference in height, Yu found himself being pulled by the woman that he was smitten with.

It wasn't exactly proper. It wasn't traditional, but then they had never had a particularly proper and traditional relationship. And if her presence would keep the memories of Izanami away, Yu was more than happy to have her at his side. He moved with her and lowered down towards the futon. "You sure you don't want your bed?" he asked.

But she moved in close and pressed herself up against his side. "It works out." She said. "You sleep on your back as is, I sleep on my side." She rested her head on his chest again and one of her hands slipped out across his stomach. "Besides, this is your room Yu-kun. I can see furnishings that match you. The plastic robot models that you built in Inaba, the pictures we had taken, even the gifts from your friends. This is your room, and I love it. I love you."

For once, Yu Narukami was at a loss for words when it came to what Naoto was saying. But he settled for actions. As Margaret had once taught him, sometimes an action could speak more than a thousand words. So he bent down and kissed her. "Any night, every night if you want." He told her.

With that, the couple went to sleep. They knew they had some things to work out still, but the time being, they had each other and that was all that mattered.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Alright, so it's still not a 10k chapter, but hot damned, I got it out in like 48 hours.**

 **I want to show Yu is not alright with this chapter. Yes, it had a lot of fluff, I can't help they make an adorable couple, but Yu is definitely not alright and I hoped I could show it a bit with this chapter. So expect some Yu/Naoto fluff fairly frequently, mixed in with the mess that I have turned Yu into with good reason.**

 **And next chapter we have the pair meeting the Phantom Thieves properly at long last. Ah… that's going to be fun to write.**

 **Remember to review, I answer anything that isn't a 'Good chapter'**


	3. Chapter 3: Thieves Versus Investigators

**Chapter 3: Thieves versus Investigators**

Naoto woke first, just before dawn. She was so used to so little sleep, that when she was able to get a good night of sleep, she tended to wake early. She smiled a little bit, curled into Yu's side as she was. She kept her eyes closed and she didn't move any closer to Yu than she already was. Their legs were pretty tangled. When she had come to his room the night prior, she had been quite serious that the only problem with the guest bedroom was that he wasn't in there. She flushed brightly, and wanted to bury her face into his chest a little bit.

They had only been able to sleep like this once, on Christmas Eve. And Naoto's grandpa had seen through her flimsy alibi almost immediately, even knew precisely whose house she had stayed at.

She glanced down a little, seeing that her shirt had ridden up in her sleep. The culprit being Yu's hand that was on her side. Based on the steady breathing, even heartrate, and the hand itself, Naoto could safely say that Yu was still asleep. It hadn't been the first time. It had done similar on Christmas. She just left it this time.

She stayed beside him for a while. Then she felt him stir, heard his heartrate spike a little higher as bodily functions began to need more blood flow. She didn't move from her position and she felt him slowly untangle their legs. He did it with great care as though he was trying not to wake her. He hesitated when he realized that he was touching her bare side. She felt the hand begin to pull away and she brought her arm down upon the hand, trapping it between her elbow and her ribs.

"There's only one direction that hand is allowed to go." Naoto said softly, revealing she had been awake. She looked up to Yu's very surprised eyes and even moved her legs a bit, stretching them. She blushed, but she did as she intended. She had missed him dearly. She moved to sit up on his lap, letting his hand slide under her shirt across her back. Though he took the chance to remove it from her pajama top, she was quick to take his hand by the wrist.

She bent down and kissed him ever so softly on the lips before she sat on his stomach. She put most of her weight on her knees, but kept some on his stomach. She put the hand back, this time on the other side. She held Yu's hand on her skin a moment. She could feel the calluses of his palm against her skin. It caused her to shiver just slightly. "Around and up Yu-kun." She said, looking to his eyes. She mustered her strength and confidence to not blush, to not dip her head down.

Even she had hormones and desires. And one of those that kept coming back was Yu touching her.

She enjoyed the look of surprise, and the blush, on his face. But he did as she asked, moving her hand around to the front of her stomach and lower ribs before he moved his hand, tentatively up. She gave a soft sigh. "Please, Yu-kun." She said softly. She didn't want to sound like she was begging. But when she felt those fingers tease over the sensitive and soft skin of her breast, she did give a gasp. She felt her nipples harden into tight nubs. This had been what she wanted for so very long.

She placed her hand over his just to keep it there. "Nao-chan." She enjoyed the way he said those words. Worriedly, but still full of desire. He didn't want to hurt her and it filled her with a deep warmth. She let her eyes flutter open, having never realized she closed them. She looked to his eyes and reached out with the other hand to touch his cheek.

'I'm fine Yu-kun." She finally gave in to the blush. "But… even I have wants." She admitted. "And you stole my heart, Yu-kun. No one else could have it, no matter what they said. It was yours, and only yours."

Yu took a moment, looking to her breast as he felt her under the top. But he eventually glanced back to her eyes. "I don't think we should go any further than this." He said softly. She could see it in his eyes, a certain uncertainty mixed with desire. It warmed her that he did seem to want to.

Naoto smiled warmly and bent down, kissing him again. "I agree." She told him softly. "But I just wanted you to feel, I wanted to be touched by you for so long." She said. But no matter what she wanted, they had three and a half good months in Inaba before being separated. She knew he cared for her deeply, and she cared for him deeply, but that didn't mean they were ready for the next step.

She slowly slid his hand from her top and began to climb off of Yu. She straightened out her top a bit. "I… I'm going to get ready." She said. As enjoyable as it was, there were still things that had to take priority. School, as well as what Yu had called her there to Shibuya for as examples.

Yu stood up and watched Naoto before giving her a nod. "I'll change and go start breakfast." He offered.

Naoto smiled and slipped from Yu's room, likely their room now, and headed into the room her things were in. The truly was nothing wrong with the room other than Yu's absence. But that one little thing made all the difference, especially since she had gone months without him. But he had made the offer to sleep in his room every night if she wanted, and she planned to take advantage of it.

She set to work getting dressed. She was an old hand at binding her breasts. The cut of the pants she had gotten for Shujin Academy were male and would hide the slight roundness and swell of her hips. Once the bindings were secure and she looked completely flat in the chest, she began to put on the button down shirt. Underwear was simple, meant for utility. She didn't understand the concept of something flashy. Slacks followed suit, then the blazer. She took a hairbrush through her hair before putting on her customary cap.

She then headed down the stairs and watched Yu from the bottom of the stairs. Already she could see there was a tension between his shoulders that had been released. She knew there was going to be a change, but to see it already meant that there had been a bigger burden than she initially thought there to be.

She had no doubt that they would enjoy many trials as a couple, as well as share many intimate moments of soft smiles and blushing faces. She even had no doubt there would be an occasional wandering hand, whether hers or his. But if they were to really enjoy any of that, then she would have to get to the bottom of whatever had been eating him.

What demon had sunk its claws into Yu after Izanami? Was it his parents being gone all the time? Was it leaving his friends behind yet again? She knew that Yu had not lived in this home all his childhood. Sure, his folks had access to it, but he had not stayed there all the time.

Was it losing Izanagi-no-Okami? Was it losing his other Persona? So many questions, and she knew that Yu was like a fortress at times. His walls were high and barbed, and if she wasn't careful she wasn't going to get through them. But she didn't want to lose him, either to his own inner demons or to her own prying. She wanted to have a future with him. The idea of him having her future and making it their future, of having his future as much as he had hers… It set her heart racing.

She sat down at the table for breakfast though. It was another simple fare, something to get them both through the day with plenty of energy. He had also, thoughtfully, provided a lunch for her, sliding it over.

"So… I should probably tell you my schedule." Yu said. It would definitely be helpful to her, so that she could know things in advance on how to plan. While there were things she wanted to do on her own, she didn't want to try and get him to go to a movie on a night he was busy. "Tuesday and Thursday I have Kendo practice after classes. I've already quit my afternoon job for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday afternoons, but I'm keeping the one for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings. It pays better in the long run." He used to have quite the schedule. "I also have online classes, so I tend to work on them in the evenings on Thursday and Friday, but I can work on them just as easily on Friday afternoon now."

Naoto had no doubt she looked a little surprised. "Online classes as well Yu-kun?" she asked. Naturally she was a little worried. She didn't want him to burn himself out. Plus there would be little time to explore how he managed to get to summon Izanagi-no-Okami again, or time with her.

Yu nodded though, regardless of her comment. "I loaded myself down." He admitted. "I wanted to leave this house as soon as possible." He motioned around. "I've been saving every last bit of money that I can Nao-chan. I actually wanted to move back to Inaba, to buy a bit of land and have a house built there." That surprised Naoto. Her family was from there, so she had roots there regardless of where a case took her. The Shirogane Estate was still there with her grandfather.

That Yu was talking about having a house in Inaba, one to call his own, it surprised her. But then, the year they had spent there had probably touched him more than any years prior. She didn't tell him that he couldn't. She saw the determined look in his eyes. But she could see that he had obsessed over returning as well, and that every week, every month that he had spent in Shibuya, unable to return to Inaba had affected him.

She reached across and touched Yu's hand. "Don't let yourself be consumed by returning to Inaba, Yu-kun." She said carefully. "I've had that same obsession with cases, been so obsessed and blinded to everything that I've neglected everything else." She had the strength to admit that sometimes she had acted like a child in that regard, needing to prove her worth.

She saw him take a breath in and nod his head. "I think I can focus a bit more on what's in front of me." Yu said. "I used to just be going through the motions."

Naoto nodded and finished her food. She then looked to the cup of coffee, black with just a touch of sugar as she liked it. She picked it up and took a sip of the steaming liquid. Almost immediately she decided that Yu was making her coffee in the mornings, every morning. "What can you tell me about how you summoned Izanagi-no-Okami again Senpai?" Naoto decided she needed to switch caps, so to speak, and become the Detective Prince again.

Yu sipped his own coffee, milk with sugar added to it Naoto absently noted. "I was walking home from school, cut past Shujin Academy. I was greeted by the sight of three students standing at an alley some five to ten meters away. They had just missed me, looking elsewhere. The area was pretty clear." He frowned as he drank more. "I remember this pull… and the world… distorted. Where Shujin Academy had been a castle took its place. The three students had their clothes changed and had been talking about codenames. The leader is Joker. They're Persona users. And Joker is associated with the Velvet Room, the same place Margaret had come from. I think he is like me and is able to use multiple Persona." Yu was quiet with contemplation, taking another drink. "They were able to enter the Other World, for lack of a better name, using some kind of phone app. They also have what I believe to be a Shadow like Teddie, only this one is a cat. I entered a second time, hitching a ride the second time, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and they knew someone else was there. They were having issues with something, I introduced Almighty damage to it."

Naoto nodded her head, frowning a little at the recklessness of what Yu had done. But she could hardly blame him given the situation. She likely would have done the same in an attempt to gather information, especially if she was unable to summon Yamato Sumeragi. "Anything else?"

Yu grimaced a bit. She knew she likely wasn't going to like this. "Try to keep being a girl under wraps as much as possible. The castle they were going to belongs to one Suguru Kamoshida, former Olympic Gold Medalist for Volleyball. If that is how he truly views things, then he's abusing the students under the guise of training. Adachi was… messed up, but Kamoshida is… worse. The students and Shadow claim to be thieves, attempting to steal something close to Kamoshida, but I haven't talked to them yet. I've been waiting for backup. Hopefully we can have a peaceful meeting."

Naoto was definitely frowning now, and she reminded herself to pack the revolver that she usually had when going through the TV. It sounded like it would come in handy.

Yu drank some more coffee. "There's one other thing. Now this might be ridiculous, but… I'm not going to leave it out. Recently there has been a string of accidents with mental breakdowns. Now, I'm not casting blame on these students, but… given the TV World was based heavily on the wants and desires of humanity…" He grimaced slightly. While they had indeed defeated Izanami, there was no telling what was on the other side, or what else there could be to deal with.

Naoto frowned and mused it over, drinking some more coffee. She finished the cup and looked to Yu. "Would you make me another? I quite like how you made it." She admitted. She watched him take the cup and give her a flash of a smile as she thought over what she heard. While she understood what Yu was talking about in regards to the mental breakdowns, she also understood what he meant when it could be unconnected. They could just be random accidents.

Then again, Yu had been the one to connect the dots to Adachi. She would have done the same eventually, but that didn't change the fact that Yu had done it first. No matter how painful it had been for him to do so, given their relationship.

Though, given what had almost happened to Nanako, she had no doubt that Yu would unleash a darker side that manifested as Mangatsu Izanagi.

The coffee was returned to her and Naoto took a moment, drinking the bitter liquid. Two cups were usually how she made it through the day, it helped wake her up to think. "Senpai, do you think you could get me copies of the news regarding these mental breakdowns?" She asked after a moment. "I'd be very curious as to see if I can't find a common denominator between them. I doubt it, but it's worth a look."

Yu nodded his head and Naoto went into thought for a moment. Again, she doubted it. The local police prefecture would have probably gone over the incidents with a fine tooth comb. Regardless, as who was to hopefully be the fifth Detective of the Shirogane line, Naoto felt an obligation to at least attempt to look at it. The police might not be able to do anything with the information, similarly to what happened with Namatame, but she could at least try.

"We should get going." Yu said, breaking her out of her musings.

Naoto glanced at her watch and realized he was correct. She finished her coffee before standing and going to grab her shoes at the front door. In moments, the pair was walking towards the station. She noted that Yu was about as talkative on his walk as he used to be, that is to say not very. But that was fine with her, she had a lot of variables mulling about in her head.

When they boarded the train, she watched Yu glance over his shoulder a moment. He then took his cellphone out and began to discretely text something before hitting send. When her phone buzzed a moment later, she took it out and glanced at the message.

" **Frizzy black hair is Joker. Cat is in the bag** _."_ Naoto glanced behind Yu a moment, spotting the mop of black hair and the standard Shujin Academy uniform. He seemed to be clutching the bag to his chest rather carefully. So there was a very real chance they would be seeing this Joker quite frequently.

" **LOOKS NERVOUS. Y/N** _?"_ Naoto sent the reply quickly and watched Yu glance at his phone and nod. She wondered what the other boy had to be nervous about, but decided it would be revealed later.

Once at the stop for Shujin Academy, Naoto got off with Yu, walking beside him. At the gates to Shujin they separated and Naoto headed inside. There seemed to be a commotion off to the side and she made her way towards it a moment.

There was a red card posted to the bulletin board of some kind.

"Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust?" She read quietly and under her breath. She read through the rest of it, frowning more and more. The Phantom Thieves of Heart? If Yu hadn't already told her about them, she would have immediately assumed it to be school children with an issue against Kamoshida.

"What's all this commotion about?" The man in question came up and saw the card. His look of banality quickly turned to that of rage. "Who did this?!" The man demanded. "Was it one of you?" A group of students scattered at his words.

Naoto definitely didn't like the man already. Something about his attitude rubbed her wrong. Then he turned on her. "What about you?" He demanded, even grabbing her coat and practically hauling her to her tip toes.

"No." Naoto said. "This is my first day here at Shujin Academy. Naoto Shirogane, Special Investigator." She said. She lowered her voice, and met the angry visage of Kamoshida with her own steely gaze. The only people she had met that could meet her gaze for very long were few and far between. Soon enough, she was set down. No doubt Kamoshida had been told about her arrival.

"You're that Detective Prince from Inaba?' Kamoshida asked, as though he could smooth things over.

"Indeed." Let everyone think she was a man, she didn't really care. Her friends treated her how she wanted to be treated.

"Going to do something about this?" Kamoshida jerked his thumb at the note, sneering at it a moment.

Naoto turned to the card and took a picture of it on her phone. "I can do a few things, though police involvement may be needed. The situation might be quite serious." She said. "I can forward the picture of it to someone in the police prefecture and see if it might match any on-going cases. Now if you'll excuse me, I am already tardy to my meeting with the principal."

She turned and noted the black haired boy from the train a moment before she headed on forward. She also saw the blonde boy and the blonde girl. As soon as she was out of eyesight, she forwarded the picture to Yu. ' **TODAY. MEET ME AT ALLEY IN FRONT OF SCHOOL** _."_ She closed her phone and continued forward, mind already racing.

She also sent the picture to her contact within the police to see if the calling card was part of some on-going cases. Just in case.

 _Scene Break_

Yu stood with Naoto in the alleyway, they were a little bit deeper in than just at the front. Yu stood a bit deeper in than Naoto, having seen the method twice already. He'd let Naoto see it and make her theories from there. She was capable of leaps of logic that sometimes he just couldn't follow, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

He gently grabbed her forearm as he heard the words. "Initiating Travel." He felt the lurch, and helped steady Naoto as it was her first time travelling that way. While transferring through the TV hadn't been much better, it wasn't quite as… forceful.

Naoto also got to watch the three students walk forward, heading to the front gates of the school. Yu clenched his sword a bit as Naoto checked her gun. The pair then headed for the gates. "How do we get their attention?" Naoto asked as she walked with her gun pointed to the ground.

Yu walked through the gates and gave a sharp whistle. "Hey!" He called out.

The 'Phantom Thieves of Heart' as they called themselves all spun around. He noted that Joker had quick reflexes, pulling out that same handgun from earlier. Yu moved in front of Naoto. Izanagi-no-Okami could take physical damage like a champion, Yamato Sumeragi less so.

"Crap!" Skull called out. "How'd someone else find this place?" He asked.

"Worry about that later Skull, Joker we need to get to the treasure!" The cat Shadow said, turning and sprinting towards the…

"Vent!" Yu called out to Naoto.

"Bafudyne!" She struck the Tarot card with her revolver. Yu thought it was a wonderful thing, seeing Yamato Sumeragi once more. The blonde hair waved from under the metal pointed mask, and with a wave of its long, thin saber, a hunk of ice exploded against the vent that the cat had been running towards.

"Crap! Joker, it looks like we'll have to fight our way through!" The cat said.

Yu could see the leader grimace, even as he popped a few rounds off. His aim was off and he missed each of the shots though, but Yu had to give him credit for try. "Arsene, Eiha!" It looked like a demon wearing a red tuxedo and a black tophat, with chains coming from its body. Yu took the brunt of the attack, noting it felt very similar to a Mudo but different at the same time.

"Carmen! Agi!" Yu watched as red skinned woman in a red dress appeared, with chains and leashes leading to men of some kind. A bolt of fire came at him, but Yu was pulled behind Naoto who blocked it effortlessly, nullifying the damage without even getting her coat messy.

"Mona!" Skull called out. "Hit 'em together! Captain Kidd, Zio!"

"Zorro, Garu!"

There came that pirate again. But this time it was accompanied by an over-exaggerated barrel chested man with a fencing sword. Yu knew enough about the Spanish legend to know the name. But he pulled Naoto back and simply pushed through both hits.

"Woah!" Skull leapt to the side just in time. Took one hit, reflected the other. Using lightning against Izanagi-no-Okami was generally a bad idea.

And then suddenly, Yu felt full of energy. He felt time seem to slow down, and the damage he had taken from the 'Eiha' suddenly ached a lot less, not that it ached much to begin with. He knew without words, Naoto had dropped a Heat Riser on him. Izanagi-no-Okami's card spun to life in his hand. "Megidolaon!" In an instant it was over, the Almighty Spell slamming into the ground to explode rather forcefully, dropping the four thieves.

Yu then took out a set of beads from his pocket and went to each of them, putting the bead in their mouths. He watched them quickly come to, the light filling through their body.

"Now then," Yu said. "Do you guys want to talk or do I drop another Megidolaon?" he asked simply. A bit arrogant sounding of him, but he wanted to show that he wasn't screwing about. He glanced to Naoto and saw she had her pistol carefully trained on the leader. "I'd rather not but… I don't exactly have a lot of pity for Thieves." He said.

Skull groaned and was about to try and pull his shotgun. Yu was about to try and see how much his 'Captain Kidd' could handle a Ziodyne. But before either things could happen, a red gloved hand was held up. "I'll talk." Joker said, groaning a bit in pain.

"Joker-" Skull stared.

"Skull, he just kicked our asses at the same time with one move while we did absolutely nothing to him." Joker noted dryly. "If taking a moment to talk will speed things along to the point where we can steal Kamoshida's heart, I'm going to take a moment and talk with someone that is very clearly out of our league."

Yu felt his lips quirk slightly into a smirk. He walked over and held a hand out. He pulled the young leader to his feet. The other members of the Phantom Thieves began to pull themselves up, healing spells getting passed around. It probably wasn't what they expected to be doing first thing into their heist, but Yu was going to get some answers.

"Hey, you're that Detective Prince Kamoshida was talking to earlier." Panther said, looking past Yu to where Naoto was.

"Naoto Shirogane." She said politely. There was no point in hiding it especially since, according to Naoto, the trio had seen her earlier. "Senpai, may I?" she asked.

Yu stepped back. "You're the Investigator, I'm merely Junior Detective." He said a bit amused at the inside joke between them. "All yours Naoto-kun."

It all quickly came out. The reasons why they were doing it, why they looked the way they did, everything came freely spilling out from the Phantom Thieves. Their Persona, as well as their clothes, marked their rebellious spirit in a world of rules. It was different from the Investigation Team. No less important, but different. They talked about the abuse heaped on the volleyball teams, the sexual abuse even. And how Kamoshida had pushed one student to attempt suicide. Even their plans to steal his treasure, to get his twisted shadow to rejoin with the rest of him and make him confess his sins. The group even admitted that, they didn't particularly care at that point if he lived or not with the girl almost taking her life because of him. They even explained the purpose of the calling card, and that the heist had to be performed that day.

They also explained that Joker's, Skull's, and another student's heads were on the chopping block to be expelled. And with Joker and Skull's criminal records, warranted or not, they would be expelled without a doubt.

Yu watched Naoto mull over the facts a bit, ignoring the looks he was getting from Skull and Panther from time to time. From what he had seen and heard, he wasn't entirely sure he was all that invested in stopping the Phantom Thieves from at least trying. Kamoshida was a right bastard in Yu's mind.

"I know where I've seen you before!" Skull said, suddenly snapping his fingers. "You're Narukami-Senpai. You graduated last year, top grades if memory serves. You played basketball"

Yu frowned a moment but he offered a single nod. "Not that we played anyone because of Kamoshida." He said simply. Had the abuse been going on back then?

Skull grimaced. "Yeah man, it was the same with the track team, and I screwed that up big time."

Yu frowned a bit more pronounced. Track team? Now that he thought about it. He turned to the blonde boy. "You're Ryuji Sakamoto. You're the guy that got his leg busted by Kamoshida last year."

"A teacher broke a student's leg?" Naoto asked concerned, glancing between the two for a moment.

Yu nodded. "Yeah, didn't even get a slap on the wrist. Said it was self-defense." Which was really odd given the severity of the incident, plus Kamoshida had to of had ten kilos on Sakamoto.

Naoto frowned a bit more and went a little quieter. She was getting bombarded with more and more information, none of it answering the questions in her mind. Yu knew she was going to be thinking on it for a while.

"Man, how long have you been able to summon Persona?" Skull, Ryuji, asked. "That thing is a beast. With you in our corner, this should be a cake walk." He seemed to be pumped about it instead of abrasive as he had been just moments prior.

Yu took a moment to think about the words. "Approximately two years ago is when I first summoned Izanagi. Izanagi-no-Okami, I've had for a year or so." Help them… There was a thought. He had no doubt that if he and Naoto helped these Phantom Thieves, they would be able to accomplish whatever goal they had set out for themselves in this world.

Heat Riser mixed with Megidolaon was surprisingly effective against most things, and Naoto's Yamato Sumeragi also knew Megidolaon.

"Woah, your Persona changed?"

Yu grimaced, being reminded of the event that had caused that. "It can happen, and times were… grim." He said. To say the least, but he really didn't want to talk about that any more than he had to. He looked towards the Velvet Room, thinking, tapping a finger against the hilt of his sword.

"Oh! Senpai, would you happen to know what Mona-chan is?" Panther, Ann, asked, coming up. "You seem like you know a lot. If you've been in the Metaverse and people's palaces for two years, you have to know more than we do."

Yu turned to Ann a moment, considering her words for a moment. He was still pondering the 'help' comment. "I don't know about the Metaverse, or Palaces." He admitted. "We didn't have a phone app to take us through, we crawled through a TV to the other side. On rainy nights, at midnight, a show called the Midnight Channel would turn on. Usually the images were blurry at first, but then began to sharpen up based on who was on the other side. Who showed up was usually based on people's thoughts at the time" He shook his head. He could see the look of disbelief on their faces. "As for your friend…"

"Not. A. Cat." Morgana said vehemently.

"A shadow." Yu said bluntly. He saw he had the attention of all four Phantom Thieves. "A Shadow that has gained an Ego. Persona has to do with the mind, technically it should be impossible for a Shadow to gain an Ego, but it isn't something I haven't seen before. One of our group, Teddie, was a walking, talking bear suit that was empty inside at first… Then one day, he comes through to our side, and we found out he had grown a human body inside of himself. Mona's not violent, so what does it matter, right?"

"Right." Joker, Akira, said simply, glancing to Morgana. "If you are a Shadow, it's fine. You've been nothing but helpful Mona, I'm not going to abandon you." Yu could appreciate what Joker was doing, trying to take the attention away from Morgana and put his foot down on the matter. It was good of a leader. "I have a question though. If Persona are the manifestation of your Rebellious Will, why do you two look normal?" he asked, motioning to Yu.

"Because a Persona isn't a representation of a Rebellious Will." Naoto said as she closed her phone. "A Persona is a part of you, something that you usually would not show the world. A mask in a sense. Ours manifested after we had the strength to face inner truths about ourselves that were… uncomfortable." Naoto grimaced slightly.

Before the Phantom Thieves could step in and question Naoto, Yu decided to cut in. "Right, and I have decided that we will be helping you by not helping." He said. He could feel quizzical eyes on him, even Naoto looked surprised. "Naoto-kun and I will be in the main foyer, making a lot of noise. We're going to bring every Shadow running to us, so it should give you a bit of an easier task. But stealing this treasure is all on you guys."

"What kinda bullshit is that?" Ryuji asked. "Your just gonna sit back and let us do all the work?"

Yu cut his gaze across the Phantom Thieves before inhaling. He gently rotated his shoulder a moment before he settled in, exhaling deeply. He looked to Akira. "I've been in your shoes. Sitting there, unlocking parts of yourself that you don't know about, forging bonds with people, even listening to Igor's comments about bonds, contracts, and truths." He was glad to see Akira jerk at the mention of the Master of the Velvet Room. "Yes, Naoto-kun and I could go in and sweep the way to the treasure. I'm sure there's a trap just lying in wait for you, and we could even sweep through that. But you won't grow if we do that. You need the conflict to grow as people, it will forge bonds tighter than you can possibly imagine." Yu stepped towards Akira, noting he was a decent bit taller. "Zero. The Fool. It can either be nothing, or it can hold infinite possibilities. If I help in such an overt manner, then it's the same as giving up."

Akira glanced over his shoulder, looking away from Yu a moment. "You can see it then? See Justine?"

Yu nodded his head. "I know your friends can't see it too. I've been meaning to go in and have a chat with Igor, but that can wait for another day. We'll go in at the same time so that we might get some more answers."

Akira inhaled deeply. Yu had no doubt that the younger man was trying to figure it all out. Yu sensed a bit of social anxiety as well mixed in, a level of uncertainty. Yu knew the feeling. Yu had been flying blind through most of the TV world, and now this Akira was going to be doing the same through this world. Leadership had been thrust upon them without either of them being asked for it. Yosuke had said he was fine playing second banana, but the truth was Yu would have been fine with it as well.

There was no use crying over spilled milk at that point, but the fact of the matter remained, it had been thrust upon him just as much leadership was being thrust on Akira.

Akira took a moment to remove the domino mask and he rubbed at his eyes a bit. He put it back on and inhaled deeply. Yu watched him square his shoulders and turn from an uncertain teen to the leader of this rag tag bunch of thieves. "Alright, Phantom Thieves, we need to move. We're already behind stealing that treasure as is." He said. He looked to Yu and Naoto. "Can you do something about your blockade?"

"Agidyne." Naoto said, striking Yamato's card with the butt of her gun and cause a massive gout of flame to erupt at the ice, shattering it.

Akira looked to Yu and gave the barest of nods before he was leading the charge up to the ventilation shaft and inside.

"Hell yeah, this is what I'm talking about!" Ryuji grinned and turned, charging off after Akira. Even Morgana and Ann had gotten pumped and were quick to follow after their leader and friend.

Naoto stepped up beside Yu and he glanced towards her a moment. He waited a bit. "Did I make the right decision?" he asked quietly.

Naoto offered a smile and inclined her head. "Of course you did, Senpai." She said the last with a bit of a teasing tone. "I don't necessarily like letting them do this… but I am concerned about the mental breakdowns as well. I do not believe them to be the culprits behind them, but it would be interesting to have a starting point for my own investigations. If we charged in with them, they wouldn't learn anything." She tilted her head up a bit. "Though, you do realize if anyone were to find out, we could still be charged as accessories, yes?"

Yu nodded his head. It figured Naoto would think about the repercussions in a legal sense.

Naoto lowered her cap to cover her eyes a moment. He could see the way her form tightened, the fingers curling around her revolver a moment before she spoke. Her voice carried. "You can come out now, I've sensed you since we arrived."

" _Senpai!"_ A ballistic missile of a person had charged into Yu's chest, slamming him with force and then proceeding to cling to him tightly. " _Did you miss me Senpai?!"_ The voice was excitable and childish.

Yu glanced down before over to Naoto, then back. Sure enough, Naoto's Shadow, complete with change in attire to the Shujin Academy Uniform with a white lab coat was clinging to him. She leaned up and kissed him on the bottom of his chin. "Uh… Naoto-kun?" Yu wasn't sure how to respond.

"I'm not going to deny her existence, Senpai, if that's what you are concerned with." Naoto said.

" _I am her, she is me!"_ The excitable and childlike side of Naoto said, leaning in and nuzzling his chest. Yu noticed that the Shadow still had not relinquished her hold on him. " _Oh! Oh! I know! Can we watch some anime some time Yu-Senpai? Something with mystery and crime solving. Oh! Or Featherman R?"_

Yu glanced over toward Naoto who looked to be trying to hide her face with her cap at this point. He also noticed a blush across her face. But he noticed the small smile on her face. "Sure Naoto-kun." He said. He noticed the blush increase but the smile grow just a bit wider.

So the Shadow was still a side of Naoto that she suppressed consciously. While she had less issues showing herself, there were still some things that she couldn't so easily show the world. And given their absence from one another, she likely had difficulty showing him this side of her on the surface. Yu wondered if the Shadow manifested, or if Naoto had summoned it to make the requests that she might usually be a bit more embarrassed to.

Who would have thought the 'Detective Prince' would be an anime fan? Not that there was necessarily anything wrong with it, Yu still enjoyed them from time to time when he found something that interested him, but if it got out to the police prefecture, then there was a good chance some idiots would spite Naoto more.

" _We can cuddle up on the couch and I can rest on you. Mm, I always liked you being so close."_ The Shadow rambled a little bit. " _All those spent days in your room, on your couch. I wish you had kissed me a bit more. Oh! Did you like this morning?"_

Yu cleared his throat, his face flushing quickly at the reminder that, very recently, he had gotten to feel Naoto's breasts. He took a sideways glance at Naoto who was looking at him carefully as well. "I… did enjoy it." He said, keeping a clear eye on the outer self of Naoto. She immediately flushed, lowering her head. But he did see the pleased smile on her face. He cleared his throat slightly. "We really should be doing as we said."

Naoto's shadow seemed to offer a pout. " _One more Senpai~?"_

Naoto's face did a remarkable job of flushing bright crimson before paling. "No, no, no, that's quite enough out of you." She cleared her throat to try and deepen it again and gain control over the situation. "We really do need you back with me for Yamato Sumeragi so that we will be able to assist Yu-Senpai." She reasoned with her Shadow.

"' _Kay."_ With that, the Shadow's weight and grip disappeared. She dispersed like she had originally done so, though without the show of a Persona and a Tarot card. She just dispersed.

"That was…" Yu began, glancing at Naoto who was checking her gun.

"I felt her separate from me when we entered this world. I expected a few of my more… childish traits to manifest and make requests." She managed to deliver the statement without a blush. "I did not expect her to start spouting some of my more… embarrassing secrets like Rise might." This one caused her to blush faintly, but her mind was focused on the task, so she was able to recover easier. Yu had seen this side of her enough to know how she ticked.

"You know you can tell me anything, I won't think less of you Nao-chan." Yu said, stepping a little closer and lowering his voice. "Make any request even."

Naoto smiled a bit, pleased by his words. "I will keep that in mind, but we really should be making a splash." She said. "Oh, and one other thing, Senpai?" She said.

Yu arched a brow a bit. "Yeah?"

"Rise eventually did grow those two centimeters that her agency fibbed about, and they fibbed two more onto her." Naoto paused a moment. "I was that size back then, and have filled out more." She smiled in a self satisfied way before turning and walking away.

Yu reached up to touch his cheeks a moment. He was definitely blushing. But given his girlfriend had just said she was… Yeah. That mental image wasn't going away any time soon. Shaking his head of the thoughts, he hefted his sword and went with Naoto to storm the castle.

 _Scene Break_

Shadow Kamoshida sucked. So badly. These were the thoughts of Akira Kurusu as he dodged out of the way of the volley of volleyballs. Ryuji wasn't so lucky and almost got knocked on his ass. ' _Infiltrate the treasure room, send a calling card, nab the treasure, escape. Easy right? My ass._ ' It had been a simple plan, great plan in his mind. Sure, there were things, big things, that could go wrong, but the plan was simple enough, it allowed for things to mess up and it could be recovered from.

Security get a little too high because he left cover early to try and rip a mask off and got spotted? Fine, call it quits for a day, come back in a day or two. Someone, likely Yu now that he knew of the other multiple Persona user, make the guards testy and thus increase security in a big way? Okay, fine. He could deal with that. Simple plan was great for that. Getting caught in a trap, having Yu bust them free by outright nuking the guard Captain? Okay, little outside the scope of his simple plan, but not terribly so.

He drew his pistol and cracked off the entire clip at the cup Shadow Kamoshida kept drinking out of. With a flick of his wrist, he ejected the spent clip and slapped a new one in. Of course, it didn't actually have a clip, but things were a little weird in the palace. He had to dive out of the way of a fork attempting to skewer him.

Shadow Kamoshida setting up a trap with the treasure, only to steal it back and put it on his head before turning into a demented, giant version of himself with multiple arms, volleyball slinging slaves on chains, and a trophy full of legs to heal from? His simple plan went completely FUBAR.

He spun around a pillar for cover and practically bumped right into Ryuji who had dived to use the pillar as the same thing. The two took a moment to catch their breaths, long enough for Shadow Kamoshida to start looking over at Ann again who was setting Shadow Kamoshida on fire. Bless her for breathing room.

Ryuji jacked two rounds into the shotgun's body. "I'm kicking Narukami-senpai's ass after this. You with me Joker?" Ryuji asked. "Not helping my ass!" He turned and blindly fired the shotgun. They all knew it was useless, so Akira spun around and emptied his fresh clip again into the Trophy. He could at least try to help out.

"In the real world or in this messed up place?" Akira asked as he ejected the second clip, taking cover behind the pillar. He reached out and grabbed Ryuji, saving him from a volleyball taking his head off.

"Yes!" Ryuji grunted as his back impacted against the pillar roughly.

"Pixie, Dia." Akira summoned one of his Persona to heal Ryuji up. "If I can remind you of something Skull, Narukami-san completely reflected your lightning back at you without even a sideways glance in your direction. And, I think Narukami-san's sword is a real legit sword, not the replica that we managed to get for my knife and Mona's sword." Akira stepped out. "Pixie, Garu!" The gust of wind swept over the damned Shadows throwing volleyballs at them. "Panther, get your ass moving!" He was usually more reserved, but these were his friends. He couldn't afford to be reserved.

Akira doubted that Yu was having such issues. His Persona could do mass amounts of destruction after all.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Up the stairs, go, go, go!" Yu turned to the horde of Shadow knights and he summoned down another Megidolaon upon them. He could feel Naoto's Heat Riser running out. But his lover scrambled up the steps, turning about halfway up when she realized that he was still at the bottom, sword out and swinging.

"Senpai!" Naoto cried out. "I can still fight!" she said, clearly thinking he was trying to keep her from doing so.

They had encountered a rather…. Not inconsiderably sized snag in the plan of 'Draw attention away from the Phantom Thieves.' Simple plan, excellent plan. More than they used to have when they went through the TV World. Except the Shadows were endless.

Yu cut through another one of those damned horse things that kept summoning more, and more. "You got more range than I do! Shoot and wait for Yamato Sumeragi to give you energy back, could use another Heat Riser!" Shadows were endless, but he and Naoto were not and Naoto was already flagging.

Yu felt the surge of energy rush through him as Naoto did as he asked. He summoned another Megidolaon, wishing, not for the first time, that he had something like Lucifer with him to do widespread destruction a bit more freely.

Now if only Akira would finish up the easy part.

 _ **Back with Akira…**_

Yeah, they were just freaking fine. He came out, running forward, sliding under another volley of the volleyballs. He prepared the knife. "Arsene, Eiha!" The Darkness struck the Volleyball Shadows and he came up closer than he wanted to at Shadow Kamoshida. He smelled the nauseating mix of cologne and wine as he brought his knife up and struck the trophy. A crack split through it and it then shattered, with Akiraa dodging backwards as quick as he could. "Mona!"

Morgana, blessing that he was, shot from the pillar he was on to knock the crown off of Shadow Kamoshida's head. This seemed to stun the Shadow, and the group was quick to regroup and begin taking advantage.

Eventually, they were able to bring Shadow Kamoshida down. Akira even managed to stop Ann from outright killing the Shadow. If the Shadow died, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what could happen. That was when all hell erupted as well. With Shadow Kamoshida returning to the heart of Kamoshida, the Palace began to collapse. Ryuji almost fell over, but he managed to pick up the former runner and get him moving again.

The group almost spilled over each other as they returned to the real world, and there was Yu and Naoto at the end of the alleyway as well, with Yu quickly tucking the sword away and hiding it with practiced ease. Even Naoto seemed to hide her revolver with a practiced ease.

"So?" Yu asked, breathing a bit heavier.

Akira panted a bit, hands on his knees. He grabbed his glasses from a pocket and put them on. "Now we wait and see." He admitted. He hated the waiting game. Truly he did. He looked at his hand, looking to what Kamoshida's 'treasure' was. Low and behold, it was an Olympic gold medal. Akira tucked it away, it probably wasn't the real thing anyways.

He inhaled deeply and stood up straighter, exhaling deeply. "Come on, let's get going home." He said simply. He was exhausted and his muscles felt so tense. He rotated his shoulder slightly. He scooped Morgana up and tucked the treasure drunk cat in the bag with the medal.

The group of five walked near silently towards the train station. Akira noted that Yu and Naoto spoke in softer tones, not really interacting with them. It was fine though. Ugh… all he wanted to do was let his head hit his pillow. Maybe Sojiro would let him have a plate of curry first… Oh man… that stuff was to die for.

If there were ever a reason, ever, that Akira was glad he was residing in an attic, was he got to wake to the smell of that stuff cooking. Every. Single. Day.

He got off at his stop for Le Blanc's and headed forward, practically dragging his feet. He still had school tomorrow. Thankfully he was caught up on homework, he didn't want to think about having to try and do that while he was this tired.

The jingle of the bell to the door rang and he walked in. "Evening Sakura-san." He said politely. While they had been getting more and more cordial to one another, there was still a level of respect he maintained for the older man.

"You look beat." The older man said, puffing a cigarette. "Sit down, I'll make you a cup of coffee."

Just then, the bell above the door jingled again as Akira took a seat at the far end of the bar. He glanced towards the door, just to see who was visiting the shop so late. He was quite surprised when he saw Yu Narukami and Naoto Shirogane. Didn't they get off elsewhere?

"Evening Sojiro-san." Yu said politely. "Still open?

"Sure." He said as he worked to make Akira his cup of coffee. "Have a seat wherever. Hey, you there, you go to Shujin Academy as well?"

"Yes, Naoto Shirogane, Third Year. I just transferred in." Akira glanced over at the boy, a bit curious as to what the relationship between him and Yu was, but decided it was none of his business.

Sojiro was quiet a moment before he passed off the cup of coffee to Akira. "Don't listen to the rumors surrounding this one." He said, jerking a thumb in Akira's direction. "He's actually a good kid." It was said much to Akira's surprise. He would have never expected that to come from Sojiro so suddenly.

Naoto lowered the cap on his head a moment, a slight smile on his face from what Akira could see. "Yes… about that… I had heard some rumors already. And I haven't been able to get in contact with the local Police Prefecture too terribly much to confirm any of them, I thought I might hear it from the horse's mouth so to speak." The slender boy tilted the cap back up. "If it would be okay with you, Kurusu-kun."

Well… that was better than just blindly believing the rumors. Akira took a sip of his coffee. He noted that Yu looked a little interested, and Sojiro even seemed interested. No doubt his mother had just told Sojiro that he was a good kid, needed looked after, had an assault charge on his record. "Mind if I get some curry?" He asked Sojiro more than he asked Naoto.

"Sure, how about you two?" Sojiro asked Naoto and Yu.

"Some curry would be fantastic. I've been telling Naoto-kun about it." Yu said. "I could also go for a cup of coffee myself. Heavy cream, sugar. Naoto-kun?"

"Black. Just a touch of sugar." Naoto replied as he took a seat at one of the chairs, one beside Yu but also putting him between Yu and Akira.

Sojiro nodded and began to prepare the order. The coffee was done quickly, passing the cups over before he went to get three plates of curry. And as Akira took his first bite of the spiced chicken curry, he vowed before he left Shibuya, he was going to get Sojiro to tell him the recipe. He didn't care if he had to get down on hands and knees and beg. It was too good to pass up the chance to learn.

But, after a few bites, he began to tell his story. He told how he was basically in the wrong place at the wrong time, and someone affluent had been there. He told how he hadn't even touched the guy, merely surprised the drunken man by accident who then proceeded to stumble and bust his forehead open on a guard rail. He told how the woman the man had accosted had said she would go to the police if the man sued, but that had ended very quickly.

"In the end, he asked the police to keep his name out of the media, and I ended up with a very quick, clean, open closed trial." Akira said as he finished his curry. "Sucks… but nothing I can do about it." He said. "Just try to make the best of my time here in Shibuya, try not to get in any more trouble."

Sojiro frowned a moment, lighting a new cigarette to smoke. "That's a good attitude to have about it.' He said politely.

Akira noticed Naoto looking at his cup of coffee. "Naoto-kun?" Yu asked the other boy.

"I think I might try to figure out who did it." Naoto said. He took a drink of his coffee. "While the police could keep his name out of the media, in order for him to press charges, the gentleman would have had to give his actual name. It would be in the file of your case. I'm certain I can find out who this man is."

"What for?" Akira asked. He surprised himself with the bitterness in his tone. "I'd rather just let it lie. I don't care about his name. I know the law system pretty well. I've been looking it up on my phone since I got here. It'd be pretty difficult to get this stain off my record. Might as well make the rest of my record look sparkling and golden."

But Naoto waved his hand. "I'm not doing it for you, no offense Kurusu-kun." He said. "I'm doing it for my own sense of curiosity."

Akira shook his head. Digging into what happened because he was curious? "Fine." He said. He decided not to be an ass about it. "Sakura-san, I'm sorry but I'm exhausted.' Akira got out of the stool and headed for the stairs.

Once upstairs, he took Morgana out of the bag. What good would it be to go digging for the name of the individual that had pressed trumped up charges? Akira didn't know what Naoto was thinking, playing like he was a detective. With a sigh, Akira changed into his sleepwear and shuffled to the bed. He was better off not knowing.

But a small, tiny, rebellious part of him asked the question. _"What if they have a Palace?"_

Chapter End

 **A/N: So this chapter… Steamy Naoto/Yu fluffy goodness at the beginning, followed by the meeting of minds that is the Investigation Team's members with the founding members of the Phantom Thieves.**

 **I'm not going to write out every tiny little detail of every event, because that makes for a poor story. If you've played Persona 5, you know how the battle with Kamoshida went down, as well as the resulting aftermath of it. If you haven't played Persona 5, what are you doing reading this story?! Go play it! 90 hours of your life well spent.**

 **But seriously, trying to write out every single event of every day for a year would get tedious, boring, and this story would go nowhere very fast.**

 **Onto other news, I bought a Chromebook today to replace my laptop that is… unfortunately at the end of its life. I've broken the hinges on it, and ultimately need to prop the back against something or else the screen falls backwards, so there might be a delay as I get used to Google Docs versus Microsoft Word.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Calm

Chapter 4: The Calm

April 28th. Yu found himself inhaling deeply as he prepared for the next part. He took a half step backwards, the wooden _bokuto_ (1) moving to his standard stance, the stance that had refined in Inaba. The blade was held loosely, horizontally from him. From behind the _men_ he wore, he took in his opponents stance. If he was honest, the _men_ was stiflingly hot. He was reminded of the run through the bathhouse in his school's winter Uniform.

Hot didn't even begin to describe it really.

He exhaled and stepped forward. Cross swing met with a block, draw back and then he was guarding from below, up to the left for another block, overhead parry, _bokuto_ at the neck of his sparring partner. Yu was getting better at that. He took a half step back and they then bowed to one another.

They then moved to sit off to the side, still dressed in full armor for the kendo practice. They were allowed to remove the _men_ then and he tried his best not to rip it off. He found himself completely relaxed and at ease in the dojo. Despite having reason for having his mind full of things, he was able to relax. It was this sense of relaxation that allowed him to spot the feints. He spotted the openings in the guards of the other students. And when he was called up again to spar against another student, he didn't fall for such tricks.

What had changed? He had not always been so keen on being able to keep up. He had not always been able to move as he did. Even now, the uniform and armor felt like they were constricting him. It wasn't his time in Inaba, was it? No. It couldn't be, even after he had returned, he was getting himself beaten down.

So what had changed between just a few short weeks and this?

It… wasn't Naoto was it?

Soon enough however, the practice came to an end. He helped the other students in putting the equipment away, wiping it all down and getting it all ready to be washed. While students were recommended to get their own armor and _shinai_ and _bokuto,_ the dojo had a number of them available to those less fortunate.

"Narukami-kun, if you would stay after." Yu's attention briefly went to the head of the Dojo.

"Yes Sensei." He said politely.

So, he found himself moving to the front of the open space and kneeling upon the mat in front of the man that owned and ran the dojo. Daishi Homura was an older man. Even in the _keikogi_ and the _hakama,_ Homura seemed almost frail. Thin, but not sickly. He had a thick head of snow white hair and was clean shaven. He was also a proud practitioner of Kendo. He proudly proclaimed that in forty-seven years of training, he had only missed out on practice three times. It was a most impressive dedication to his art.

The man reached to the table beside him and poured a cup of hot tea. "Might I offer you some tea, Narukami-kun?" he asked.

"Please, and thank you Sensei." Yu remained polite. He held the man in front of him in high regards. Any time he had returned to Shibuya and had the time, he always went to practice. It was a shame that he had not been able to do more, but Yu was determined to be the best that he could be. Probably the only other male much older than him that he held in such high regards was Dojima. Maybe Igor too but that was an odd relationship. His parents held his respect, but compared to Homura and Dojima, they were lacking.

A cup was poured for him and passed over. Yu accepted it and drank the tea. After about two hours of intense training, and sparring, it was good to have the tea.

"Do you know why I asked you to remain behind, Narukami-kun?" Homura-sensei asked.

Yu took a moment. He didn't say that he didn't know. Homura would take that as an insult. Yu didn't think that he was in trouble. "It is my performance." He said after a moment. His performance had been cleaner, sharper. He had taken on students he usually had issues against and performed flawlessly. The entire two hours, he had not taken a single strike, and his spars were finished in just a few strikes.

"Very perceptive Narukami-kun. Yes, it is your performance that I wish to speak with you about." Homura-sensei took a drink of his own tea and offered a smile. "I must commend you on it. It was… beautiful to watch. Like an artist performing his craft."

"Sensei?" Yu asked. He wasn't certain what the older man was saying, but he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Given the frequency that you were leaving my dojo, I kept my eye on you Narukami-kun whenever you returned. I was… ashamedly, certain that a few of the times you would have been forced to drop out." Homura took a sip of his tea. "But you were quick to pick back up on what you were learning. When I heard you were leaving for sleepy Inaba, I fully expected a similar situation. Worse perhaps, if you found yourself falling to the lull of the sleepy town." Homura looked to Yu with piercing eyes, as though he could see through the silver haired teen. "Do you remember what you did when you returned from Inaba?"

Yu frowned a moment before he nodded. He had returned, and he had brought neither his _shinai_ or his _bokuto._ He had ended up borrowing one from the dojo. He had been paired against a bigger student, one that Yu had difficulty facing in the past. When the spar had began, Yu instinctually took a step and a half back, dropping his _bokuto_ into the stance he was familiar with after using it so much in Inaba. Originally, the stance had been taken to compensate for running with the blade as it kept the blade within an easy ready position. There had been some comments from some of the students, but a sharp bark from one of the Sensei had got them to shut up. When Yu's opponent had come with a quick but strong overhead swing, Yu reacted. He had stepped forward and brought his _bokuto_ up to parry, not with the blade but instead with the hilt. Yu overcame the force of the strike, and then used that momentum to turn his blade and bring it down on the other student's neck.

Homura watched Yu for a moment. "It was… like watch a storm." He said. "Swift, beautiful. I was mesmerized by the display Narukami-kun." He admitted.

"You were not angry?" Yu asked, frowning again. "I… changed the ready stance. I… did against what I've been taught. What you have taught." He remembered the reprimations that he had received from some of the Sensei regarding what he had done. A part of him had expected to be expelled from the dojo outright.

His response was an amused snort, as though what Yu had claimed was funny. "Why would I be angry?" Homura asked. "You took what I had to teach you and made it your own. You didn't follow what I showed you exactly, you chose instead to learn and make it your own. I would have been more offended if you took everything I showed you and did it exactly as it was shown." Homura replied. "Do you think we would have as many varieties of the martial arts if it were not for a student like you? Do you think every Kendo Dojo everywhere teaches the exact same as this one? Variety allows us to learn and become better."

Yu frowned a moment. He had not thought about it like that. But if his Sensei was not angry, then why bring it up? He took a moment to think about it. The man wanted his students to use their brains, and Yu was intelligent enough to mull it over. If the man was not reprimanding him for the change in technique and style, then the point of the conversation was… "You're talking about what came after." Yu said a bit evenly.

Homura nodded his head and sighed, closing his eyes. "I was… concerned." He said. "For the first month after your return to Shibuya, you were this storm. It was like you had as much practice as I had in just a single year." Yu kept his features schooled in order to give nothing away. How many battles had he fought in the TV World? "But after that month… you slipped back into old habits. That preferred stance of yours was almost dropped entirely. You slipped, you made mistakes, you were struck over and over again. It was like watching the body and mind war with each other. Instead of instinct, you went with logic, and your head was full of thoughts. I feared that I had watched lightning. Beautiful, but for only a brief instance. It resurfaced again in August, only to slip away again. It was… maddening to an extent."

Yu lowered his head a bit. Had his time in Inaba really changed him that much? Or had it been his time in Shibuya that had changed him? It was difficult to determine really. Neither was a very promising idea. "I'm sorry Sensei." Yu said.

"Narukami-kun, can I ask what happened in Inaba that was so different from previous travels?" Homura asked. "Not even your time in Okinawa had given you such growth, and I know you attended a Kendo school there."

Yu took a moment. If his growth had been that noticeable, it could only be the TV world. How many sword wielding enemies had he fought? How many Persona did he summon that were capable of using the blade? Yoshitsune was famed for it, and it was difficult to tell if he was channeling an actual part of his soul, or some sort of Spirit that he had some connection to. But he couldn't tell his Sensei that he had been traversing another world, fighting the repressed emotions of humans given form on a weekly basis in a fight for his life. That was guaranteed to get him sent to an asylum.

If he was lucky.

Yu hesitated. He had tried to tell Dojima a similar tale, and the man had been unable, unwilling to listen. And that had been when Yu would have been able to prove it by putting his hand into the TV. He fidgeted just slightly. How could he explain it properly? He closed his eyes, knowing he was under the scrutinizing gaze of his Sensei. While not as probing as Dojima had been, it was still… uncomfortable. "I… cannot tell you everything." He said carefully. "You wouldn't believe me anyways, and I have no way to prove it anymore. But I was frequently using my sword skills during my time in Inaba. Please, Sensei, please, don't probe into it more than that."

Homura frowned at the way that it was said, sitting back a bit. His gaze softened before he nodded. "How bad did it get Narukami-kun?" he asked.

Yu grimaced a bit. "I have a scar on my back that I haven't told anyone else about." He admitted finally. A final gift from Izanami when she had attempted to blast him multiple times.

The frown got more pronounced on Homura. "Then why did you skills decline?" he asked. Yu couldn't blame him for being curious. If things had gotten as bad as they had, especially if it required Yu to take up his sword again, then he shouldn't have gotten worse.

But Yu knew why. He could finally begin to admit it. He didn't know if it had been the lack of his Persona, the absence of his friends, or whatever, but Yu had retreated on himself. But now that he had both back, in one form or fashion, Yu could be honest, even with the bitter truth. "I felt stifled by Shibuya." he admitted. "I didn't want to return. I felt obligated to, and I hated it. It felt like I was losing a piece of myself by leaving Inaba, it felt like I wasn't being true to myself. Yet it was expected of me. It felt like I was running away, that I was abandoning what I had found." In truth, Yu had felt everything that everyone else in his team had felt. Their deepest fears and desires.

Yosuke wanted wanted. Chie wanted to be depended on. Yukiko wanted to be able to walk her own path. Kanji had wanted to be accepted. Rise wanted to find the real her. Teddie wanted to know who he was. Naoto wanted to be respected.

And by coming back to Shibuya, Yu felt as though, to himself, he had broken all of those ideals. He didn't feel wanted in Shibuya. He didn't feel like he was depended on. He didn't feel like he could walk his own path. He didn't feel like he was accepted. He didn't feel like the real him. He felt like he lost sight of who he was. He felt like his desires were not being respected. And it had turned into a spiral inwards.

If he didn't already have a Persona, how bad would his Shadow have been?

"The more I used the skills I picked up in Inaba, the more I hated it. The more it reminded me of my friends. The more it felt like I had no way of expressing myself to my fullest. All my desires, my wants, my needs, my likes, my dislikes, my loves, my hates, I felt like I couldn't even be true to what I had learned there. Like I couldn't be true to… Naoto-kun." Yu said the last softly.

There. He had said it. He had spoken it. It felt like a weight off his chest, regardless of how desperately the words needed to be said. He had never spoken it outloud. How could he call and talk to Naoto when it felt like he wasn't being true to her? How could he plan trips to go visit her when he felt like a shadow of his former self? A hollow husk.

Homura took in the words carefully. "You love this 'Naoto-kun' then?" he asked. Yu was glad the man didn't seem to be the judgemental type. He knew that out in public, Naoto still tended to wear a man's outfit, even speak in a deeper voice. Mostly would probably end up taking Yu for a homosexual given his closeness to Naoto.

"Without a doubt." Yu said the words passionately. He was even ready to get up and leave the dojo if his Sensei made a big deal about it.

The man nodded his head. "Then, can I make the logical jump that, in some way, shape, or form, that Naoto has returned to you?"

Yu nodded his head. "Naoto-kun transferred to Shujin Academy and is staying in the guest bedroom." He gave nothing away about Naoto being female. Not that either of them were ashamed of their relationship, even with Naoto dressing more as a male, but the fact of the matter was Naoto had no reason to announce to everyone that she was in fact female. It was illogical and not something she would be prone to doing. Not because of some misplaced desire to be male, but rather she was more comfortable in men's clothing. It was habit. If someone came right out and asked, then Naoto would inform them the truth.

But to the public at large in Shibuya, Naoto Shirogane was the Detective Prince, not Princess.

Homura nodded his head once more. "You have given me much to think about Narukami-kun." He said. He finished his tea. "You are dismissed, but please, feel free to continue showing this strength of yours. I look forward to seeing what you can do."

Yu nodded and stood up. He gave a bow to his Sensei before backing up a little bit. He collected his _shinai_ and his _bokuto_ before heading out of the dojo. He paused at the door to, once again, give a bow as was expected. Bow when you enter, bow when you leave.

He took a moment to enter the locker room and change out of his uniform and back into his normal clothes. Nothing fancy of course, but it was certainly comfortable. His practice swords and armor went into a duffle bag alongside his uniform. He slung it up onto one shoulder before he made his way out of the building entirely.

He had to find out the results of the actions of the Phantom Thieves. But afterwards, Yu decided, he would go with Akira to see Igor. It was time to renew his contract. He was ready to, once again, take responsibilities for his actions instead of running away from them.

Naoto would be able to tell him Monday what had happened, if Akira and the others got expelled or if Kamoshida had a change of heart. But in the meantime, he had a Sunday coming up where it was going to be him and Naoto. While there were a few things he would get Saturday, such as the crab and avocado to make the California Rolls, there was one thing that he knew he could get that evening that would likely bring a smile and a blush to her face.

The shopping district was not a far walk, and the walk allowed Yu to stretch a little bit and get his thoughts in order. It didn't take him long to find a store that catered more towards childish things, but that was fine. He walked in calmly and immediately grabbed what he needed and paid for it. He tucked the bag of purchases under one arm before he headed out to go back home.

When he got home, he spotted Naoto's boots in the cubby hole. He slipped off his shoes before he put his keys in the bowl. He didn't yell to his girlfriend that he was home, instead he headed for the kitchen. He was a little surprised to see her in the kitchen, the Shujin Academy blazer taken off. Dressed in a pair of black slacks, a white shirt with suspenders and a loosened tie, Naoto was cooking a bit, looking at a cookbook as she did so.

And when he caught sight of her in profile, he saw that she had loosened the bindings over her breasts, showing the soft swell on her slender body. Which given the dress shirt of the Shujin Academy was intended to be for someone smaller than her in the chest meant she would have been showing more cleavage than expected if it wasn't for the loose bindings still over her breasts. She jumped in surprise as she caught sight of him. "Yu-kun." she said. "I didn't hear you come in." Her voice was at the higher octave that he enjoyed and he couldn't help but smile.

"What are you cooking Nao-chan?" he asked as he moved over to her. He bent down and gently kissed her lips, feeling her kiss him in return. It did surprise him how greedy the kiss felt, like she had been wanting to all day.

"Seared salmon with a bit of rice." Naoto said. "I had hoped to be done when you got home.' she admitted.

Yu smiled. "Make sure to wrap the foil tightly." He recommended. His cooking prowess had become well known among his friends. Though, he made sure not to tell Naoto about the ingredient in the mantiko pasta he had made for her at school the one time. He still wasn't certain what Teddie was thinking, recommending mayonnaise, but it had turned out surprisingly well.

Naoto nodded her head, turning to the foil covered fish to make sure the foil was wrapped tightly.

"I've got something for you." Yu said and passed her over the bag of the purchases. "Of course, we can reschedule, but I was thinking it's something we can do this Sunday if you're not busy."

Naoto glanced in the bag and her face lit up, her lips curving into a broad smile. Then she shifted the bag around a little bit, her eyes widening a bit. She closed the bag and looked to Yu. "Why'd you get that?" she asked. She narrowed her eyes slightly at him.

"Because I know you want it." Yu said amused. "I also know you want to wear it. I won't judge." he promised.

Naoto smiled a little more and dipped her head. She moved closer and kissed him again, this time pressing herself to him just a little bit more. "Go get cleaned up for dinner Yu-kun." she said,

Yu smiled and went to do just that.

 _Scene Break_

"Ryuji, I swear you just need to relax." Akira felt the headache coming on. It was Saturday of course, just two days away from the faculty meeting. They were heading outside together. "We have done all that we can do, we just need to be patient and let things happen."

"Damnit, I can't just do that!" Ryuji said animatedly. "What if it wasn't enough? What if we could have done more? What if that stupid cat is wrong?"

"Hey!" Morgana called from inside Akira's pack, wiggling around.

"Settle down. Both of you." Akira said, a little snappishly. Damn it, was this what he had to look forward to when it came to being leader? Keeping Ryuji and Morgana separate? "Ryuji, we have no idea how long Kamoshida had that shadow." he said. "This type of thing could take time. For all we know, his sins could have been happening for years and he's being plagued by those thoughts right this minute." Akira was a little vindictive. He would have been content to just stand in the background, being a transfer student would have died down pretty quickly if he did nothing to draw attention to himself.

Kamoshida was the asshole that had Akira's criminal record leaked for no other reason than he thought Shujin Academy should worship the ground Kamoshida walked upon. Akira would have been content just being some nobody. Instead, he was now the subject of much gossip and rumors.

The idiot had brought it upon himself as far as Akira was concerned. Though, to be honest, had he witnessed the messed up state of Kamoshida's heart regardless, he likely would have found it damned difficult to ignore. Yeah… he probably still would have done something.

Kamoshida leaking his criminal record and threatening expulsion regardless.

"The bastard took a leave of absence though!" Ryuji said in a hiss as they moved towards the train station.

Akira looked to him. "Then he might miss the staff meeting Monday, and we get away a while longer. So chin up Ryuji. We're not out of the fight just yet, so quit trying to take yourself out of it."

Ryuji let his shoulders slump. "Yeah. Alright. You're right." he said. "I just hate the waitin', the still life." he said. Akira couldn't really blame him. He hated it himself.

"Then let's do something about that." Akira said. "I'd say let's go to the arcade, but that thing seems to always be packed."

Ryuji nodded his head. He wasn't wrong. He tapped his hand against his leg a moment. "I know, why not go out for some ramen?" he asked. "My treat." He supplied. "I mean, the place is almost as busy, but the line usually goes pretty quickly since we're not having to wait on people like we would at the arcade."

Akira nodded his head. "That sounds great." he said. Especially since they couldn't head out to train in their usual spot since being run off by members of the track team. While he was interested in seeing if Ryuji would go to try out again, he had a feeling the blonde wasn't likely to do so out of some idea that he was still to blame.

Not that Akira could convince him otherwise. But then, it wasn't his personal demon to work through. He could help, but he could only help the willing understand. So, off they went to go get Ramen. The brief train ride had them going to Ogikubo Ramen.

Akira was surprised to see the line of the place. But as it turned out, Ryuji was right. They didn't have to wait nearly as long. They were heading inside to get a seat in about ten minutes as the people inside continuously poured out. They took a seat at the bar.

"Man, this place is great." Ryuji said excitedly.

Akira nodded his head in agreement. "Sure smells good too." he said. Not as good as Sojiro's curry, but good enough to get his praise. Then again, Akira routinely burned water. Cooking wasn't his forte, but he hoped to change that living there in Shibuya. "One pork bowl please."

"Oh, beef, of course." Ryuji said when their orders were asked for. Ryuji tapped his foot, more his toes than anything, against the ground even as he sat on the stool. "Used to come here a lot after training." he said wistfully.

Akira turned in his seat a bit, looking to Ryuji. It sounded like Ryuji needed to get something off of his chest. "What's up?" he asked a bit politely. He'd either get an answer or get shut out.

Ryuji sighed, turning to Akira a bit. "It just… things have changed a lot. Used to be a risin' athlete, then thought of as a delinquent and now… Now I'm… Well, I've made friends now. It just feels… I don't know. Even Kawakami-sensei doesn't quite look at me like I'm trash anymore. Well, maybe not." He shrugged his shoulders. "But it feels like she does less, ya know?" he said.

Mention of his homeroom teacher made Akira give a small sound in his throat as he nodded his head in understanding. "Makes you feel like we're changing, huh?" he asked. Ever since he had awakened Arsene, he had that similar feel, like something was changing in the background. Like they were changing in personality. It was difficult to claim for the others, but for Akira he had noticed it. A little more expressive, a little more understanding. Sometimes it felt like he was even channelling the Gentleman Thief's charm.

Ryuji nodded. "Yeah. And then… then there are days where the more they change, the more they stay the same. Like with... Nakaoka." he said after a moment. He frowned a moment. "They should be givin' it their all to try and prove that bastard wrong. And they keep squabblin' with one another. And he just seems like he's not gettin' along with the others."

Akira frowned a moment. He could understand where Ryuji was coming from. "You worried about him?" he asked.

Ryuji gave a slightly laugh as their ramen was delivered. It was one of those self-deprecating laughs that definitely didn't suit the blonde. "Yeah, suppose I am." He shook his head. "Thanks, Akira. Just for listening to my ramblin'." He dug into the bowl of noodles. "Mmm. Yeah, that hits the spot!"

Akira shook his head a bit and began to eat his own. It was good though, no doubt about that. The noodles were cooked to perfection, the perfect blend of herbs and pork. "How's your training going?" he asked. He knew the blonde was working harder in that regard than the rest of them, especially after having tripped earlier in the week.

Ryuji grinned a bit. "Ah man, it's going good. Found a new place and everything. Don't you worry, I'm going to get this busted leg of mine back up to snuff." He swatted the leg in question. "You won't have to worry about me, next time I'll be like lightning."

Akira nodded his head. "Don't push yourself too hard. I'll try to join you when I can." he assured the blonde.

"Hell yeah, I'll get you running the second fastest." He said, lightly punching Akira's shoulder, getting Akira to shake his head a little bit. But the mood swung a bit again. "Man, I'm glad those guys are keepin' their heads down though. Don't need 'em ending up like me."

Akira frowned and lightly swatted Ryuji in the stomach with the back of his hand. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "You're doing great." he said.

Ryuji gave a short laugh. "Ha! You really think so?" he asked. Ryuji went back to eating for a bit. "Hey, real talk for a bit." He said as he finished. "You uh… What do you think of Ann?" he asked.

Akira turned to Ryuji, mentally wondering if this was going to go where he thought it was going to go. Sure as hell sounded like it. "Well, from a purely observational standpoint, she is a good looking girl." He offered. "Getting to know her, she's got a strong sense of right and wrong, and she definitely tries to give everything her all."

"Dammit, that's not what I want to know!" Ryuji said sharply.

Akira looked over at the blonde a bit drolly. "Then speak your mind Ryuji." He said flatly.

Ryuji gave a sound. "Damn." He looked like he was trying to figure out his words. "Look, do you got a thing for Ann?" He decided to ask bluntly.

Akira chuckled and shook his head. "No. Feelings are purely platonic." he said. "Good looking girl, fun to hang out with, but ultimately not my type." He could practically feel Morgana's hackles raising inside of his bag.

Ryuji's shoulders slumped a bit. "Alright, then do… you think I got a chance?" he asked.

Akira turned and looked at Ryuji a moment. "Well, you've known her a while right?" he asked. "If anyone has a chance, it'd be you. But as you are, well…" Akira made a wishy washy motion with his hand. "What does your gut think?" He offered. Relationships weren't exactly his forte, having not really been in one at that point in his life.

"That I need more ramen." Ryuji said and let his shoulders slump and his head hang. "My gut tells me that I probably need to clean up my act, maybe try to impress her a little bit. I just don't know how. Damn…"

Akira cuffed Ryuji on the shoulder before he finished his broth. The blonde settled the bill and they headed out. "I'm sure you'll come to a conclusion. But while we're talking about allies… What do you think of Narukami-san?" he asked.

Ryuji scratched his chin. "A definite wild card." Ryuji had no idea the effect those words had on Akira. "I don't know if his assistance was beneficial or not, but I think he might have been right. Like it had to be us to beat Kamoshida. Ann wouldn't have had closure otherwise."

A wild card… Akira inhaled a bit and just looked up at the skies a bit. "Alright, thanks Ryuji. I'm going to head home. Sakura-san doesn't let me stay out just yet, but I'm thinking about getting a job at night so that I might be able to convince him otherwise."

"Alright, see ya." Ryuji said as they parted ways from the ramen shop.

FInally, Morgana had kept his tongue in check as they began to arrive at the train station. "Who does he think he is? Thinking he can get with Lady Ann." The feline gave an enamored sigh. "She deserves so much better than Skull."

Akira moved through the station. "He's not as bad as you think." he muttered under his breath, knowing Morgana would pick it up, but would thankfully not be able to respond. They didn't want to the fact that Akira had a cat with him to be known.

The train ride was brief and Akira let his feet carry him towards Le Blanc. "Evening Sakura-san." he said politely in greeting, as he tended to when he saw the older man.

Sojiro put out a cigarette and looked at Akira. "Sheesh. Just call me Sojiro like everyone else does already." he said. "Especially since you're more frequent than a regular."

Akira nodded softly. "Alright… Sojiro-san." he said. His mother didn't raise a fool. Criminal record or none, he wasn't going to just assume he was close enough to call Sojiro by his given name without a suffix. The older man shook his head a bit, no doubt exasperated with Akira's decision.

Sojiro shook his head a bit. He crossed his arms a bit. "Look… I've got a proposition for you." he said.

Akira blinked a little bit, surprised by that. "Okay?" he asked a bit cautiously.

"You help out around the cafe, and I'll see if I can't teach you a few skills." Sojiro said. "So, if you got time tonight, I can start teaching you how to make coffee."

Akira blinked a little bit. He certainly hadn't expected that. But he nodded. "Let me go drop my stuff off." he said. He moved over to the stairs leading to attic and set Morgana down and took off the blazer he wore, heading over and rolling up his sleeves.

He was passed a green apron that he threw on before he also washed his hands. They spent the next thirty minutes going over Sojiro's process for making coffee. "Look, you don't want the beans to dry out, even when they're waiting to be ground. It's why the containers are airtight." Sojiro tapped the glass container. "So make sure, when you're done you seal them back up good and tight." he said. "The oils in the beans make the coffee taste good. The top shelf is the expensive stuff too. I don't want you touching that without me here." Sojiro said, motioning to the beans on the top shelf. "Maybe when I've signed you off on making coffee for customers, you can make something from up there. But don't go grabbing it unless I say you can."

Akira nodded his head. "Sure, I'll stick to the lower grade stuff. Probably for the best, I'm not exactly great with cooking stuff."

Sojiro nodded and grabbed a jar of the basic beans. He set it on the counter and began to show Akira how to use the grinder as well as the carafe for making the coffee. "First things first, every cup of coffee served at Le Blanc is from a drip based, pour over method. This is a very time consuming process, but it makes every cup of coffee taste excellent. There are a matter of technicalities from water temperature, water source, filter choice, grind, but there is also a bit of an artist's touch to it. The type of beans you use, the roast, all of these things affect the coffee. And I will not let you serve a substandard cup of coffee to anyone, not even for yourself. You need to hold yourself to a certain standard."

Sojiro moved over to the fridge and from it he pulled a jug of water. "Filtered water. You want the minerals in the water to remain, but not the overpowering taste of Chlorine." He set the jug on the counter. "Every night, I prepare six of these jugs to use. Spring water comes as a close second because of the minerals in it, I have some of those as a backup."

Akira nodded a moment. "Didn't you just say that temperature also plays a part?" he asked.

"Good, you were listening." Sojiro said as he tapped the jug on the counter. "I also come in and take these out of the fridge an hour before Le Blanc opens for the day. Room temperature water is easier to work with than just straight cold water. The next thing that we'll talk about is how coarse a grind you need. Each bean is different in how coarse the grind needs to be, but you'll notice that my grinder has settings for each. That's a burr grinder, you only use as much as you need for the cup of coffee that you're going to be brewing. It's a lengthy process, but it's worth it. A burr grinder will get you a nice, even, consistent grind on your coffee beans, allowing for the coarsity that you want."

Akira's head was spinning with the crash course that he was getting on the whole ordeal. But he sat back, making mental notes. He'd likely screw things up the first few times, but he couldn't say he wasn't learning.

Sojiro showed the kettle that he had for boiling the water. "Electric kettle that will produce the perfect temperature. Again, it depends on the beans you use, but that comes with experience. For now, just know you want about 93 degrees(2)." With that, Sojiro filled the kettle with enough water for two cups of coffee and set it to start boiling.

And that was how Akira spent his night, learning how to brew the coffee that Sojiro so proudly made to compliment his curry. Sojiro made a cup and then stepped back, letting Akira take over. Carefully, Akira began to follow the instructions that he had received, followed the demonstration that Sojiro had offered. And when he pulled his cup of coffee, Sojiro took it from his hands.

Sojiro then poured about half of it into another cup, passing it back to Akira. "Well, taste for yourself and see how well you did."

Akira looked to the coffee a moment before he brought it to his lips and took a drink. He was not expecting the strength of the coffee, but he couldn't deny that there was a smoothness to it. It wasn't one of Sojiro's cups of coffee though.

Sojiro took a drink and promptly coughed slightly. "Well…" He said. "It's strong. You let it seep a little too long. You'll learn that in time with practice." He took another sip. "But it's not the worst I've had. I've even served worse, though that tends to be on purpose." he said.

Akira took another drink, taking a moment. Perhaps his palate for coffee was not as refined as Sojiro's, but he thought it wasn't bad. Could use a bit of cream, but it wasn't necessarily bad straight either. But then, Sojiro said he was supposed to hold himself to higher standards. Could he do better? Still, it might be useful to take into the Meta-verse. They were always feeling tired and a bit of Le Blanc coffee could be just the pick up the could use.

Sojiro finished the cup of coffee. "Make sure you clean up and lock up before bed. I'm going to go home now." he said as he headed for the door.

Akira took a moment, drinking his coffee. He thought he had learned a valuable skill that night.

 _Scene Break_

"I'm not wearing it." Naoto said through the door.

"I know you want to Nao-chan." Yu said from the otherside where he was waiting for her.

Damn. He was perceptive. And he got the right one. And the shirt was soft. "It's embarrassing." she said, hoping to sway him. Everything was telling her to wear the shirt. But it was embarrassing. She knew she had those childish tendencies, but she had never expected Yu to indulge her in them. Worse, he seemed to even be enjoying her indulging in them.

She could already hear the familiar theme downstairs. Damn him. But she did want to watch. She probably already had at one point, but that was against the point. With a sigh, she grabbed the t-shirt and slipped it on. She blushed at seeing herself in it. It was a shirt meant for a child, and here she was, a grown woman, wearing it.

She went to the door and paused in front of it. Damn it, it was embarrassing. But then, it was Yu on the other side. They had turned Sunday into a stay home date. He had even made California Rolls! Her stomach growled and her mouth water for the rolls. She remembered the last time he had made them and she almost ravenously tore through them with little thought of sharing with him.

Blushing, she opened the door to Yu standing there. She looked down at herself. Her breasts weren't bound, making it more apparent that she wasn't in the age group for the shirt. She wore a pair of simple and comfortable pants. But it was the shirt, the shirt that Yu had gotten for her that was the most embarrassing thing.

It was a Phoenix Ranger Featherman R shirt with Blue Swan on it. She really should have kept her Shadow in check.

Yu stepped in and tilted her chin up. He offered that easy going smile before he bent in and kissed her. She kissed him in return. He was right. She _really_ did want to wear the t-shirt. Especially since they were about to watch the movies. All of them. Yu had bought the box set for her out of his own money. She had been curious about the occasion, but the only response she got was that she was back.

It was supposed to be an easy, relaxing day. And he had seen her in a girl's uniform. She had screwed up her courage back then, almost ran screaming or curling up into a ball when he looked at her. She had been prepared for him to declare her ugly, to declare her unfit as a girl. But that Christmas… he had merely said 'You are beautiful' to her and it had eased her anxieties. No one else was going to know about her childish desires.

They walked down the stairs to the living room where the first movie was already started. Yu took a seat on the sofa and she found herself moving to sit down beside him. She thought him too close, but then he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his body. She stiffened a bit at the gesture before finally giving into what her Shadow had been telling her. She just melted into his body and rested her head on his chest.

He pressed play on the movie and Naoto felt giddy, excited as the theme to the movie began to play. The first one she had watched several times, even though it wasn't the best by far. As far as the Featherman R movies went, the fourth and fifth were the best ones. She turned to look at Yu, gaining his attention. She leaned up, and much like her Shadow had done, gently kissed his chin. "Thank you Yu-kun." she said softly. "For accepting me." she added.

"I told you, you don't ever have to change for me." Yu told her. It caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach, but she was grateful for the words nonetheless.

But it did bring something to mind. Before their time on Christmas, Yu had said he liked her voice higher. She frowned a little bit. "Yu-kun, I don't mean to ruin the mood…" she said. She noticed she got his full attention. "Why _did_ you say you liked my voice higher?" she asked. If she didn't have to change, then why did he want her voice to be higher? That simple statement had pretty much ensured that she was going to dress as a girl for him, at least once.

Yu smiled patiently and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Because I wanted you to be comfortable expressing all of you with me." he said. Her confusion must have shown on her face. "I love you Naoto. I love your serious side, I love your playful side, I love your childish side, I love the side that wants accepted as a girl, as a woman. I love all of you. I want you to be comfortable showing yourself to me, to be all of those things. Your higher voice is the side that wants to be accepted as a woman. But during Valentine's day when you gave me that handmade chocolate in a plain wrapped box, that was you. I didn't expect frills or bows or a cute design, that isn't you." He said.

Naoto felt her cheeks heating up. "O-oh." she said. "I love you too Yu." she whispered softly. "And I'll try to be better about… showing you all of those sides of me." She flushed a bit more, burying her head against his chest a bit. "Do… Can… Can I lay my head in your lap?" she asked. They had cuddled close, slept beside one another, but laying her head in his lap was a rather… intimate gesture.

"If you want Nao-chan." Yu told her. "Want me to also feed you your California rolls?"

Naoto blushed a bit and shifted down on the couch a bit. She did lay her head in Yu's lap, making sure it was just on one thigh. She glanced up to Yu and gave him a smile. "Of course. Isn't that the boyfriend's job?" she asked, deciding to just enjoy herself. She had been overthinking things. And while she was curious about how she could get Yu to open up about whatever had been eating him, she wasn't going to deny that she enjoyed these more tender moments when she felt like she had her Yu back in full.

He used a pair of chopsticks to bring over one of the rolls and hold it for her to eat. She slowly chewed, savoring the taste of it. He even remembered the extra avocado that she liked to her California rolls. She almost moaned at the taste. Good home cooking was few and far between given her job as a detective. And while she definitely lived in Inaba, she had two cases that she had been involved in since Yu left, keeping her away from the Shirogane Estate where she could get Yakushiji to cook for her.

She gave a soft sound when Yu began to stroke her hair. Oh… she could get used to this. It was a shame that they had things going on tomorrow, she wouldn't mind letting a lazy, simple, easy day like this stretch into eternity. But crime waited for no one, and tomorrow would bring her to seeing if the efforts of the Phantom Thieves was successful or not.

And they sat there, just enjoying the time as they watched the silly children's movies. Yu didn't say anything, but she allowed her Shadow to slip out, just a little bit, to cheer when the villains were beaten and taken to jail. She should have known that Yu wouldn't judge her, that he would indulge her. She could probably say the lines, shout the attacks, and Yu would still sit there with that smile on his face.

And she loved him for it. She didn't have to hide, she didn't have to try to be anything than what she was. Yes, the show was silly and for kids, but it was near and dear to her heart. Yes, she was in a t-shirt, likely as big as Yu could easily find, meant for a child, but she was wearing it anyways. For just a few hours, Naoto was able to let herself just spend time with the man she loved.

She even dozed off. Evident by when she woke, it was a different one of the movies playing. Yet Yu, who likely had been sitting there with her head in his lap for more than an hour, had left her asleep and her head in his lap. She sat up slowly and felt him shift the undoubtedly asleep limb. She blushed slightly but leaned in, kissing his lips. It was a sweet gesture of him.

But all too soon, it was time for bed once more. She got up from the couch and stretched, hands above her head. They both cleaned up, Naoto having enjoyed her day. They stood in the kitchen a bit, and Naoto smiled a little bit, crossing her arms under her breasts. She hated ending the day on a sour note, but she felt like it would be a good time to maybe get an answer or two.

"Yu-kun? Can I ask something personal?" she asked softly. She expected to be told no. Yu was… private. He told her things, certainly, but generally in his own time. Prying tended to clam him up.

But Yu nodded his head, even as he prepared a bit of hot tea to help them get relaxed and ready for bed. A shower was still in order of course, but she still wanted the tea.

Naoto took a moment, thinking on how she wanted to phrase her question. She could probably ask him outright and he would respond, but she didn't want to come across as rude. "What happened?" she asked softly. She knew he had obsessed over returning to Inaba. She had come across the evidence even. He had been looking at rates from various contractors for building houses. He had been quite serious about buying land in, or around, Inaba and having a house built.

The fact his room held so few personal effects other than what he had received in Inaba was also a dead giveaway. She wasn't certain if she would get an answer, but she wanted to help him.

Yu looked down as he finished the tea and poured it, passing it over to her. She could tell he was gathering his thoughts. That was one thing she liked about him. He never spoke something he didn't mean, never spoke something he hadn't thought about. The longer he was quiet about it, the more he thought about it and the more what he said had meaning.

"I lost myself along the way." Yu said. "I'm still in the process of getting back to it. But... " He inhaled. "I was stifled by Shibuya." She wondered if he had told anyone else, that it was easier to say because she wasn't the first person to hear it. She didn't mind, if anyone could get through to Yu, it would make bringing him back to his old self easier. "I wasn't taking responsibility for my actions, and simply running from the truth. I'm tired of running though, and I'm prepared to turn and face it."

The sheer conviction that he said these words surprised her. She sipped the hot tea before she moved in closer. She took his hand in hers and, after a moment, laced their fingers together. "I'll be there with you. As always." she said earnestly.

She didn't ask what he meant by being stifled or having lost himself. She had a feeling she understood at least a little bit. Yu had made such strong bonds in Inaba, and he left them all behind. Until he was at a point where he could be happy with himself, then he wouldn't be able to face those that he made such strong bonds with.

"I love you Naoto." Yu said.

"And I you, Yu." Naoto said. And for the moment, that was all that mattered. Tomorrow would bring new problems, but they had each other for that moment. And Naoto felt like things were slowly getting better. As long as they had each other, they could face the problems of tomorrow.

She had to believe that.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Alright, alright, alright… more Fluff. A bit of an insight into what is going through Yu's brain. Yes, some characters might feel a little out of character, but that's just how it goes. This is pretty much a filler chapter, but it was needed,**

 **This chapter isn't as long as others, but I still liked it. I'll be going back to edit up these four chapters when I post chapter five. There's a few things that I've noticed in post that needed changed, but it's fine. They're nothing major. Things like Akira calling Naoto a girl when he doesn't know, or Yu measuring things out in feet.**

 **(1) I will be using the Japanese terms for the equipment.** _ **Bokuto**_ **is a wooden sword.** _ **Shinai**_ **is a sword generally made of four bamboo slats and leather.** _ **Men**_ **is a piece of headgear designed to protect the head, and face in Kendo.** _ **Keikogi**_ **is the sort of jacket used in common martial arts uniforms.** _ **Hakama**_ **is the pants. At least that is what my basic ass research tells me. I might throw in other Japanese terms for pieces of equipment and such, but that depends on how it comes.**

 **(2) Since this is Japan we're talking about, I'm using Celsius. 93 degrees C is about 200 degrees F.**


	5. Chapter 5: Thunder

Chapter 5: Thunder

Waiting. It was something that came easily to Naoto. She had waited for a long time on Yu. So when it came to the school's morning assembly on Monday, May 2nd, she was hardly bothered by the wait as they stood in the gymnasium of Shujin Academy. She had noted that, for a week it had seemed, Kamoshida had taken a leave of absence. She wondered if it was the actions of the Phantom Thieves, but didn't have enough information to go on. Certainly there was cause to believe such, but there was a matter of just not knowing enough to go by.

"Shirogane-san." A female voice greeted Naoto. The sleuth turned her head to regard the speaker that had stepped up beside her. The girl wore the female version of the Shujin Academy uniform without a blazer, and had black tights on under the skirt instead of leaving her legs bare. Her brown hair was cut just into a short bob with a braid in it going over the crown of her head.

"Niijima-san." Naoto greeted. Makoto Niijima, sister to Sae Niijima, a high profile prosecutor. The Third Year Student Council President looked as prim and proper as ever. Naoto had briefly considered getting her hands on the female version of the Shujin Academy uniform because of Makoto, especially since it looked moderately better than that of the Yasogami High School uniform. Yu might like it after all.

But Naoto had struck up a cordial acquaintance with Makoto Niijima, more so than anyone else in her class. Of course, Makoto didn't know Naoto was a female, but she was also the only girl not fawning over Naoto, or a Goro Akechi that was being heralded as the next Detective Prince. She had seen a TV special interview with the boy, and she had not been impressed. It made the girl infinitely easier to tolerate than the rest of the girls in the class. Though, Naoto had noticed that it seemed like Makoto was…. Just going through the motions.

She had seen it a time or two to recognize it when she worked on previous cases.

Makoto would certainly give the impression of being a dedicated Student Council President, and no doubt she was. She had done her best to greet Naoto cordially and make sure that she was settling into their class just fine. But it still felt like she was studying hard without purpose. Naoto studied hard because she wanted to become a worthy successor to the Shirogane name. Naoto couldn't say the same as to why Makoto studied hard. Her dedication felt… forced. Or perhaps better, undirected. The Niijima name was a hefty one, especially with the success of Sae as a public prosecutor.

"What do you make of the assembly?" Makoto asked, reaching up to brush a bit of her brown hair back behind an ear. It was a gesture that Naoto had already picked up on as a habit. She had no time yet to determine if it was a nervous one or not, though she doubted it was a nervous one.

Naoto made a small sound in her mouth as she thought. It was possible that it was in regards to Kamoshida, but she doubted that was the reason why the Principal had called the student body to the gymnasium for an assembly. "Undoubtedly it is to report on the progress of Suzui-san. Though, I do wish the other students would be more kind regarding to her situation." Naoto said the last a little louder and with clear distaste. They were making it sound like Shiho Suzui had jumped from the roof for the attention. While Naoto had not been there for the event, she had gotten the gist of things from the Phantom Thieves, including the room that Kamoshida had dedicated to the girl's… predicament.

Really, the student body needed more class.

Makoto winced a little bit. She at least had enough grace to look bad on the behalf of her fellow students. It certainly didn't offer a pleasant view in Naoto's eyes on the school, but it was what it was. People had long since grown more callous towards one another. Unfortunately working for the Police Prefectures had taught her just how callous people could get. If it wasn't for Yu, she'd likely have ended up just as callous.

No, that wasn't quite true. She wasn't going to ever be that callous. She would have just been more… socially inept. While she certainly shot down attempts at dates in her usual fashion, that is to say rather publically and bluntly, she had never been one to not care for other people. Namatame and Adachi had almost pushed her to that point, but she hadn't quite lost a certain compassion. Even when she had been being a Detective for all the wrong reasons, she had kept the most basic of reasons of wanting to help people.

The day started normally enough in Naoto's point of view. An odd assembly, certainly, but an unmistakable one that had them getting a progress report for Shiho Suzui's condition. Things took a turn for the… odd… when Suguru Kamoshida came into the gymnasium, talking about being reborn and a changed man. Alarm bells rang in Naoto's head. The man sounded broken.

Naoto watched the man slowly climb the stage. Kamoshida's shoulders were slumped and his head bowed. He had barely opened his eyes, and Naoto could see the dark rings under them. Like the man had not been getting enough sleep.

He inhaled. "I have… come to confess everything. I have done things that no teacher should do. I have heaped verbal abuse on the students, physical abuse upon my team. I have sexually harassed the girls." Kamoshida winced. "I even had the criminal records of a student leaked. I've had other sports teams disbanded by goading their students into in fighting."

Kamoshida shuddered, a rocking sob threatening to escape his form. "I am the reason that Shiho Suzui attempted to kill herself. I forced myself upon her." He finally dropped to his knees, like a puppet having its strings cut. He sobbed openly. "I threatened expulsion on students, simply because I did not like them that I will be rescinding. I am a shallow, arrogant, shameful human being, and I will take responsibility and… kill myself."

"Don't you dare run, you bastard!" Ann Takamaki's voice cut through muttering crowd. "Shiho's still alive, still fighting after what you put her through." The venom in her voice could have poisoned a herd of elephants. "You have no right to run from this!"

The man publicly declared his crimes on stage, with a manic furor even, as though desperate to wash himself of a taint that would never leave him. He even admitted to forcing himself on Shiho. Naoto felt a pit in her stomach slowly tightening. While she didn't necessarily disagree that someone like Kamoshida needed to be brought to justice, the way it went about happening rubbed her wrong. Worse was his almost suicidal need now. Was this what the Phantom Thieves had done? Could she have been wrong in her initial assessment of believing the mental breakdowns to be separate instances?

That tightness in her stomach felt made of lead when Ann declared that Kamoshida should live with his crimes. And the man agreed, even admitted to trying to force Ann into relations. He called for someone, anyone to call the police so that he might turn himself in. Naoto felt the headache coming on, mentally preparing for the inevitable police to show up and start asking questions. And she'd be definitely asked as the Detective Prince. Things like if she noticed anything. And if she didn't, the local Police Prefecture was likely to have a fit. She mentally prepared for the almost snide comments. Her youth did not do her any justice whenever it came to a police Prefecture.

Unknowingly, she let out a deep sigh at the same time as Makoto beside her. The two girls looked at each other and Naoto noticed the burdened look on Makoto, like she had a weight she was going to be dealing with shortly. "You seem distressed Niijima-san." Naoto said, turning to face the girl.

Perhaps she could figure something out.

Makoto closed one eye, wincing slightly. "I just know that Principal Kobayakawa will have me investigating this." she said in a lower tone. "But there is so little information to work from as is, plus my studies…" She said.

Naoto knew the feeling. The feeling of too little information, of being expected to solve something without all the clues. The Investigation Team had caused her much havoc during the early days of her time in Inaba because of that. Seeing Yu and then having him come up to ask her about Kanji, followed by their meeting at Marukyu Tofu. It seemed, in those early days, that Yu and his group had been one maddening half-step in front of her. For a time she had thought Yu to be the perpetrator as well, but having discreetly witnessed him talking with Kanji had dispelled that notion.

"Perhaps I might be of assistance." Naoto offered as they walked away from the gymnasium. While she didn't truly intend to throw the Phantom Thieves under the proverbial bus, she was hoping to have a bit of luck and see if she couldn't get through to Makoto regarding things. Perhaps she felt a sense of kinship or something with the brown haired girl, but something about the way Makoto was mechanically going through life was disturbing to Naoto.

Naoto wasn't certain if Makoto reminded Naoto of herself before she met the Investigation Team, or Yu after his return to Shibuya.

"Let us start with known facts." Naoto offered. It was as much for her benefit as it was for Makoto. If Makoto spotted things, then they were things she could take to the Phantom Thieves to make certain that they were better about things. Given how Yu had encountered them was unforgivable. It would also help her better when the police inevitably called her in. If she stated a few things that Makoto picked up on, as well as a few extra additions, then she wouldn't appear useless. A bit cold of her to do so, given Makoto's own expected predicament, but she could always claim to have gotten most of the information from Makoto.

Makoto bit her thumb a moment. "The calling card." she said. "It seemed like the individuals had a personal vendetta against Kamoshida-sen…. Kamoshida-san." she amended. "And given the… vulgarity of the calling card, it feels like it was written by a younger individual. A student for example."

She was good. Naoto was even slightly impressed. Of course, had Yu not told her about the Phantom Thieves, she likely would have made similar conclusions within moments of looking at the calling card. It was a word she planned to have with the Phantom Thieves. They had moved too openly. Damn. She shouldn't be thinking about helping them continue their… activities. But they needed the Thieves for Yu. If she was going to get to the bottom of her lover's mental state, they needed him to be able to summon his Persona and be able to properly express himself.

Their conversation the day before had helped, certainly, but there was more to it than that and she needed to draw it out of him.

"There were also rumors going around that the new transfer student… Kurusu-san I believe, had an altercation with Kamoshida-san." Makoto said, still in thought. "But I don't want to put him on the chopping block on on a half baked theory." she said.

Naoto was more impressed. Makoto had not just figured out the calling card, but also a prime suspect. Granted, Naoto's attention would have likely also been drawn to Ryuji Sakamoto as having a prior against Kamoshida, one that Makoto was likely to have known about. As well as Ann Takamaki given the girl's words against Kamoshida just minutes ago as well as the fact it was Ann's friend that had been raped.

Suspect and motives were part of Naoto's bread and butter however. They were less so for Makoto who was a High School Senior.

"Shirogane-san, do you think you might be able to help me?" Makoto asked hopefully. "Maybe we can get to the bottom of this and nip it in the bud before Principal Kobayakawa asks me to investigate." she said.

Naoto almost reached up before she checked the motion. Her customary hat was not part of the school's uniform and as such she wasn't one to wear it during school hours. The second school hours were over though it went right back on her head. Thankfully her hair was boyish enough to keep up the charade of being a male. "I will offer what assistance I can, Niijima-san. But I have a feeling that with the Police Prefecture inevitably getting involved in this matter due to Kamoshida-san's claims, then I will be unable to assist much more. I have already made my presence known to them and have offered my services if they are required. They may take me up on that offer, and then everything I know in regards to these 'Phantom Thieves' will invariably be classified under an ongoing investigation."

Makoto nodded her head lightly. "Thank you Shirogane-san." She said. And she did sound thankful and relieved.

As they parted ways, Naoto took out her cellphone. She ignored the Meta-Nav app on her phone as she brought up her text messages and went right for Yu's. ' **NEED TO TALK.'** Was all she sent. She knew Yu would be at Shujin when she got out of school.

 _Scene Break_

Akira leaned against the wall of the underground subway, listening to the others talk with Morgana in regards to what could be done. They didn't have enough information on any high profile targets, yet it seemed the cat had a viable option they could work from, at least until they did have a higher profile target to take down. After the success of Kamoshida's change of heart, they had gotten together and had a fancy buffet for a celebration. Honestly, Akira thought it was a slight waste. They had spent twenty four of the thirty thousand yen they had made.

It was money he could have used to upgrade their equipment, especially after he had returned to Iwai about the extremely high quality, metal plated model gun he had smuggled for the man. The man wasn't budging about his prices, but the fact he was even letting Akira take a look at the good stuff was surprising.

But here they were, sitting around and discussing the next target. Someone on the website that Mishima had made. Remembering the other boy's… enthusiasm still bothered Akira slightly. Mishima had definitely gotten entirely too close. But at Morgana's suggestions, they were taking the target, though they had also summoned the other pair.

Yu Narukami and Naoto Shirogane.

Akira frowned ever so slightly. It wasn't that he necessarily distrusted the pair, but he felt like there was more going on than what he was aware of. They were both incredibly powerful, and knowledgeable about Persona. Yet their clothes remained the same within the distorted world of Kamoshida. Could they be influenced by the distortions? Akira wasn't certain that he wanted to know but he didn't like being left out of the loop of things. It made him feel out of control. And since the incident in which he got accused of assault, he desperately clung to any sort of control that he could get.

Yu Narukami was definitely a strange one in Akira's books. He had given Sojiro his phone number, asking it to be delivered to Akira. The older boy claimed he had been in a similar situation, forced to live elsewhere for a year and thrust into a strange situation, to take the helm of a ragtag group of personalities that had no business meshing.

Naoto Shirogane was just downright dangerous to Akira. He had seen the slender, shorter boy talking several times with Makoto Niijima, of whom Akira was certain had him pegged for having something to do with Kamoshida's change of heart. She hadn't accused him outright just yet, but there definitely was something to her eyes. Like she was working out a puzzle whenever she caught him in the library. Plus there had been the incident on the roof when she had come out to see them. Makoto Niijima was definitely onto them, and Akira wasn't certain if Naoto was steering the girl in their direction or not.

It was a little unnerving.

Akira shook the thoughts away. He needed to get his head in the game. As soon as Yu and Naoto showed up, they would be going into a place called Mementos, whatever that was. Speaking of, he turned his head as he heard the hard-soled boots of Naoto as the pair walked up calmly. The others quickly got to their feet.

"Alright." Ryuji said a bit animatedly. "Just need to put the guy's name in and Mementos…"

Naoto stepped forward suddenly and actually plucked Ryuji's phone from his hand. "Do you even pay any attention to what you're doing?" Naoto asked the words sharply. If her words were a razor, Ryuji would have been gushing. Akira looked at the other boy, and he saw that Ann and Ryuji were looking at him like he had grown a second head. "Do you think someone or something wouldn't notice if five teenagers just disappeared? Damn it, this was how Yu-senpai and I followed you into the last Palace." He kept his voice down while he scolded Ryuji.

Oh. Yeah. That could have been a problem. Akira glanced around at the busy subway terminal they were in. People weren't paying them much attention, yet, but if they were to suddenly disappear, then they would definitely garner more attention than they wanted. He hadn't really thought about that. "Then do you have a suggestion?" Akira asked, deciding to cut Ryuji off from some hot headed remark. While he didn't necessarily agree with Naoto's words, there was no point in trying to argue them either. He had a point. If Yu and Naoto could hitch a ride, who else could?

Yu stepped in and put a hand on Naoto's shoulder. "You have the app as well?" He asked Ann.

The blonde girl bobbed her head. "Yeah, had it since I got Carmen."

"Then we use the bathrooms, a supply closet, an out of the way corridor. Anything other than being out in the open." Naoto said.

Morgana spoke up. "That's actually a good idea." The cat said. "Break up, split up, and meet back here. Remember, the name is Natsuhiko Nakanohara. I'll explain more when everyone meets back up, but come back here. Things won't be as distorted just yet."

Akira scooped Morgana up and put him into his bag. He then walked with Ryuji to the nearest bathroom. Ann headed towards the women's bathroom, while Yu and Naoto headed off for a quiet and secluded corner.

"Damn it. Who does he think he is?" Ryuji asked as he began to type onto his phone. "I'm gettin' tired of their attitude." He grumbled.

Akira glanced over to Ryuji. "Relax." he said as they headed into the bathroom. A quick glance around said it was empty and Akira motioned for Ryuji to activate the Nav. When they were pulled through, their clothes hadn't changed. "Shirogane-san has a point, even if he came across rather brusque about it. We do need to be more careful, especially since the cops are supposed to be onto us."

Ryuji sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Just a pain in the ass getting talked down to like that."

Akira headed out of the bathroom, noting that the entire subway seemed devoid of life. It was almost eerie how… empty it felt. "Well… That's not normal." he said softly. But he walked forward regardless.

They all met back up at the entrance, though they had to wait on Ann for a bit. She came rushing over. "Sorry, sorry!" she said. "Had to wait for some woman to finish up. I just pretended to be putting on makeup." She said with a slight grimace.

Morgana wiggled his way from Akira's bag and jumped down. "Alright, now follow me and stay close." He said before trotting off. The group of five teens walked forward, and Akira took a moment to match pace with Yu.

"Mind if I talk with you a second Narukami-san? Leader to leader?" Akira asked politely.

Yu nodded his head, even as they started heading down the stairs. "What's up?" he asked.

Akira took a moment to look at the blue haired boy beside Yu. "It's regarding Shirogane-san. I understand his point, but… he was rather… rude about it. If we're to be working together, I'd rather us to be a little more cordial."

Yu took a moment to glance at Naoto before he cut his eyes back at Akira. The older teen nodded his head a moment. "Call me Yu." he said. "And you're right. It's just… a lot of this is bringing back difficult memories for both Naoto-kun and I. We weren't changing hearts like you guys are wanting to. We were saving people. People who were in legitimate danger. Part of it, we feel like this is a game to you guys. And Sakamoto-san was not being too discreet. We didn't have a phone app to allow us to transition to a different world."

Akira blinked a little bit. He supposed he could understand where the pair was coming from. As they passed under a shadow, he felt a coolness wash over him and when they came out, they were in the red and black tinted area, though it still looked like a subway. And Morgana had transitioned from Cat into… well… Thief Cat. "I understand." he said. "And call me Akira. We're not in this because it's a game to us. We want to help people."

He knew Ann and Ryuji were listening in. But since he had been declared the leader of the Phantom Thieves, they were letting him do the talking. It seemed Naoto had done much the same as well. Hopefully they could clear up some sort of misunderstanding.

Yu nodded his head. "We'll try to keep that in mind. But… towards the end of things… It got personal." he said. Yu grimaced and inhaled. "My little cousin was brought over to a world like this one, and she ended up in the hospital for it. Her heart even gave out. I'm…" Naoto must have done something to grab Yu's attention. "We're not saying your stakes aren't as important, but caution is a must."

Akira nodded his head a bit. "Thanks."

Morgan turned a bit and crossed his arms. "If you guys didn't have the Nav-App, then how did you guys get through?" he asked.

Yu rubbed the back of his neck. "We uh… had to crawl in through a TV in a department store." he said.

Akira blinked, getting taken aback by what was said. Crawled through a TV? But given he regularly subjected himself to the rather harsh words of two young girls in prison warden garb, he could hardly throw stones at the weird.

"And you're lecturin' us on being discreet?" Ryuji asked incredulously.

Yu glanced over to the blonde. "The department in question didn't even have an employee there. One entrance, one exit with a security camera over the exit. The Junes Electronics department in Inaba is practically dead." he said bluntly. "We didn't have to worry about people spotting us very often."

Akira turned to Morgana. "So… where are we?" he asked.

"This is Mementos." Morgana said. "Think of it as the collective unconsciousness of the public. This is where all Palaces form from… I think. We can change the hearts of people that haven't quite reached the level of distorted desires to manifest a Palace. They'll have a treasure, but it won't be as… pronounced as the treasure of a Palace owner." the cat explained.

Akira noted how Yu and Naoto shared a look at the comment of it being the 'Collective Unconsciousness.' He would have to get the full story as to what happened between them eventually. But it couldn't be good if they were stiffened up like that.

"Oh, yeah… one other thing… we should probably come up with code names for you two." Morgana said, looking over to Yu and Naoto.

Akira nodded his head. "Yeah. I'm sure you both know all of our codenames already." He said. "So… any suggestions?" he asked the group.

"If I could," Naoto said, stepping forward a bit. "I'd simply prefer Scientist." Naoto touched his hat and pulled it down slightly, a gesture that Akira thought odd. Though, Yu seemed to be amused by it.

Akira nodded his head. It was simple enough. And without anything to really go by, they had nothing to give Naoto a better codename. "And you?" he asked, turning to face Yu.

"Fool." Akira blinked at the simple phrase. He supposed it could go with the motif of them both being leaders. A Joker and a Fool. He didn't know the complete significance of it, but he had a feeling it wasn't picked out to be random or something silly like that. Yu struck him as the type that did everything for a reason.

Akira moved towards the unmoving escalators that moved down and glanced into the darkness. From the depths inside, he could hear the growls of something unpleasant. Something was likely waiting for them and it caused a shudder to run down his spine, visibly so. "I'd rather not be walking around blind down there Mona."

Morgana was already bouncing down the stairs though. "Come on, I'll show you!" He sounded excited for it.

Akira inhaled a bit. A hand clapped his shoulder as Yu walked passed. "Relax Joker." The other leader said, heading down the stairs. Akira really wished he could have passed the buck onto Yu, but he eventually began to make his way down as well.

"Morgana… Transform!" Where before Morgana had been a small cat looking thing, a bus was now on the tracks for the subway, done in typical Morgana coloration.

"Dude, what?" Ryuji summed it up pretty well.

"It's like the transformation with your clothes, as well as a little practice." Morgana said smugly. Akira had no idea a bus could sound smug.

Akira pinched the bridge of his nose. "We have exams coming up. We have exams coming up. We have exams coming up. I get to be a little normal. Just a little longer." He thought he muttered it under his breath.

Yu however chuckled. "Normal's overrated." He said. "You meet better people by doing the weird stuff. So… Who's driving?" The sole adult of the group asked and everyone froze up. Naoto ended up looking at Yu, with Ryuji and Ann looking at Akira. Both Wild Cards looked at one another.

Akira shook his head. "Oh no!" he said standing up. He was putting his foot down. "I've only driven in arcade video games. That hardly constitutes real experience here Fool."

Yu laughed a bit. "Joker, we're all going to be learning at some point." He said amusedly looking to Ryuji, Ann, and even Naoto. "But since I know how to drive, and you don't know how to, and you're leader, you get to be the first up to bat, so to speak." Yu stepped from the platform to the driver side, peering in. "Oh and Mona is a stick, making it all the more valuable of a skill."

Akira glanced behind his shoulder. Probably twenty meters. He could walk back twenty meters, tap a button on his phone, and be back in the real world. Sojiro would be upset when Morgana eventually came back, but Akira could claim he had thought he found Morgana a home, and Sojiro would be none the wiser. Where had normalcy gone?

He reached up and smacked his cheeks twice. "Alright!" he said a bit exasperated with the situation. "Anything else I should be worried about?" he asked.

"Shadows of course." Morgana supplied.

Akira sighed before he loaded up into the driver seat. Yu took the passenger seat, with Naoto sitting in the far back and Ryuji and Ann sitting in the middle seat. Akira followed the basic instructions that Yu offered about driving. But there were two issues. One, Morgana was a bus. He was a bit bigger than most vehicles. Second, Morgana was a stick.

It took them twenty minutes just to go twenty meters. Akira kept stalling. But he was getting better at it, slowly but surely. He grumbled under his breath, but eventually he managed to get into first gear and start driving. Sure, he drove a bit slowly and cautiously, but he didn't want to experience a wreck down there.

Third issue, Morgana didn't have seat belts.

But they managed to eventually get moving a bit more. Akira slowly rotated his shoulders. He didn't have to worry about other cars, he could go at his own pace and learn. And they were in a wide, open enough area that he could take his time a little bit. Sure, the ride was a little bumpy, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

"Hey, is it just me or do the Shadows seem afraid?" Ryuji asked after a stretch of silence. In fact, they hadn't been attacked once.

"Wow, that's pretty perceptive Skull." Ann said, lightly ribbing the other blonde.

Akira frowned a moment. "Mona?" he asked.

"I don't know. I mean, Shadows are a repressed side of humanity, so yeah, they have feelings too but I've never heard of a fear response like this." Morgana said.

"It may be Senpai and I." Naoto said. Everyone glanced back to the blue haired detective. "We are, for lack of a better term, veterans at this. Our Persona, our personalities if you will, are rather powerful things, forged through combat. Shadows are the repressed side of people, and so they must be able to understand that attacking would be… suicidal."

Akira had paused the car to look back and listen to the explanation. He exhaled lightly. "Well, guess you two will be useful. Though, we'll probably have to come down into Mementos on our own without you guys."

Ryuji looked surprised. "Dude, what?"

"Experience." Yu said. He turned to look at the blonde. "Fighting Shadows is dangerous, but down here you can at least mitigate the experience slightly. If you need to back out, it's easier to back out than say in an actual Palace. Any time my group got a new member, we took them to go training for a bit. Summoning a Persona is an exhausting experience, a bit of training can make it less exhausting."

Akira came up to a glowing, red and black portal that swirled ominously. "So I'm going to make a safe assumption and say our target is in there." He said.

Morgana rumbled. "Yeah. Everyone out and we'll head on through." With that, they all climbed out of Morgana and the bus was quick to turn back into his cat form. He shuddered a bit, almost like a cat shaking water off of its fur.

Yu took out his sword and balanced it on his shoulder. "We'll wait out here." He said. "There's something I want to do, and this will be good experience for you guys. We'll come running if you call for help though."

Akira offered a thumbs up before he checked his pistol and his knife. He then stepped through the portal, tucking his hands in his pockets.

The battle with Nakanohara was quick. While dangerous, certainly, he wasn't nearly as dangerous as Kamoshida. Sure, Ryuji and him ended up with a few extra bruises, but a Dia from Morgana or Ann healed those up rather nicely. He claimed the treasure bud from Nakanohara and tossed it up and down in one hand before they began to head out.

His mind however drifted towards the name Madarame. It sounded like the Shadow was trying to pass off the buck, but it was such an odd thing to claim that he was having difficulty shaking it. But as they came out of the portal, Akira's eyes drifted towards Yu.

Yu held his hand out, with his eyes closed in concentration. Blood red chains extended away from the glowing orb in his hand, one even going towards Naoto who was watching, but seemed oblivious to the chain. Akira counted them quickly. Twenty two chains, in all directions. Akira thought he saw tears on Yu's face, but then the chains began to shoot backwards, pulling a shard of… something with them. They came together to form a fist sized orb that glowed. Yu tucked it away into his pocket.

"Uh… did you guys see that?" Akira asked.

"See what?" Ryuji asked. "Don't know what Fool was doing just standin' there."

Akira inhaled a bit. Okay, so that meant it was likely something to do with the Velvet Room. He stepped up to the adult of their group. "What was that?" he asked Yu directly.

"At the end of my time in Inaba, we discovered that we hadn't finished finding the truth." Yu explained. "I remembered my bonds from my time in Inaba, all of them, and regained something that Igor gave me to help me with the Truth. I won't be fooled by anymore lies, not even the ones I tell myself. To be honest, I didn't expect it to work."

Akira just shook his head as Morgana changed into a bus again. "You know what? I routinely go to a room between dream and reality with a goblin in a suit and a long nose, I summon a manifested version of my personality to fight the repressed sides of humanity. Glass houses." He moved towards the bus and quickly climbed up into the driver side.

Yu opened the passenger door, but both he and Naoto stiffened at the sound of chains. And suddenly, Yu was a lot more alert, his eyes darting about quickly. "We need to leave." He said as he climbed in.

"What? No! Not yet, there's still something I need to show you!" Morgana said.

"Now!" Yu barked. "Get us out of here or move over so I can drive." Yu was staring intensely at Akira with those silver eyes. Akira threw the bus into gear and started to drive back. He thought he heard the sound of chains rattling again, but he kept driving.

They came back to the start and quickly piled out, Yu and Naoto ushering them up the stairs quickly. The pair didn't stop them moving until they had changed out of their Thieves uniform and were almost topside.

Akira shook his head a bit and glanced over to Yu and Naoto. "What was that about?" he asked before Morgana could start getting upset.

Akira noticed how Naoto started to rub his side, and Yu glanced over to the slender boy worriedly. Again, Akira was curious as to the pair's relationship. "Bad memories Joker. There's a Shadow down there that won't ever care how strong you get. It won't stop coming. We thought we had defeated it… But there's no mistaking the sound it makes. Like a beast trying to slip its chains."

Akira felt a shudder roll down his spine at what he was describing. The hairs on his arms stood up on end, and he glanced down into that darkness. He thought he heard a loud howl and more chains. "Let's go home." he said. "Everyone find a quiet spot you can leave from. We don't need to be spotted leaving either."

Anything that had Yu and Naoto shaken, their backup, Akira wanted nothing to do with.

 _Scene Break_

Yu calmly leaned against the side of the building, waiting for his fellow Fool and Wild Card. He had not had much interaction with Akira Kurusu yet, though from what he had heard second hand from Naoto, the younger teen was studious, and generally quiet while at school, preferring not to rock the boat too much. He'd answer questions in a similar manner that Yu had done in Inaba, or dodge a piece of chalk apparently, but since Kamoshida's confession, Akira was just happy to drift into the background again.

Not that he necessarily blamed Akira. Having a criminal record against him and all made certain things harder. Naoto had told him all sorts of the silly rumors surrounding the boy. Such as how he carried a rusty knife with him or had taken over a gang by killing the former leader. All of it was ridiculous.

Yu stood in the shopping district of Shibuya, eyes closed and head leaned back as he just took in the smells and sounds. He wasn't directly across from the airsoft shop where, apparently, Akira had been able to get high quality models of guns and weapons that was what his team was using. He'd stop in after he was done with their errand and see if there wasn't anything worth getting Naoto. She loved those sorts of things.

Personally, Yu preferred model robots. But to each their own,

Yu was hoping though, that with both of them there, they might be able to convince Igor to offer a bit more explanation. Naturally, when the old tarot reader was talking about ruin and rehabilitation, Yu was more than a little concerned. Something about the words left a sour note in Yu's ears. They set him on edge and it was bothering him. But he needed to see if he could access his other Persona, and the last holder of the Compendium was within the Velvet Room, supposedly.

Granted, he hadn't really tried to access his Persona within Mementos. EIther he'd looked a fool in front of Igor and the twins, or he'd end up looking like a fool in a life and death situation. And Yu was not going to look like a fool in a life and death situation when Naoto was involved. Izanagi-no-Okami could certainly handle most anything in Mementos, but for a brief moment down there, Yu thought he heard those baleful chains rattle.

Even thinking about it caused him to shudder.

Akira and his team were nowhere near ready for that monster. Yu didn't want to face it again, not with just himself and Naoto of his old team. Maybe if they were all there he'd risk it if he absolutely had to, but… not with some rookies at this. He didn't deny that the loot they had found in that chest had been most impressive, with everyone getting new weapons and armor, but… He'd rather face Adachi a hundred times than that thing again. At least with Adachi all he had to worry about was Magatsu Izanagi. Yu shuddered a bit, remembering when Naoto took a shot that she barely managed to stay standing from.

The sound of feet drew Yu's attention to the entrance of the alleyway. There Akira was, dressed in a pair of jeans and a casual shirt with a blazer. His customary bag was slung over his shoulder, Morgana no doubt hitching a ride. Yu pushed himself off the wall. "Yo." He greeted in a casual manner.

Akira offered a wave and he moved over towards Yu, standing beside him a moment. Both Fools looked over towards the bars to the Velvet Room for a while, it was their inevitable destination for the day. They had even explained what was going to happen and in what order. "Do I really have to?" Akira asked after the moment of silence had stretched on long between them.

Yu turned to look at the black haired teen. He arched a brow. "Is there a problem?" he asked. Akira didn't sound like his usual self. If anything, he sounded like he was full of more trepidation than usual.

Akira glanced to the top of the bars where one of the twin attendants was sitting, her legs kicking as though she were bored. She was near identical to the one Yu had seen at Kamoshida's Palace as well as Mementos, though the opposite eye was covered and her hair was done into twin buns rather than a pigtail. She noticed both of them looking and gave a cocky smirk. "That's Caroline." Akira said.

Yu frowned a moment. "Yeah? And?" he asked politely wishing Akira would get to the point.

Akira sighed. "She's less nice than Justine." He said with a wince at what was about to happen. Yu didn't think it could be that bad. Margaret had been… nice. A bit of an awkward goodbye between them. He had gone for a handshake to be polite, she had pulled him in and covered his eyes before trying to shove her tongue in his mouth. That was something he was doing his damnedest to never let Naoto find out about. There were some secrets that didn't need to come to the surface.

Yu looked between Caroline and Akira for a moment. He clapped him on the shoulder a moment. "Well, I don't know what would happen if I tried my key first, so in you go." He said a bit amused.

Akira heaved a sigh before he headed towards the door. "Afternoon Caroline. I'm here to see Igor." he said.

"Then hurry up inmate!" Yu was surprised when she leapt down behind Akira and proceeded to punt Akira through the gate that had barely swung open. She cackled a moment before stepping on through herself, the gate slamming shut behind her.

Yu inhaled a moment before he headed to the gate, bringing up his keys. FIngers reflexively found the key to the Velvet Room and he looked at it. It was a prison lock but his key was a car key. He tried it anyways and found it slotting in nicely. He twisted and heard the lock click open. The bars opened and he stepped through himself. It was as disorienting as he remembered.

Yu was surprised at the view of the Velvet Room, even as he stepped out of what looked like a prison cell, complete with a cot, a simple sink, and even a toilet. The Velvet Room was vastly different from the cramped, albeit comfortable limousine that had been his. It was a place between dream and reality, a place made up by Akira's mind. He noticed the Twin Girls had turned their attention towards him.

"How did you get in here?" Caroline demanded, a stun baton sparking with energy as she moved between Yu and Igor, who sat in the middle of the Velvet Room at a wooden desk. Yu noted Igor hadn't changed in appearance in the slightest. He was still a hunched over man with lanky proportions and impossibly long arms. He was dressed in an impeccable black suit with gloves over his long fingers. Still balding on top with bushy white hair and bulging, beady eyes. But it was the long, pointed nose that was the most predominant feature

Yu turned to look at the blonde advancing on him. "I have a key." he said, holding up his key to the Velvet Room. "I have business with Igor, but it can wait until you're done with Akira."

"My… my…" The gravely tone of voice Igor had sent a shiver down Yu's spine, and he found himself directing his attention towards the Master of the Velvet Room more. "How Marvelous that you have returned." Igor offered that eerie, toothy grin, as though he was amused. Yu wondered what happened to Igor's voice, but he didn't have enough information to make a judgement call on it.

Igor's attention was then directed towards Akira. He spoke of a few things, about how Akira had taken the first step towards Rehabilitation. Yu really had intended to speak with Igor after Akira was done. Take a look at his compendium, see about getting some of his Persona back. He then watched as Akira fused his Persona in a macabre ritual involving a guillotine, which got stuck.

The Twins then busted out a chainsaw of all things.

But… something nagged at Yu about Igor. He felt… off. Not that Igor ever felt right in the first place, but… it was a totally different experience than when Yu had been in the Velvet Room. Both Master and the Twins treated Akira like some violent criminal undergoing a rehabilitation process. They executed Akira's Persona to make way for new ones. It didn't seem right to Yu. He didn't walk over his Persona like that, not when he tried to fuse them, did he?

But the entire scenario felt… disgustingly wrong. Igor didn't once move from his table. He didn't fuse the Persona himself, leaving it to the twins. He made small talk with Akira, about ruin and rehabilitation. He spoke with Igor's mannerisms… Yu had listened enough to pick up on those, but… something… It nagged at him.

Then it hit him. He didn't know what clicked into place, but he knew immediately… that Igor was being played by an imposter. It was indeed the Velvet Room, of that Yu had no doubt, or else his key would not have worked. But the Master of the Velvet Room had taken a leave of absence, or perhaps better explained was imprisoned inside the room to keep it stable.

But whatever was sitting behind that table, it was not Igor. It was not friendly. It was leading Akira down a path. Yu's entire contract with Igor had been surprisingly simple and open ended. 'Take responsibility for your actions.' Yu could have let anyone, everyone even, in Inaba die. As long as he had taken responsibility for his actions, his contract would have been complete.

And then there was the way they kept referring to Akira as Prisoner, Inmate, with talk of Rehabilitation. Igor had been adamant about treating Yu as a guest of the Velvet Room. Mentioned previous guests, though never by name. Always, always, always, it was Guest. And then Akira didn't have a key. Everything felt wrong. So wrong!

Yu's feet began to carry him before he realized it, standing defensively between the Twins and the Imposter, between Akira and the Fake. He was ill equipped to do anything. He had not brought his weapon, or his armor. He only had Izanagi-no-Okami's basic, albeit impressive, defensive measures.

But that didn't matter. Yu held his hand out and crushed the spinning World Tarot Card while a warmth bloomed in his chest. The Orb of Seeing warmed in his pocket.

"Myriad Truths!"

Chapter End

 **A/N: Fun fact, I wrote the last scene of this chapter first, including this author's message. I'll be going back to write the rest of the meat of the chapter in just a bit. I finished my second playthrough of Persona 5 this weekend, and I'm working my way through Kamoshida's Palace so that I can get an idea of what I need to write in the meantime, between Kamoshida's confession and the beginning of Madarame's Palace.**

 **I hope I wrote the reasoning behind Yu discovering the Imposter Igor well. I didn't want to just go 'Oh Akira doesn't have his key, and Igor's voice is deeper' and call it done. But I want to keep the pace of this story going well, so I'm having to skip a lot of dialogue with the Fake Igor. I do remember a lot of talk about ruin and rehabilitation.**

 **And so, with this chapter, Yu has walked up to Yaldabaoth and Igor's chess game, and proceeded to flip the damned table. It's time for the rules of the game to change.**

 **And as I finish writing the last of this, this damn chapter fought me tooth and nail. Hopefully the next chapter or two will be easier. I'll also be flitting more into the perspectives of Ann and Ryuji if I can work it in.**


	6. Chapter 6: Lightning

Chapter 6: Lightning

The spell struck true. Yu didn't know if it was because of the sheer audacity it took to attack the Master of the Velvet Room, or if the entity masquerading as Igor just wasn't ever expecting it. But the entity went sprawling back, the chair tumbling over as the Fake fell backwards.

"Master!" Came the unison cries of the Twin Wardens. The Twin Wardens that were behind Yu. He took two rapid steps forward and summoned down a Megidolaon upon the Fake Igor.

"That's not your Master!" he said loudly. He fished a hand into his pocket, drawing out the Orb of Sight. "I have sought the Truth with my own Eyes and experienced it! You cannot lie to me!" He squeezed the glowing orb tightly in his hand. He thought on all the trials and tribulations that he experienced, all the talks with his friends, all the fights. It brought pain to him, it brought emotional pain and heaviness to Yu because of the lies that he had told himself since then.

But if there was one truth to be revealed, it was that the Fake was not Igor.

It rose from the ground, still in the vaguely Igor like shape, though completely covered in shadow. It rose up by its chest, like something had hooked in and pulled it up, limbs hanging limp before snapping to attention. It floated off the ground and turned to look at Yu with burning yellow eyes. " **sEeKeR oF tHe TrUtH. iZaNaMi WaS cOrReCt, HuMaNiTy DeSiReS a LeAdEr To GuIdE tHeM."**

Yu felt the presence of both twins, about to attack him from behind, pause and stare at the entity that had taken the place of their Master. He swung his hand out. "To Hell with You!" he snarled. It was just as with Izanami. Where did these entities keep coming from?

" **I AwAiT iN tHe DePtHs. CoMe, If YoU tHiNk ThAt YoU cAn DeNy HuMaNiTy AgAin**." The Shadow rushed over Yu and Akira, blowing through another Prison cell and heading out and up some stairs that hadn't been there before.

"Oh my…" Yu turned to see Igor slowly floating down to his feet, released from his captivity. He almost stumbled but Yu moved and caught the old MAster of the Velvet Room. He couldn't quite call Igor a human, it was never explained what Igor was. Yu righted the chair and helped Igor sit down. "Ah… Yu… How splendid to see you again." Igor offered that toothy smile. He then turned his attention towards the still imprisoned Akira. "Now… this won't do. No, no." A sharp snap of his fingers and the cell door Akira was leaning against faded away, causing the younger teen to fall forward slightly. "Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor greeted properly.

"M-Master?" Justine asked, stepping forward slightly.

Igor turned his attention towards the twin wards. Yu thought he saw Igor frown ever so slightly. "Hmm… It would seem that Yaldabaoth split Lavenza in twain." Yu noticed how both girls clutched their heads, as though the name had physically pained them to hear. "No matter. We will put you back together properly when the time comes, for now you are both to act as attendants to the Velvet Room." Yu didn't know what Igor was talking about, but he figured it wasn't his place.

Igor's attention returned once more to Akira. "I am Igor, the Proprietor of the Velvet Room. And you, are my esteemed Guest. Please, come forward. I wish to know my guest's name."

Akira slowly came forward. And when he passed through the entry way of the cell, his prison uniform burned away to reveal the usual outfit he wore as in his time during the Metaverse. "Akira…" He said as he stopped at the table Igor was sitting at. "Akira Kurusu." Yu noted Akira's eyes cut towards him.

"Marvelous. Tell me Akira, do you believe in Fortune Telling?" With a wave of his hand, Igor had summoned the cerulean and gold backed Tarot cards. "Had I been capable of it, I would have given you a Fortune Reading the first time you came to visit my establishment." Igor spread the cards out. "Done with the same cards, the same shuffle, the same spread, yet different every time I do it." He didn't flip any of the cards over, unlike what he had done with Yu.

Akira glanced down. "What's stopping you then?" he asked.

Igor grinned a bit, his features stretching wider. He then turned towards Yu. "One who represented the World has reverted back to the Fool, but has struck out in the face of tragedy." he said. He turned his attention back to Akira. "I have never done a reading with two Fools in play. Represented by Zero… Some think that Zero represents nothing. I'm of the mind that it is representative of Infinite Possibilities." Igor shuffled the cards back together. "Let us see what you have encountered on your journey thus far."

Igor laid out one card face down before flipping it face up. "The Fool. You. A mark of the beginning of the journey. In an actual reading, depending on how it is facing depends on whether it is inexperience, or ignorance." Igor laid out another card. "The first of those you have bonded with." He flipped it over. "The Chariot." The next card off the top of the deck was laid down before being flipped face up. "The Magician." Another card, another flip. "The Lovers." Yu thought about the people he knew that represented each and felt a pang of regret with each face. Chie, Yosuke, Rise. Another card. "Death." Hisano Kuroda. "The Hierophant." Uncle Dojima. "The Moon." Ai.

Akira was looking down at the cards. "No more?" he asked quietly, as though contemplating what they meant.

Igor folded his hands together. "None… yet. I could do a reading on the next of your bonds, but why take the mystery away?" Igor said. He shuffled the cards back together again. Igor's eyes cut over to Yu and the silver haired teen swallowed slightly. "I do wonder, Yu, if I were to do a reading for you, would the Fool be in the upright position or reversed?" Inexperience or ignorance. "Or would the World show itself?"

Yu inhaled a moment. "The Fool, quite possibly in the reversed position." Given his experiences with Igor, he had brushed up on Tarot a little bit. Not enough to be able to do readings and the like himself, but enough to know a little bit. And he was starting to be able to admit that there had been something wrong with him.

Igor made a small sound as he place a single card face down on the table. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. But the marvelous thing about what you just said is a sign of maturity. It is quite possible this card is the Fool. It is possible it is the World." He tucked the card back into the deck. "You wished to speak with me, Yu Narukami." Igor said.

Yu inhaled deeply a moment before he nodded his head. "I am ready to renew our contract. I am ready to once again to take responsibility for my actions." The only rule that he had ever had. "I've been running away from everything, but I say no more."

"Splendid." Igor said pleased. He snapped his fingers and a heavy tome appeared upon his table. "Caroline."

The warden with the stun baton immediately snapped to attention. "Master?" she asked.

Igor motioned to the thick tome. "You will be in charge of Yu's Compendium. Do be sure to treat our guest with the courtesy that he deserves." Igor said genially.

Caroline stepped forward and pulled the tome to herself. She crossed her arms over it, holding it to her chest. "Of course Master." she said.

Igor turned to the side where the large guillotines were set up. Yu watched him push himself to his feet and walk over to them, running a hand along them. "Hmm… A bit crude, but does the job." He said. "Akira, I will need at minimum of a week before you can come for my services again. These need to be retrofitted. As they are, they will hamper your journey."

Akira stiffened a bit. "No talk of rehabilitation?" he asked a bit wearily. Not that Yu blamed him.

"No. Of course not." Igor said, turning to Akira. "Your contract with me is… exceedingly simple. Take responsibility for your actions, and I will continue offering my services. There are many paths for you to take, with many branches, and I will not be leading you down them as Yaldabaoth had done. While the Velvet Room appears as a prison for you, I assure you that you are not a prisoner of anything but your own mind. You are a guest here, just as Yu is."

Yu took a moment. "The Velvet Room is between dream and reality. I'm of the mindset it reflects your subconscious a bit." Yu explained. He took a moment, though he noticed Igor gave nothing at his comment. "Mine was the back of a limousine, always in motion. I actually never saw the end of its journey. I think it represented that I was always moving, always forced to move, and so I was always preparing for the next trip. The next instance where I would server my bonds. I had no beginning, no destination."

And still Igor gave nothing away.

Akira glanced to the guillotines. "What's wrong with them as they are? I had hoped to upgrade my Persona a bit more." he admitted. "Mementos showed me that I need to be better prepared."

Igor actually frowned this time, turning to run a finger along one of the glowing blades. "These… for want of a better word, kill your Persona. And given they are you, and you are them, it is akin to killing a part of yourself. I cannot in good conscious allow you to use them as they are now."

Yu stepped forward a bit. "What do you mean Igor?" he asked.

Igor turned to face the two teens. "Do you remember the fusion process for Yoshitsune of the Tower Arcana?" Igor asked.

Yu frowned a bit but slowly nodded his head. "Pentagonal fusion." Yu said. He had been so worried something was going to go wrong.

"Five Persona to make one." Igor's attention went to Akira. "As this is now, this crude device could indeed create the Tower I speak of. But instead of blending those Persona together, this executes them and drives them back into the endless sea of your soul." Igor looked back to the guillotines and shook his head. "Fusion allows those Persona to continue on. To experience and learn, so that should you chose to return to them, they will have experienced life as that new Persona, and will be able to help you better. This… device… simply executes them. It takes that future experience from them. You can summon them from the Compendium again, but they will lack that future experience as something… more. It will take me a week just to regain the power to continue with this rather simple fusion, but I should have more rituals for you shortly."

Yu understood. The fusion process Akira had been experiencing thus far had been a bastardization of it. "I'll stop in another time Igor. I think I should get Akira home. This has been… eventful."

"Of course. But one last thing before you go." Igor moved back to the desk and sat at the chair. "This is the last I can do with my current power until I have had rest, but this marks you as a guest of the Velvet Room." Igor opened his hand to reveal a gold and blue key. It was old fashioned, meant for a lock similar to the ones on the prison doors.

Yu turned and headed towards the prison cell he had exited from. He glanced over his shoulder to see Akira doing the same. They both exited with Yu going first. Moments after the disorientating sensation, he heard the door swing open again and Akira step out.

Yu took a moment to look at Akira. "We should talk." He said seriously. "My place isn't far from here if you're willing and Naoto won't be back for a while."

Akira nodded his head a moment. His eyes looked sharp behind those almost unassuming glasses of his. "Sure. After what I just witnessed, I think you have a few answers of your own I'd like to hear."

Yu turned and led the way. They didn't talk much, mostly because Akira was likely stewing over what would happen. Yu would have done the same thing in the younger teen's shoes. So he led Akira to his home, unlocking the door and stepping inside. He toed his shoes off and stepped inside, moving directly for the kitchen to start some coffee.

"I'm no Sojiro, but I like to think I can make a good cup of coffee. You want some?" Yu asked.

Akira sat down at the low table. "Yeah. I have a feeling I'll need it. Lots of cream, lots of sugar." The comment made Yu smile since that was how Nanako took it.

Yu came back and set the coffee mugs down before sitting across from Akira, and he noticed Morgana poking his head out of the bag. "Ground rules Morgana, you're welcome to explore, but upstairs and to the right is off limits. That's Naoto's room. And if I catch any tampering done on the lock, which I know is locked, I'm taking you to be neutered. Am I clear? Naoto has sensitive police work in there."

"Crystal." Morgana yelped, ducking into the bag a bit, his blue eyes barely visible from the light.

Yu directed his attention to the amused Akira. "You can take the glasses off, I know you don't need them." he said. He watched as Akira took them off and tucked them into the front of his shirt. "What would you like to know?"

"Everything you'll tell me." Akira said seriously. "I feel like I'm not getting enough answers, and I'm getting pulled into someone's game, and I don't want my friends to end up hurt because of it."

Yu nodded his head and took a moment. He sipped his coffee before he began to explain about his time in Inaba. It wasn't in great detail, there was no need to explain the problems of his friends to Akira. But Yu explained things. How he arrived in Inaba, the meeting with Izanami in the beginning, the Midnight Channel. He didn't leave anything out. He even said how his team had fought the Shadows of their team members, the only one not having a Shadow being Yu himself. Yu explained how their Persona were a part of them and their Shadows. And then on the last day, he had sought the truth one last time with his friends. But most importantly, Yu explained that there were differences between their situations.

"Do you have the Meta-Nav?" Akira asked after a moment when the story was over.

Yu pulled out his phone and set it on the table between the two amused. It was the same model he had back in Inaba, same phone. "No App compatibility." he said amused. "I've been meaning to upgrade since Naoto got the Meta-Nav."

Akira nodded and took his own phone out after a moment, tapping the Meta-Nav. "Do you mind if I tried something?"

"By all means." Yu said. He was curious as to what Akira thought of.

Akira pressed on the name field. "Yu Narukami." He spoke as he typed the name out. Yu was a little surprised at his own name being added to the Meta-Nav.

" _No Match found."_ The phone announced.

Akira nodded his head and backed it off. "Naoto Shirogane."

" _Match found."_

Yu was surprised at that, and likely Akira was as well. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Yu said after a moment of looking at Akira. "I could probably tell you the rest of the parameters you need, but… Naoto's… Palace?" Yu wasn't sure if it could be considered a Palace or not. "Was not filled with push overs. I'd hold off on something like that until you could get stronger."

"But that should be impossible." Morgana piped up. "A Persona user can't have a Palace."

Yu glanced to Morgana. "Remember, our Persona are different from yours. It's not a sign of our Rebellious Will or anything like that. They are another aspect of us. Though, I am curious as to if that App would take us to Naoto's lab." Yu said thoughtfully.

"Lab?" Akira asked.

"Just… don't ask." Yu said carefully. "I'm not going to tell you about the internal problems of my friends, just as I doubt you're going to tell me about the problems of your friends." he said.

Akira nodded his head, looking down to the phone. He tucked it away. Yu noted that Akira seemed to be debating something for a while. After awhile, he finally spoke. "I'm scared." he admitted. "Like... I'm supposed to lead Ryuji and Ann and Morgana, and everything just… it's all…"

"Let it out." Yu said. "Just… don't worry about sounding silly or childish, just let it out."

Akira punched the ground. "Damn it." he said forcefully and emphatically. "I just wanted to come to Shibuya, do my probation, make a few friends, maybe find a girlfriend." he said. "I didn't want to lead a group of people galavanting through the suppressed worlds of the subconscious desires of other people. I've gone home with more bruises and cuts in a single night than I have in all my years back home. Why me? Why? What the hell makes me so damned special?"

"Akira…" Morgana said softly.

"And now, now that I'm doing it, I'm having more fun than I can remember. It scares me, my heart pounds in my chest, my lungs burn for air, and I'm having the time of my life! I didn't change Kamoshida's heart for recognition. I didn't do it for fame. I don't care if we're hitting big targets or small fries in Mementos, I feel like I can help people and that I should!" Akira said. He breathed a little heavier. "I feel like I'm barely recognizing who I'm turning into. And I know if I make the slightest little misstep, I'm going to end up going to a juvenile detention facility for a lot longer, if I'm lucky. My mom barely listened to me when I tried telling her that I didn't do it, that the guy fell on his own ass and… and…"

Yu could sympathize. He tapped his finger on the table a moment. "You know, I didn't ask to be made leader either." he admitted. "I could have played second fiddle, just as easily as Yosuke was willing to." That seemed to snap Akira's attention back to Yu. "But… Chie and Yosuke backed me into a corner a bit with it, and I stepped up to the plate. I thought I was going to get something wrong. I almost did." He thought to Nanako, how her heart had stopped.

He could remember the way his uncle had fallen to his knees, like a puppet with its strings cut. He remembered the fierce rage. "We went to Namatame's room… I was so ready… so willing to push him into the TV. I shook with the need to. Nanako didn't deserve to die. She's the sweetest little girl I've ever met. I was even ready to take it into my own hands and do worse than throw Namatame into the TV." Yu's fist clenched tight.

"What stopped you?" Akira whispered.

Yu licked his lips. "His eyes." He said. "When Yosuke mentioned Nanako not deserving what happened to her, I could see the horror in his eyes, the revile building. He truly had thought he was saving people by putting them in the TV. I barely managed to talk Yosuke and Kanji down from throwing him in, and I feel like I made the right choice."

Especially since it had been Adachi that had started the whole thing, and even that could be traced back to Izanami.

"Nanako eventually made a full recovery." Yu said after a moment of quiet. "As did Uncle Ryotaro." It did feel a little odd to be calling his uncle that, but it was the man's name. "The point is, Akira, I've been in similar shoes to the ones you have to wear now. I'm here to help you if you'll have it."

Akira nodded and he finished his coffee. "Thanks. I think I need to go though and think on what you told me." he said. He stood up. "Thank you very much for the coffee." he said.

Yu saw Akira out. He was pleased to see that Naoto was returning, just as Akira and Morgana were leaving.

"What was that about?" Naoto asked once they were inside.

"Just a talk between two Fools." Yu told her

 _Scene Break_

Naoto reached her arms up above her head, giving a soft groan as she stretched out. She extended her feet out as far as they would go below the desk while she arched her back to try and get it to pop. Day two of her exams had passed, the Friday of May 12th giving her a rigorous course in the examination of her knowledge up to that point.

And she was still up, still studying for the third day of the exams. It may have been pointless to try and cram new material into her head, but having taken careful mental note of the course work on the first two days, she was able to come to the conclusion as to what she needed to study for day three. And really, it was just a refresher.

She grabbed the coffee cup on her desk that Yu had thoughtfully provided her and took a drink. She grimaced at the lukewarm taste but continued drinking anyways. Coffee was intended to be hot, warm at the very least, but she wasn't going to let Yu's work go to waste.

She had been curious back then, she was still curious as to how Yu did it. He managed top grades, two clubs, spent time with people all over Inaba, worked three jobs, with another two on the side, built models for a hobby, fished, and read books. And that was on top of the events with the TV world. And he had managed it without going completely crazy.

She supposed some people had a gift for time management.

Naoto wasn't one of those people. That wasn't to say she was bad at it, but her circle of friends was more limited to what Yu's had been. Her job as a Special Investigator took enough time, and she definitely wasn't able to join any club. She barely had enough time to curl up with a cup of hot coffee and enjoy a book most weeks.

Again, it wasn't to say that she was bad at time management, it was simply Yu was in a completely different league. It was no wonder he tried to keep a busy schedule. He probably wouldn't know what to do with his hands without something to occupy them.

Naoto closed her eyes with a soft sigh and just let her head lull downwards. She thought it had been a few moments, but the firm knocking on the door jolted her awake. "Nao-chan?" Yu's worried voice came from the other side of the door.

Naoto glanced over. "It's okay to come in Yu-kun." she said. She was liking that. To be able to call Yu with the '-kun' suffix. He'd always be her Senpai, but there was just something thrilling that spoke to the feminine side she had buried deep. She watched the door open, Yu stepping in dressed for sleep. A glance at her watch told her she had just dozed off for about thirty minutes.

Yu gave her a smile. "Bedtime." he told her.

Naoto returned the warm smile and decided to shake her head. "No, I need to finish brushing up." She said. She sat up a bit more, scooting into the chair. She cut Yu a bit of a sly look, or at least she hoped it came off sly. "Unless you plan to carry me." she said.

Something about spending more and more time with Yu, and being able to freely express that childish, even girlish, side of her was nice. She had hidden behind the guise of the Detective Prince for so long, tried so hard for admiration and respect among the police force, that she hadn't really had the chance to express herself like this. But Yu didn't care, he indulged it.

Oh she was still scared he'd reject the idea outright. Or that he'd use logic to tell her why she should come to bed, but Yu had a considerable bit of height on her. He had almost thirty centimeters on her, and while most days the she definitely didn't like being called short, she could admit to enjoying the fact that Yu was quite a bit taller than her.

The idea of him carrying her was appealing.

Yu smiled and shook his head, almost in exasperation. But his legs carried him over anyways after turning the light off. And his arms wrapped gently around her, one around her shoulders, the other moving under her thighs. He then just lifted and Naoto leaned into the embrace, throwing her arms around Yu's neck and snuggling in closer. Yes, it was a bit concerning to not feel anything but Yu, but she knew he wasn't going to drop her.

She expected Yu to take her into his room. She had taken to getting changed into her sleeping wear earlier, especially with exams and her usual habit of staying up later than she intended to with review, so it wasn't like she had to change. But instead, Yu moved towards the bed that had remained unslept in for so far. He laid her down on it like she was precious and it made her smile a bit more. Yu then climbed in beside her. "Good?" he asked.

"Perfect." she said. She got a little more comfortable on her side and laid her head on his chest. If she laid her head on his shoulder, he woke up with it feeling stiff and sore. At least on his chest, he didn't have that issue.

She lightly traced circles on his stomach. While Yu wasn't built per say, he definitely had a muscle definition that Naoto could and did appreciate. She looked up to Yu who was glancing down at her. "I really don't want to go to bed just yet." she admitted.

Yu nodded his head. "That's okay." he told her. She smiled a bit more at that, blushing slightly. That was Yu in a nutshell. Even Christmas Eve, they had stayed up late, just cuddled up and talking in hushed whispers. If she didn't want to go to bed yet, that was okay and he'd stay up until either she fell asleep or he felt she needed to get to sleep.

She appreciated it. He didn't push until he had to. And while she might have been, or would be upset, during the times that he had felt the need to push, she did appreciate them in hindsight.

Naoto bit her lip a moment. "Yu-kun?" She asked, hesitating. What she wanted to ask him wasn't the easiest thing. Especially since she was still self conscious about it herself. She was getting better it, but talking to Yu was a different matter entirely. "D-Do you... " She paused again, hesitating before blushing. "Do you like my body?" There, she said it. She asked it. "I.. I know I'm not as pretty as Yukiko or Rise, I know I have a larger bust line, I'm not as…"

Any other complaint she had about herself was silenced when Yu bent down and kissed her on the lips pretty fiercely. She moaned softly into the kiss, pressing her lips back into his. She didn't know how long it lasted, but when Yu finally pulled back, she was a little breathless.

"Nao-chan, you're beautiful." Yu said softly. "Yukiko, Rise, Chie, they're our friends, but you're the girl I love." He said. She felt her face heating up a bit at the passion in his voice. "You're as pretty as Yukiko or Rise, more so to me… and yeah… you have a larger bust line, but you're also… well… tiny. And I like it." She wanted to be mad at being called tiny, but facts were facts. If Rise's body type was a little bit smaller, she'd likely look as big as Naoto did in the chest area.

That wasn't to say she was obscene, but she definitely was above average because of her slender frame. She leaned up and kissed Yu on the lips before she moved to straddle his waist again. She gently settled on his stomach. "Thank you Yu-kun." She was so, so happy that he accepted her. She didn't have to be a girly girl. Yu indulged her need to enjoy working with her hands and gadgets. She didn't have to like sappy romance movies, Yu gave her all the romance she ever needed. And she loved him for it.

Naoto looked down to her boyfriend. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough that she could make out his facial features, the way he looked up to her. She took his hands and laid them on her thighs. Again, she had roundness to her hips and thighs as most girls did, but so often she was dressed as the Police Detective that it didn't really show. She felt him squeeze her on the thighs a little, hands staying within an acceptable spot towards the sides.

She took in a shaky breath. Her heart raced in her chest. She still agreed with Yu. They weren't ready to go further than some touching. And she had been right with her thoughts then as well. They would experience more laughs, smiles, and even fights as a couple. About a week prior, Yu had come into her room without her permission and she had blown up at him. Granted, she had been working with some sensitive police files and she hadn't been wrong to tell him off, but it was their first spat of living together.

She was thankful that he learned from it and hadn't come in without knocking since.

But she wanted to feel. She wanted to be seen. To have that chance to feel like a woman, to know that in the eyes of the man she loved she was as beautiful as any other. She reached down to her waist and slowly pulled her shirt off, lowering it to the side. She looked away bashfully, even as she wanted to cover her chest. She gripped Yu's forearms. But she wanted him to see.

She watched his eyes move towards her bare breasts. She didn't wear anything under the shirt she wore to bed. Definitely not the constrictive bindings she wore every single day at school or when she had to go to the police department. But then his eyes moved back towards her face. She was worried of course. Were they ugly? She had a few faint scars from their time in the TV World. "I… I want you to see. To feel." she whispered, her stomach twisting and writhing in knots.

Yu slowly sat up, shifting her from his stomach to his thighs. She moved her hands to his shoulders. "I… I understand if they're not…" She was silenced with another kiss, and this time the moan that erupted from her throat was from the feel of a hand cupping her flesh, with fingers brushing over her nipple. Both reacted, turning hard almost instantly.

"They're beautiful Naoto." he whispered her name. It sent a shiver down her spine. He moved his hand along her breast a bit more until he touched a faint scar. "Where did this come from?" he whispered to her.

She licked her lips. "Izanami dragging me down." she whispered. She then moaned as she felt Yu lean in and kiss the scar. His hand moved around to her back, holding her carefully leaned back.

"This one?" He touched her along the ribs of her left side, to the side of her breast.

Naoto took a moment to remember. "One of the giant robots we had to face in Heaven." Thankfully, Yukiko's healing had been impressive by then and had been able to close the wound with minimal scarring. But Yu still kissed it making her mewl softly at the feel of his lips on her ribs.

And that was how they spent a few minutes. Yu would touch a scar and ask how she got it, she'd take a moment and remember the battle where she did get it, and he would kiss it as though he was trying to make her feel better. He even did the ones on her back, shifting her in his lap.

She really was tiny. Even Ann and Makoto were considerably taller than her, and one of those was a year younger.

She was surprised though when she felt him shift back, not quite laying back but definitely so he had room. She looked over her shoulder as Yu took off his own top and lightly let it drop to the side of the bed. They would probably put those back on before they went back to sleep, but it was a time for touching and exploring.

She turned on his lap again, this time facing him and she touched along his abdomen. She felt his stomach shift a little bit, no doubt unused to someone else touching him. She moved her slender fingers up over his ribs, feeling along his skin. She could feel a few more scars, nothing absolutely horrible, but definitely things that hadn't been pleasant.

Her fingers spread out as she found a set of perpendicular scars along his body. "Yu?" she whispered softly.

She watched him lick his lips and swallow. "Teddie." he admitted. "When Kunino-sagiri possessed the entire team."

Naoto felt revulsion at what he said. Teddie, sweet Teddie that always referred to Yu as 'Sensei', had attacked him? A pit formed in the ball of her stomach. "Did I?" She was terrified to know the answer.

He took her hand and led it up towards his left shoulder. She could feel the wound. She had seen enough to know what did it. A handgun. And she was the only one on the Investigation Team to have a handgun. She choked back a sob. She had shot him? After they had professed their love for one another, she had shot him?

"It's okay." he said, gathering her in his arms. It broke the control she had and she cried into his chest. It wasn't alright. It wasn't. She had shot him. "You couldn't control yourself. No one on the team could." That didn't make it any better.

To know that Yu, the Investigation Team's leader, who had been there for all of them when they needed him the most was hurt by the team when he had needed them the most. Naoto could remember parts of that fight. Yu had fought almost like a wild animal, completely ignoring any sense of strategy.

But here Yu was now, holding her and rocking her gently, rubbing her back. She had shot him and he had never said a word of it. They, the Investigation Team, had attacked him and he never said a word of it to anyone. Probably patched himself up and had rushed to care for them and Nanako.

He gently tilted her chin up and kissed her on the lips. "It's okay." he assured her. "It's not the worst one." Comparably speaking, no, it wasn't the worst looking scar. But the emotional pain attached to it.

She swallowed and wiped her tears. "What's the worst one?" she asked. She had meant for it to be a tender evening, not one of finding out she had hurt her boyfriend when he needed her the most. That they had failed him.

Yu gently moved her from his lap, and she thought for a second that she had pushed too far. But it was just to turn and give her an unrestricted view to the mass of scar tissue on his back. She touched her hand to it, just below the left shoulder blade and almost the size of her fist was where it impact. It spread out like veins along the right shoulder blade and down his back towards his waist. "Yu?" Her voice sounded so small. She could identify it as lichtenberg scarring. It was consistent with being struck by lightning.

It was by and far the worst one. How did Yukiko's healing not cover it? Even when they were struck by lightning based enemies, the magic of the Dia line of spells could handle most of the scarring. Even burn scars weren't an issue.

Yu rotated his shoulder a moment, his hand coming up and touching his shoulder like he could touch it. "I… When I thought everyone died… when… you died… " Yu shuddered. "Izanami began toying with me. And when she had enough, she made me succumb to the same thing that all of you tried to stop me from succumbing to." He inhaled a bit shakily. "My bonds reminded me I still had too much to do, and I found myself pulling myself up to my feet… She began to hit me with bolt of lightning after bolt of lightning. My armor took the brunt of the first few, but the last one punched through." He inhaled deeply. He didn't need to say any more. "Izanagi-no-Okami doesn't heal like a Dia spell. It's like I'm rapidly healed by time in the span of a few moments. So…"

So the scarring occurred and no one thought to do anything about it. And now as it was, Naoto wasn't certain if anything could be done about it. She leaned in and lightly kissed the mass of scarring where the bolt of lightning had undoubtedly struck. She felt the rough texture of the scar tissue and it made her want to weep. Another time that Yu needed them, and they had failed to be there for him.

"Yu…" she whispered as she slipped her arms around him from behind, laying her cheek against his back while pressing herself into him more. "I'll never fail you again. I'll always be there for you." she whispered. She had to be, for her peace of mind.

She wasn't going to tell the others about this. They didn't need to know. They didn't need to know they had hurt Yu themselves, they didn't need to know that he was scarred as badly as he was because they weren't there. She'd bear that burden with him. Naoto closed her eyes, feeling the tears threatening to well up once more.

But she felt his hands touch her own. "Naoto… You didn't fail me." he whispered. "You're here now, right?" he asked.

Naoto nodded. "I'm here now, and onwards if you'll have me." she said.

"Naturally." Yu said. He turned in her grasp, forcing her to let go for a brief moment. But he pulled her back in close. "I don't blame you for any of that." he said. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "Now come on, we should go to bed now." He bent down to grab his shirt and was about to pull it on.

Naoto gently took it from him. "Please?" she asked, holding it to her chest a moment. She was scared of the nightmares that would come.

But Yu gave her that nod, the same nod that basically told her she could do anything. She pulled his shirt on, as large as it was on her. The cuffs of the sleeves even engulfed her hands. But it smelled of Yu. He laid back down shirtless and she curled up beside him, feeling the covers get pulled over their body.

Things weren't perfect. But sometimes, every so often, she thought they were. And as she felt Yu's hand rubbing circles at her back, she thought they weren't far from it.

 _Scene Break_

"We should probably change where we meet, so Niijima-senpai doesn't catch us on the roof. Hey, how about that walkway for the Subway?" Ryuji recommended.

"Changing out hideout periodically, now that's a plan I can get behind." Morgana said, pleased with the recommendation.

Akira thought about it though for a moment. "I might have a better idea for Madarame's Palace." he said. "Come on." He hefted the bag with Morgana and started to walk away. He didn't need to look to know Ryuji and Ann were following him.

"Dude, we're getting awfully close to where Madarame lives, ain't we?" Ryuji asked after a while.

"Yeah, that can't be good for an infiltration point." Ann said.

"It is if we're not caught." Akira said. "Remember what Shirogane-san has said?" he asked, turning to look at his friends. "We've been careless too much lately." He headed down a street for the residential district and went to a house at the end of the street beside the wall keeping traffic from going through. He rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal Yu Narukami. "We need to talk. Is Shirogane-san back yet?" The trio of second years had missed the first train from their school, so it was possible that Naoto had returned first.

Yu nodded his head and opened the door. "Come on in." he said, closing and locking it behind the group.

They gathered around the low table, with Naoto coming down from the upstairs and sitting down comfortably beside Yu. Akira decided he wasn't going to beat around the bush. "We have a new target." he said. "Ichiryusai Madarame. He's been apparently plagiarizing his students' works, discrediting anyone that wouldn't devote their work to him, even pushed one student to suicide because of it." Akira said. He could see the frown on Yu's face getting more and more pronounced. "He's got one student living with him right now, and we don't want to see him get hurt."

Yu and Naoto both exchanged a slow look. "Make yourself at home, let Naoto and I talk things over and decide how we want to go about this." Their group had two distinct factions, and while it could cause tension, there was a reason to why they managed to work together. "Just remember, upstairs to the right is off limits." Yu said sharply before he and Naoto went to the kitchen, clearly to talk.

Ryuji stood up after just a few seconds. "I'm going to take a look around. Call for me when they're done, yeah?" He said before he did just that, walking around and taking a look at pictures.

Akira couldn't blame him. Their entire group was curious about Yu Narukami and Naoto Shirogane. Ann even stood up and went to join Ryuji after a moment. He heard the footsteps heading up the stairs. He didn't think his friends would go off into the room on the right, but he did stand up and glance up the stairs, watching them go to the left. "Is it alright if they go into the room on the left?" Akira asked over towards the kitchen.

"It's fine. Nothing secret it my room. Just make sure they don't break anything." Yu said before he went back to his conversation with Naoto.

Akira decided he'd go on up to make sure the other two didn't. "Holy Shit!" Akira's feet moved up faster as Yu came after him, both taking the stairs two at a time. They entered the room on the left, Yu's room apparently to see Ryuji staring at a picture wide eyed. "You're a Risette fan too?" Ryuji asked excitedly. "Man, she almost never gives out autographs, how'd you get this?"

Akira sighed and shook his head. "Damn it Ryuji, don't shout like that." he said.

"But it's Risette man!" Ryuji said. "She's like the most popular Idol of all time, she's been kickin' ass. Her most recent stuff is just…"

Yu shook his head as he stepped into the room with a sigh. "I met _Rise_ during my time in Inaba." He stressed the name of the idol. "And you'll note that it's not signed as Risette, but Rise Kujikawa. She's a good friend. A lot of the items on that shelf came from the good friends I made in Inaba."

Akira stepped into the room just after Yu, he looked at the shelf to see an odd assortment of things. He saw the picture of the idol Risette, he could recognize her because posters were all over the place for her album _Sapphire._ He saw a hospital badge, what looked like a toy police badge, a portrait of Yu with a father and daughter. There was a lot of items on the shelf. For just a moment, Madarame was forgotten. "Why'd you come back?" he asked. He even saw a picture of what was undoubtedly the entire Investigation Team.

He made a mental note that there was in fact someone else that was taller than Yu, as implausible as that sounded. Akira's own hundred and seventy centimeter height made him taller than a lot of his peers, but Yu was even taller than him. Based on this picture, the blonde with the scar over his eye was even taller.

There was even a goof of a picture where they were in uniforms to match the Phoenix Ranger Featherman R series. It took a lot of guts and good friends to be able to do that.

Yu inhaled sharply at the question before he slowly blew it out. "I felt obligated to." He said after a time.

Akira turned a moment, regarding the other Wild Card. He didn't know what to make of Yu Narukami. He still didn't know what to make of Naoto Shirogane. But he thought he was starting to get an idea of the person that Yu was. He had a very strong sense of justice and responsibility. And it must have served him well during his time in Inaba, but here in Shibuya, it had to be choking him to be away from the people he had made such strong bonds with.

Akira winced as he thought about. With school being what it is, there were few times that someone could take a long, extended trip. And Akira had seen the posting of the previous year's students' grades. Yu Narukami had sat firmly at the top by about a three percent margin. That required a dedication that Akira was slowly starting to realize. He felt good about his exam scores, even if they hadn't come back yet.

Yu turned to Naoto who was behind him. "So.." He said. "Are we ultimately helping them?" he asked the slender boy.

Naoto moved his hat down over his eyes. It was a motion Akira noticed was a very common and frequent one. Akira didn't know enough to make a comment really, but he had a feeling there was a reason behind it. "Yes. I believe it might be prudent. I don't like it, and I've examined it from every angle I can think of. If no one is willing to speak out about Madarame's plagiarizing acts, then the police are, regrettably, incapable of doing anything."

"Alright!" Ann said excitedly. Akira hadn't made the mention of her having to model nude either.

"But," Naoto cut in sharply. "Make no mistake, I do not like it. We are clearly toeing a morality line. Yes, Kamoshida was vile, and it sounds like this Madarame is no better, but what gives us the right to alter the free will of someone?"

The Detective's words definitely brought the mood of the group down. "I hadn't thought of it like that." Ann said, her head lowered a bit dejectedly.. "I just thought… we'd be helping people."

Yu spoke up. "There's a fine line between helping, and just doing it for the sake of doing it." he said. "Just… make sure you know which side of the line you're on." he said. "That's what I think Naoto-kun is getting at."

Akira looked to Yu a moment. He knew the story of the Investigation Team and how they had been saving people, by bringing the killer to justice. He inhaled a moment. "Think of this like Adachi." he said. He got sharp looks from Yu and Naoto. He swallowed a moment, but pushed forward with it. "I'm not saying that it's exactly the same situation. But here we have someone the police can't touch, no one is willing to step forward and speak up, and we have the power to, hopefully, safely make him change and turn himself in. As long as we convince the Shadow to return to the conscious, then he should have a change of heart, right? That's what we saw with Kamoshida."

Yu and Naoto mulled it over, taking a moment to reflect on Akira's words. "Alright." Yu said. "We'll help. We'll be support like last time, might make a trip or two into his Palace of our own volition to see what we can see."

Akira nodded. "I was hoping you might let us use your house as a staging ground." He said, figuring it to be best to be honest. "We can enter Madarame's Palace from here, walk to the location, and come back to exit. That'll help keep us from being spotted."

Yu looked to Akira and Naoto a moment before he inclined his head. "Alright." he said. Akira could tell the older boy didn't necessarily like it, but Akira was thankful for him agreeing regardless.

"Now that's clever." Morgana said. "We're a bit further away, but we're not loitering about Madarame's place. That's fitting for a Phantom Thief."

Yu grabbed his sword as well as what was undoubtedly some armor. Naoto slipped into his room, gathering his gear no doubt. When they returned, Akira pulled out his phone and typed in the information for Madarame's Palace. "Madarame. Shack. Museum." he said. The world distorted around them and they found themselves in Yu's room, albeit on the other side of things.

The group of five teens and a cat then headed outside of Yu's home. Out of habit, Yu locked the door behind him. "Huh… Things look normal." Yu commented.

"That's because we're not near the center of the distortion." Morgana said, already trotting off. "We are, however, without a doubt inside Madarame's Palace. Just like with Memementos, when we get to closer to be perceived as a threat, we'll change our clothes."

Akira moved to follow Morgana quickly. The trek wasn't a far one, and they made a good pace. He glanced over his shoulder a couple of times, looking to Ryuji and Ann a bit. He then glanced towards Naoto and Yu. Akira kept walking, bending down and scooping Morgana up to set the cat on his shoulders, picking up his pace a little. Not enough to worry the others, but enough he could speak in a lower voice. "Morg… Mona." Akira corrected himself. They were in the Palace already, he needed to stick to the codenames. "Do you think we're doing the right thing?" he asked.

The cat gave a soft sound. "Right is… subjective." He said after a moment. "You guys are helping me, and I appreciate it, but I understand fully that I might not be the best of a judge about these things. I don't have any memories beyond jumping a few Palaces and Mementos and then meeting you guys."

Akira nodded slightly. "Mona… do you really think you're human? I mean, I know I joked about calling you a car when Ann asked, but.. Could Yu be right in thinking you're a Shadow?" he asked.

Morgana was quiet before giving a slightly distressed sound. "I mean… the way he talked about Teddie has a lot of similarities. And I mean, I can do things that you guys can't. But… I don't have the space that Yu's friend did. I can't possibly grow a human body in me, and I so want to be human."

Akira nodded. "Well, whatever the answer, whatever may happen, you always got a place with us. So don't abandon us in some misguided attempt to look cool, and whatever argument you have with Ryuji, come to me about. Please. I don't want to see you get hurt because you ran off without backup." Akira turned his head to look at the cat, seeing the surprised look on its face. Morgana was surprisingly expressive as a cat.

"Alright, I'll stick around Joker." Morgana said after a moment before hopping down from Akira's shoulders.

With good reason too. Akira turned a corner and felt his clothes turn to that of his Metaverse outfit. The others were caught up with him quickly and they stood around a moment, with Yu taking in the impressive sight of what Madarame really thought his shack looked like.

Akira then turned to face the group. "Alright, heads up." he said. He was glad when he got their attention. "I don't want another Kamoshida. I don't want to be getting within a week of our deadline without sending out the calling card. Keep it tight, watch yourself in there. I brought some food and coffee to help us going a bit longer, so all we need to be concerned with is the security. Panther, I want you to focus more on healing spells and debuffs. Try to conserve your energy though. Mona, stick to the buffs and wind spells. You two have the hardest jobs by hard. Skull, you're our point man. With that in mind," Akira reached into his pack and threw Ryuji a new piece of armor.

"Dude…" Ryuji hefted it a moment before he stripped off the old one and put the new one one. "Bit heavier." He jumped up and down a moment.

"Wait, why does he get a new piece of equipment?" Ann asked.

Akira looked to her. "Because someone decided they wanted an expensive buffet after I recommended saving the money." He said. He got three winces in return for that. "I get we wanted to celebrate, but for as much as we spent, I thought it a bit wasteful. Water under the bridge though, I'm making plenty at the beef bowl shop to help out in upgrading our equipment, but our supplier still needs to finish the detail work on some things."

Akira then looked to Naoto and Yu. "You two, you're our extraction team. Stay a room behind us in cover. If things go sideways, you two come in and get us out. Use whatever it takes. You guys are definitely strong enough. We'll motion you up when it is time. Just remember, keep it tight and we can get through this. I expect security to tighten, but let's get as far as we can as quickly as we can. Understand?"

He got five nods in return. Akira turned and started to head towards the truck they had used to get over the wall the first time in Madarame's Palace when they were just looking for something, anything they could use.

There was a sound behind him and a pained cry. "Senpai!" Something shot past him, moving in front of the group. Akira glanced back enough to see Yu on one knee before he was looking back to the thing in front of him.

It formed a humanoid shape, completely covered in shadows before the sound of glass shattering was heard, and Akira found himself face to face with a maniacally grinning Yu Narukami.

Well shit.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Another chapter I wrote in an odd way. I started with the beginning and the end and then decided to throw fluff in. I went with the fluff for two reasons, one was because I have been enjoying the sweet relationship I have wrote between Yu and Naoto, the second was to shamelessly bump the word count of this chapter up.**

 **Told you the rules of the game were going to change. Here's where I throw something from way left field.**

 **Edit: So I just finished writing the fluff in the center. It took a drastic turn there. And it was quite the interesting piece to write. Did it in approximately two and a half hours. Again, it was to shamelessly include fluff and bump the word count, but I never expected the turns it took.**

 **I love this story already.**

 **Enjoy.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Storm

Chapter 7: The Storm

Yu grunted as he brought his foot up to the concrete. He breathed a little heavier, feeling Naoto's hand on his shoulder. "I'm okay." he whispered to her as he forced himself to stand up and take a half, staggered step forward. He looked up at himself, finding it eerie and odd to see that grin on his face. He never grinned like a loon like that.

Something had struck him from behind and then proceeded to rip itself free from his chest. It had then formed into the grinning version of himself before him. Yu was… hesitant to call it a Shadow. For some reason, it just felt… wrong. Something in his chest felt… unnerved by it.

' _Ragh!'_ Yu clutched at his head, groaning in agony unlike anything he had ever felt before. The weight of the Metaverse weighed upon him even heavier and it felt like his sword was three times its weight as the blade clattered against the concrete as he was unable to hold it, both from the mental anguish and the sudden increase in weight

' _Izanagi-no-Okami?!_ ' Yu tried to reach out mentally to the only source of the voice in his head.

The sounds coming from his Persona were like a wounded animal. ' _Hurts! Make it stop! Thou must make it cease!'_ The speech was plagued by howls of pain and rage. It was not something Yu expected to hear from his normally regal and stoic Persona.

The Thing… wearing Yu's face clapped his hands together. "Excellent!" He declared with Yu's voice. He held his hand out and pain exploded across Yu's chest once more. His backed bowed and it almost felt like his spine was going to snap in half. But a tarot card came out of his chest. And then another. And another. They came quickly and almost seemed endless.

Yu collapsed to his knees, coughing from the pain of it when the torrent ended. He no longer heard Izanagi-no-Okami howling in his head. In fact, he felt empty. He staggered to his feet. He didn't know what this thing was, but Yu was certainly done with it. He bent down to grab his sword, lifting it up and holding it. It did feel heavier, but Yu settled himself, starting to move forward.

A bolt of lightning to his chest ceased that and knocked him flat on his ass. "Senpai!" Naoto cried out as his back hit the pavement skidding back a little bit.

That Thing that was wearing Yu's face held a spinning black and crimson tarot card. Much the way Yu took to using his Persona. And he saw the angry red visage of Magatsu Izanagi, but it was wrong. So very, very wrong. It was as though it was a tainted version of Izanagi-no-Okami instead. "Wooh, that looked like it hurt like hell." Yu's doppelganger said, still grinning.

Yu grunted and forced himself to stand up. His armor took the brunt of the damage again, but it still had hurt more than anything else had since he left Inaba, since he had battled Izanami. He breathed a little heavier, having been gasping for air for the last several moments. "What are you?" Yu asked. "You're no Shadow." If it was a Shadow, it'd have already been spouting desires at him, trying to get him to accept it. But this thing just outright attacked Yu.

The Doppelganger gave two claps. "Give the man a cookie!" He said excitedly, giddy almost. "You're right, I'm not one of those Shadows. I'm Yu, but not you." The copy grinned more maniacally. "Here's a hint. You're right handed, I'm left handed. You chose basketball, I chose soccer. You chose drama, I chose band. You chose the detective girl with gender identity issues that you can't lie to, I'd have chosen to try for a threesome with Yukiko and Rise."

Yu straightened himself out and settled his legs into a better, more stable stance. His sword was about a full meter in front of him on the pavement again. It'd be difficult to get to it and cross the additional ten meters to the copy. "A Reflection." Yu said.

"If you have to give a cute little name to it."The copy kept grinning. "You wanted to be Samurai boy, stalwart defender of your team from the front lines, I chose the right path and focused on long distance and let those fools be good distractions." The copy cut its gaze to Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves. "Go on, shoo. You have business elsewhere. I'll be along shortly after I deal with boss man to take his place."

Though he had expected it, Yu was still slightly surprised when Akira stepped forward in front of Yu and kicked the sword back towards him. Yu bent down and grabbed the hilt, drawing himself back up to his height. He felt tired, and fatigued, and he was getting sick to his stomach. He needed to finish this and then get some answers.

THe copy frowned at the actions of the Phantom Thieves as they moved to surround Yu a bit more. Even Naoto took up a shooting position, her gun trained well. "Oh come now… He's a liability. Look at him. Breathing this air." Yu's copy gave a deep inhale as though scenting the air. "I'd say he has another ten minutes before he collapses, just like sweet Nanako-chan. I have his Persona after all, and I'm not giving them back." The thing half sang the last sentence. "Let me take his place. Yu Narukami still exists, just better. Stronger. More willing to use that awesome power. Bet Kamoshida was a bitch to fight, I could have busted in there with some high powered spells that would have made him look like a mewling baby."

Akira drew his gun and snapped off two rounds. "We'll stand by this one, thanks." he said confidently.

Yu's copy rolled his eyes, barely swaying to dodge the bullets. A black and red tarot card came spinning up and he snapped his fingers at it. "Niflheim." Before they could react, a pillar of ice encased Ann, freezing her solid. Ryuji's head was starting to turn when a new tarot card spun forth and fingers were snapped once more. "Panta Rhei." A tornado spun to life and launched Ryuji into a wall where he slumped forward unmoving.

"Zoro, Rec-"

Morgana's action was cut off as the copy snapped his fingers again and summoned yet a third tarot card. "Thunder Reign." A bolt of lightning came down and built before exploding like a bomb, throwing the cat shadow a distance away. "I'd say it's nothing personal… but… I'd be lying. Bye kid. Samsara!" Golden spiritual papers began to form up around Akira when Naoto stepped forward and literally threw the leader of the Phantom Thieves out of the square. Naoto stayed standing, even as they surrounded her before they were blasted back at the copy, not that the spell did any better once reflected.

Yu dug into his pack for the revival beads and he threw the box towards Akira. "Heal your friends up." he said. "We'll deal with this one." Despite being weak, and supposedly without his Persona, Yu moved to stand beside Naoto, putting his sword on his shoulder to help with the weight instead of trying to balance it beside him.

The copy grinned more. "Oh, this should be fun." He said as he bent forward a little bit. It was like fighting Adachi again

Naoto checked her revolver a moment before glancing towards Yu, the real one. "Please tell me this isn't an aspect of you." she said a bit frostily.

Not that Yu blame her. Given what this thing was saying, especially the rather lewd implications towards Yukiko and Rise… Yu shook his head. "No. Like I said, a Reflection. I don't think we're supposed to co-exist. We're too fundamentally different, too separate from each other."

The copy clapped again. "Good, good! You changed the rules of the game buddy, so the game had to change to fit you too! Why, the kid over there might have-"

"Shut up." Yu snapped. "I can't believe I'm having this thought about myself, but you talk too damned much." Yu was used to more quiet conversations, when what was said had meaning. This thing just prattled on and on and on. But, Yu could identify that it was him. Just a fundamentally different him.

The copy grinned and settled into a fighting stance a bit more. "Well then come on, Samurai boy. If you think you can catch me with that heavy sword of yours. Don't have Yoshitsune boosting your strength do you? Maybe you can answer something for me before you kick the bucket. Rise threw herself at you, probably would have spread her legs and proclaimed her love for you in a better, more pleasant way. Hell, Sayako did offer herself to you, and you never took her up on that regard. You could have even ended up with a Goddess. Why _did_ you pick Naoto?"

Yu stepped forward to stand by Naoto, shoulder to shoulder. He turned to her and just gave a soft smile. "I love her." And that was all he needed to say. "So kindly, shut up. You're annoying me."

Yu inhaled a bit. He could tell the air was getting more and more dangerous to him. But nonetheless, he moved forward, a half dozen slow steps turned into a mad sprint, trying to clear the distance fast enough. But his copy leapt back, flashing his hand out to cast Black Viper. Yu dodged out of the way, just barely, body rolling onto the pavement as he misjudged how much strength he had. But he stood back up and moved, he had to s.

"Oh come on! Your body must feel like lead, you'll never catch me with that base ass speed." Yu's Copy swiped to a new card and gave himself a buff.

Yu nonetheless moved forward, with the full intent of pummeling his Reflection. "What about her?" he asked.

"Oh shit!" Yu's doppelganger moved to give his attention to Naoto who was behind Yu and to the right, behind a car. But instead of aiming at the reflection, she held the gun by its barrel and stepped into the throw. The reflection turned, looking incredulous as the gun went sailing past him. "Are you fucking stupid?"

" _No_." A gunshot rang out, taking the reflection in the back of the knee before a second one rang out, catching him in the shoulder. " _I was just in a better position to shoot you_." A third shot rang out, taking the Reflection in the other knee. But despite the pain it should have been, it managed to stay grinning, even as it fell.

Yu fell to his knees almost at the same time that his reflection had. His vision swam, but he could still make out Naoto's Shadow holding the smoking revolver, just behind Yu's Reflection. It had been a dangerous gamble on Naoto's part, hence why Yu rushed the other silver haired individual. He shook his head and planted one foot on the ground before pushing himself forward.

Yu's Reflection went to summon a Persona, but that was put to an end when his hand was shot, fingers blown off by the force of the gun. Naoto's Shadow got a splatter of blood on her lab coat, but she had nonetheless stepped forward to shoot the hand. Her booted foot came down on the other hand and just as easily shot the other hand.

Yu's reflection never lost his grin, laughing all the way. "Little pain won't stop me, little girl. And he can't get his Persona back. I don't feel pain the same way that you fucks do."

Yu dragged himself over. Naoto came over and accepted the revolver back from her Shadow. Yu inhaled a bit deeply before he summoned his strength. "I am Thou, Thou art I." He closed his eyes and held himself up as he drew upon that connection to his Persona. "From the sea of my soul, Thou comes…"

"Won't work asshole, I took them all remember?!" Yu heard an impact and the Reflection's words get cut off.

Yu went deeper. He drowned out everything, the heavy feel of his body, the ache in his bones, the way his breath seemed to come shorter and shorter, he just drove it all out.. He drew up that contract, that feeling between himself and his Persona. Everything faded away and for a second, Yu felt as though he was falling backwards.

He opened his eyes to that empty, cloudy void that he had been in when he had summoned Izanagi-no-Okami the first time. And as though thinking of his Persona of the World, the fog cleared some to show it. Shackled to the ground, the white armor of its form was splattered and stained with brackish red blood. Chains pierced the flesh of Izanagi-no-Okami who thrashed and howled like an injured animal, attempting to tug and rip the chains free to no avail, only serving to hurt it more.

Yu moved towards his Persona quickly. "Izanagi." he said getting close and almost getting skewered for it when his Persona shifted forward to drive his spear like sword into Yu's stomach.

"You!" Izanagi-no-Okami snarled at him. "Monstrous heathen! I shall follow thou no longer!"

Yu steeled himself and stepped forward. "That is enough!" he said, reaching out to grab Izanagi-no-Okami's jacket, feeling the wetness of blood on the cloth, even as pain lanced through his body as lightning discharged through him. He pulled down so that Izanagi-no-Okami's helmeted form was eye level to him. "It's me, Izanagi-no-Okami. It's Yu. I am thou, Thou art I. Remember? We hold a contract. I need you to focus or we're both doomed."

The head tilted down, a snarl escaping from the helmet. "It hurts Child. Such monstrous things we have done."

"No. No, no." Yu said as he grabbed at a chain. "Fight those memories. Remember, our bonds. Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, Teddie… Remember our blood vows. Remember the vows we made. We were the Fool to begin with. Then we faced Judgement together, come on."

Izanagi-no-Okami gave a howl. "The Pretender is mixed inside. Thou must banish me from thy soul."

Yu shook his head, even as the sharp metal of the chain sliced into his hands from his tugging. "No, I'm not losing you as well. So look at me, remember our bonds. If you remember no other, remember hers! We're dead, for real, if you don't break free. Now are you the World or not? She's out there, waiting on us, watching us die."

Izanagi-no-Okami gave a pained howl. "He betrayed her trust! We, we betrayed her trust!"

Yu grabbed one of the chains and decided to give something else a try. He thought of his love for Naoto, of learning of her love for high places, telling her he was glad she was a girl, jumping in front of the knife. He put a foot against his Persona and pulled. He thought of the tender moment they had spent at his home. Of the time they spent Christmas Eve. Valentine's day. He thought of the good with the bad.

He thought of the other day when Naoto showed herself in such an intimate way.

Yu fell backwards to the sound of metal snapping and shattering like it was made of glass. Yu opened his eyes to watch the glow return to Izanagi-no-Okami, the blood stains of his suit vanishing in an instant. Yu got up and he looked at Izanagi-no-Okami. " _I_ have not betrayed her trust. _We_ have not betrayed her trust. Now do you hold a contract with me? Or do you hold a contract with a poor Reflection?"

Izanagi-no-Okami swiped with his sword to break more of the chains. "I am Thou, Thou art I!" Though he was still attached by some chains, his Persona stood tall and regal once more. "We must reset the contract! Purge this Pretender from the sea of thy soul."

Yu stepped forward. "Tell me what to do." he said.

"This will hurt, my friend." Izanagi-no-Okami said before pushing Yu from that deep state within his soul.

Yu fell like a puppet with its strings cut. On his knees, he barely could recognize the world of Madarame's Palace before him. He felt worse. He felt even more ill, like he was about to throw up. His vision was blurring so badly, he couldn't make out the individual fingers of his hand.

"Senpai!" Both Naoto and her Shadow sounded so distant, even as they bent down and touched his shoulders.

Yu mustered his strength to look up at the sky. Lightning flashed and arced across the sky. He brought both arms up and touched the stomachs of both Naotos. He then forced himself to push them both stumbling away. A massive boom sounded as a lightning bolt shot down and struck Yu in the chest. He howled in agony.

"Senpai!" Naoto shouted, more concerned as she moved to rush over.

Yu's vision snapped into clarity as he fell onto hands and knees. But he felt warmth washing over him and he held his hand out, watching the World Tarot card spin to life in his hand, a beautiful cerulean and white as it should have been, not the tainted red and black of his Reflection.

Yu forced himself up to his feet, stumbling away from his Reflection a few steps. Every footstep ached, and even breathing caused his lungs to burn, but Yu could feel Izanagi-no-Okami within him, slowly working its powers. His Reflection began to stand up onto his feet, glaring daggers at Yu. But Yu bent down and grabbed his sword, bringing it up and holding it, sliding into his ready stance. He breathed a bit heavier, watching his Reflection carefully. They would never accept each other. This was not a Shadow that spouted buried truths. This was a Reflection of Yu's soul, his polar opposite. They were fundamentally different.

And yet they were the same.

Yu's Reflection reacted first, swiping the Tarot card to a new one. The visage of Lucifer formed up, ready to strike out with another Black Viper. Yu swiped his fingers instinctually, cutting off Izanagi-no-Okami's healing, and felt the surge as his Persona changed. The wind blew from behind him as Trumpeter let loose upon its horn. Darkness formed in on Yu's Reflection as he cast Debilitate.

He and Naoto moved out of the way of the Black Viper spell, and Naoto threw a Heat Riser on him. Yu's Reflection swiped to a new card. The young looking Alice came forth with her cold eyes and innocent visage. But his Reflection was turning to face Akira.

Yu swiped his hand again and felt empowered. He felt as strong as ever. His muscles ached but he ignored it. He drew back his sword just a hair more before driving forward, faster than he had before. "Hassou Tobi!" Yoshitsune came dashing out in his armor and twin swords, slashing at Yu's Reflection faster than the eye could see seven times.

Yu followed it up with a hard thrust of his sword into his Reflection's chest, pinning it to the wall it had backed itself up against. Yu's eyes were hard as he stared at his Reflection. Bleeding from the chest, both hands ruined, both knees shattered, and seven cuts with a stab through its chest, and it still had the strength and fortitude to glare at him.

The Reflection sank forward on the blade, moving to the hilt. "You haven't won." It said in a pained voice. "Yaldabaoth will be victorious. I will keep coming back, over and over until I have stripped you bare and taken your place." It spat blood in Yu's face. The Reflection's skin began to crack like glass. "I wonder… Will you keep picking her? Or will you pick her Reflection when it comes?"

The Reflection shattered into an innumerable number of pieces, vanishing before they had the chance to hit the ground.

Yu sighed and closed his eyes, pulling his sword from the wall before stumbling back a bit. The sword clattered to the ground as it suddenly felt heavier than ever and Yu fell to his knees once more.

"Senpai!" Both Naoto and her Shadow rushed to his sides, checking on him. "Are you okay? We need to get you out of here."

Yu turned to look at the Phantom Thieves as they had gathered up, stepping towards him cautiously.

"Dude…" Ryuji sounded awestruck. "What was all that?" He also sounded worried.

Yu felt his vision swim a moment but shook his head to try and clear it. He pulled himself to his feet. He wasn't going to be helping with the Infiltration Progress. Not this time. It felt like he had just re-summoned his Persona for the first time. Yosuke had been right, it felt like he could sleep for a week.

"Are you guys healed up?" Yu asked softly, grabbing his sword and this time leaning heavily against it. The blade had yet to break, despite being swung against metal multiple times.

"Yeah, for a lot of good that was going to do us." Akira said bitterly. "We got taken out like it was nothing."

"Severe damage spells aimed at your Persona's natural weaknesses will do that Joker." Yu said flatly. "And if I'm right, that thing knew what I did. So it's natural it would aim for your weaknesses."

Akira's fist balled up tight. "That's not acceptable." he said. "What the hell was that?"

Yu shook his head. "I don't know." he said. And he didn't. He didn't claim to have all the answers. He had some, but certainly not all. "But I intend to find out." He turned his gaze towards the entrance to the Velvet Room. If there was anyone that could tell them what was going on, it was Igor.

"Absolutely not Senpai." Naoto said, clutching his side tighter. Her voice was higher, as it tended to do when she was scared or stressed. "I thought I lost you. You need to go home and rest."

"Woah… Scientist really is a girl." Ann said. It earned a dirty look from Naoto. "Sorry!" she said backing up with both hands held up.

" _Please, Senpai. We don't want to lose you, not again."_ Naoto's Shadow looked up at Yu with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Yu nodded his head softly and closed his eyes. "Scientist," Yu was careful to keep using Naoto's codename. "I'm going to go talk to Igor. When I come back out, we'll go home. Let the others Infiltrate. They can be careful enough. I need answers to questions that can't wait."

"Then I'm going with." Akira said, taking a step forward, as though challenging Yu to say no.

But Yu didn't try to stop him. He bent down and lightly kissed Naoto's lips despite how embarassed she might be. He wanted to comfort her. "I'll be out in a second." he said before he moved away from the clinging arms of her and her Shadow. "Joker, think you can lend me a shoulder?" He leaned heavily on the sword for a bit.

Naoto gave him a look like she wanted to argue, but she closed her eyes and nodded. "Be safe. I know it will not take you two long."

Akira moved up to Yu's left and helped support Yu's weight. It was a lot more distributed than when Naoto had been doing it, given the only slight difference in height between Yu and Akira. The two hobbled together towards the Velvet Room and quickly unlocked the door, stepping on through to the other side.

Yu felt Akira's lack of assistance almost immediately and if it weren't for grabbing the sink on the wall of his 'cell' he would have likely spilled forward onto his face. Grunting, he forced himself to stand and push his way out of the cell.

"Yu, Akira, Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor greeted as was his custom. "How might I aid you two today?" Igor's countenance and demeanor changed when he saw Yu. "Justine." he said.

"Of course Master. Diarahan." Justine said, summoning a Persona and healing Yu. It did nothing for the tiredness, but his muscles didn't feel like he had put them through a meat grinder, and it didn't feel like he had been struck by lightning.

Yu was able to walk a little easier as he made his way in front of Igor. Akira joined him right beside Igor, the pair of them standing side by side. Yu looked at the Master of the Velvet Room for just a moment before he set his sword down to lean against the desk. Yu leaned in. He was just angry enough, just pissed enough, to forget all etiquette and where he was. "I just got my ass kicked by my Reflection. I had it steal my Persona from me, use them against me and Akira's friends. When I managed to break Izanagi-no-Okami free, it felt like I was summoning Izanagi for the first time all over again with nothing but exhaustion hitting me. Izanagi-no-Okami summoned lightning within another Person's inner world, their Palace, and once we reset the connection of our contract, I was able to summon my other Persona. I can feel them inside of me. Beelzebub, Yoshitsune, Trumpeter, Izanagi-no-Okami, Alice, Surt, Lucifer, Satan, I can feel them all." Yu inhaled as he looked to Igor. "I want some answers Igor. What is going on?"

"Who do you think you are?" Caroline asked, stomping her foot. "What makes you think you can come in here and demand things like that from the Master?"

Igor held a hand up towards Caroline. "It is quite alright dear." Igor turned his gaze towards the table, a flick of his fingers setting up for a reading. He flipped over the first card, the Tower. "I have attempted a number of readings, and they have all started with the Tower in the upright position. A disaster is to take place, one that is to shake the comfort of normality and truth that we have all built around ourselves." Igor said. He looked up to Yu and Akira. "A Reflection is… you. From the Reverse of the World. You are to never be able to interact with it, as this World, even the Metaverse, is to never be able to interact with the Reverse of the World. Fundamentally, you and your reflection are one and the same, but at the same time, you are not. It will be as strong as you, as smart as you, but where you would pick right at a fork in the path, he would pick left."

Igor touched the second card. "I have not looked at this card yet." He said. "I have not felt it was the time."

"We don't have time for Igor's For-" Yu cut Akira off with an elbow to the ribs.

The two Wild Cards looked at each other for a moment. "You're still getting use to Igor. He's vague, and speaks in half truths, but the Tarot readings are important."

Igor glanced up a the two a moment and set his hands on the table. "I am not allowed to speak of certain things." He said in a moment of purest honesty. "It is up to you, both of you, to determine the truth of the matter for yourself. Yu, you have experienced this. But by coming into the journey of another Fool, you have upset the balance of things. Yaldabaoth would have eventually been defeated, if Akira did not succumb to the temptations that life has to offer and continued on his path to break free of the chains of stigmatism that shackle him. The journey would have been fraught with danger, and there would be times that he would be interested in saving himself, even at the cost of others."

"Never." Akira said vehemently.

Igor smiled more at that. "Splendid. It means that your Judgement would very likely end most favorably." Igor turned his attention back to the cards, looking at the second one of the reading. Slowly, Igor flipped it over to reveal Death in the Upright Position. "Death. In the Upright. Catastrophe has come, and now a new door must be opened. Death brings about change to all."

"Not through actual death." Yu supplied for Akira's benefit.

"No, not at all through actual death." Igor agreed. "Izanagi-no-Okami is of the World Arcana." Igor told Yu. "And inside the Metaverse, that means he is… as on par with Yaldabaoth as one can get. He is able to express his powers and sculpt the surrounding area. Inside a Palace, against the express wishes of its owner, this could be impossible. But if no one is there to stop him, he would very well have the power to sculpt. That is not to say his power is infinite, Yu."

Yu nodded his head. Since at that time, Madarame had likely still been unaware of their Presence, Izanagi-no-Okami had been able to use its impressive power to reset their contract in a violent way. It had been the only way to purge Yu's Reflection from himself according to Izanagi-no-Okami. Yu's Reflection would have never done something that dangerous, he'd have simply banished the World Arcana from his Soul and made it anew.

"The Wheel of Fortune." Igor said as he flipped the third card. "Most fortunate indeed that it is also in the upright position. SImply good fortune, I would say. But take heed not to rely on fortune to see you both through your trials." The man shuffled the three cards back into the deck, and shuffled it with expert hands and long slender fingers. "This… Reflection of yourself didn't steal your Persona, Yu. It simply took what was already its to command. This is no fairy tale where the Wild Card is bestowed on only the good. This is no fairy tale where I only help those of benevolent dispositions. Had it been your Reflection to walk into my Velvet Room, I would have greeted him with all the courtesy a guest deserves." Igor stated, looking at Yu for a long time. "I would say by purging its influence from the sea of your soul, it awoke the suppressed Persona within you, waking them back up. I had expected you to have to purge them and simply bring them forth once more from the Compendium. That you have not... it speaks highly of your character, Yu Narukami." A hand was held up, forestalling Yu's question. "I cannot say why they went to sleep within you. Only you can answer that question."

Yu was quiet for a long time, watching Igor before he nodded his head. So it would seem that it was time for Igor's answers to cease.

"I have a question." Akira said. "How do we stop these Reflections from coming?" he asked.

Igor turned his gaze to Akira and gave a wide, toothy grin. "Simply stop what is allowing them to come through. Yaldabaoth is undoubtedly the cause, no longer having to sit in the shadows and pretend to be me. Before, he was content with the game that he was essentially winning, with Yu's interference, Yaldabaoth has changed the game, and thus the rules." he said. "That is your target, even as unready for him as the both of you are."

Yu winced at that. He had expected it, certainly, but for Igor to so blatantly say they were not ready was a bit of a twisting of the knife. Had Yu degraded so much since his time facing Izanami? He supposed so. It wasn't about training the body, but the mind, and demons still had their claws sank into Yu's psyche. But how did he go about expelling them? Naoto was extremely cathartic to talk to. But that was only one piece of the whole.

Alice would be surprisingly cathartic when he returned to Mementos. Yu just knew unleashing the Die For Me spell was going to take care of a lot of anger issues he might have buried deep.

Yu glanced at Akira. "I'm done here if you are." he said.

Akira glanced to Igor a moment. "Not quite yet." he said. "Head on back, I'll be along shortly."

Yu nodded his head and turned, walking out of the Velvet Room. He could see the others approaching, especially since he wasn't quite as heavily leaning on his sword. "Joker will be out shortly. I'm going home." He went over to Naoto and her Shadow and wrapped an arm around her. Her Shadow clung to his other side.

"Man, still can't believe there's somethin' going on here." Ryuji said, looking at the spot Yu had stepped from. "I mean, Joker's just standin' there an all."

"Yes, we thought the same of Senpai." Naoto admitted. "When I first joined, everyone assumed it was just something he did from time to time, so I did not question it. It was only after we were introduced to Margaret that we all began to see the doorway that Senpai went through. None of us could follow him through however."

Yu shook his head and gently squeezed Naoto. "Come on. I'm about ready to fall on my face." he said. The trio, including Naoto's Shadow, began to walk away, heading away from the front of the Palace.

Despite the distance to Yu's home within the Metaverse that was of Madarame's Palace, they walked there. There was no one to stop them, as Madarame's Palace had the only people, people lined up to view the museum. Not only that, but anyone within the Metaverse that wasn't a Persona user, a Shadow, or the 'King' of the Palace would have been a representation of a person and thus not real.

"Thank you for your help." Naoto told her Shadow.

" _You know you don't have to thank me."_ Her Shadow responded. " _For Senpai, I'd do anything, just as you would. He completes us and accepts us. Besides, I am you, you are me._ "

Naoto smiled and bowed her head a little bit. "Senpai," She said softly, glancing towards Yu after a moment. "You too should thank her. It hardly seems fair that I can get a kiss, but she cannot."

Yu looked surprised and a glance at Naoto's Shadow seemed to confirm that it was unexpected as well. " _You don't have to do that Senpai."_ The Shadow said, though blushed as Naoto did. " _I get the same kisses that she does."_

Yu glanced to Naoto a moment, then to her Shadow. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes _/Yes._ " He received two answers at the same time, though he had hardly discredited the idea of it happening.

Yu shook his head but he turned to face the Shadow properly. Really, Naoto told him it was okay, it was Naoto's Shadow, thus it was Naoto. And really, all he needed was a basic excuse to ever kiss Naoto. He gently grabbed the lab coat and pulled the Shadow in. He felt her squirm and saw her eyes widened. Of course she wasn't expecting it. Yu dipped his head in and kissed Naoto's Shadow on the lips.

He pulled back from the stunned Shadow a moment. "Thank you." he said. "You should probably return when we leave, I don't want something bad to happen to either of you should you still be seperate."

Naoto's Shadow nodded vigorously before she went back to combine with Naoto once more. Naoto took out her phone with a light chuckle as they headed inside Yu's home and tapped the button to return to the real world. "Thank you Yu-kun." she said once they were clear.

"For what?" Yu asked a bit curiously.

"For being faithful, for accepting me, for accepting my Shadow." Naoto said softly. "For coming back to me alive." She then grabbed him around the waist. "Come on, I know how tired you must be, let's get you to the couch, I'll make some easy dinner before bed."

Yu nodded his head. He did feel very tired. He knew he had to stay up at least long enough to see Akira and the others return before he could so easily go to bed. He practically collapsed onto the couch, wishing for a moment that he could pull Naoto in to snuggle. But she was right, they did need to eat something before bed. "Nao-chan?" he asked as he felt her pull away.

"Yes?" Naoto acknowledged before she headed towards the kitchen.

"How come you still have a Shadow?" Yu asked the question that was most recent on his mind. He heard the sound of water running in the kitchen, before a container being filled. Likely the coffee pot. He closed his eyes a bit, his head lulled back. He could have slept right there on the couch.

"I still repress those things." Naoto said simply. "When I work with the police, I still try to act as mature and masculine as I can, given the nature of male dominated workforce. But, you have helped me accept my Shadow. Just because I repress it, doesn't mean I reject it. She is still me, I am still her. But I have difficulty expressing those aspects of me out of habit. I might still dress a little more feminine with the others in Inaba, but even then, there is only so much I'm willing to do. I have not worn a skirt once around the others."

Yu nodded his head. He got the gist of it. Whether he remembered it or not was going to be the question. It wasn't much longer before Yu fell asleep.

 _Scene Break_

Akira pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought about the situation they were in. It had been several days since Yu's Reflection, for that was what they were calling it until a better name came along. That first day they had pushed through Madarame's Palace. Security had been a little tighter, but they made do, and they kept pushing.

Ryuji even had the bright, and even brilliant, idea of using held up Shadows to call in an all clear in their area. Of course, they had to quietly dispatch all but one of the Shadows in the area for that to work before ambushing the last one, but it did make the security seem to grow more lax.

They had hit a snag in the form of an impregnable door about halfway to the treasure. Morgana had come up with the plan. Apparently, the door existed inside the real world, and was never opened. If the real Madarame ever saw the door opened, then the door inside his Palace would open in return as well.

Simple enough plan, one that Akira could get behind. Only problem was, only one of them was invited into Madarame's home to get to that door, that one person being Ann, and only on the condition that she do nude modelling for Yusuke.

They were all at Yu's house on a Saturday after school, the only exception being Naoto who, due to Police Work, had been out of school that day as well. They were currently trying to come up with a plan in regards to how to buy Morgana enough time to pick the lock on the door. He was certainly confident about it, All of that without getting into any more trouble than they already were with both Madarame and Yusuke Kitagawa.

"No way!" Ann said loudly. The only, not so inconsiderable, snag in the plan was Ann herself. They were pitching ideas of course, Ryuji even recommended she tried wearing a ton of clothes to buy time with. It was a stupid idea in Akira's opinion, and he was glad that Ann seemed to be thinking so as well.

Yu had supplied some food and drinks for them to munch on to get re-energized after school. Akira and Ryuji would be going in to make certain the door inside the Palace didn't just close up again once Madarame closed and locked the door on the outside of the Metaverse. Akira sipped at the soda he had, letting the sweet taste tickle his tongue, they had to come up with some kind of idea.

The front door was opened and shut rather firmly. Not harshly, but enough it caught some attention. "Arrogant, ostentatious, attention-seeking, braggart!" Naoto said rather loudly as she took her shoes off at the front door. "And they think he is on par with a Shirogane!"

Yu got up from the table and went to the kitchen. Akira decided to sip his drink a bit more, not wanting to step on that landmine. "Rough day at work Naoto-kun?" Yu asked. It was something that Akira had picked up on. Any time that Naoto was dressed as a boy, Yu used the masculine suffix. Akira had never heard Naoto called with the '-chan' suffix.

He had taken to calling her Senpai just so he didn't accidently say the wrong thing.

"Goro Akechi is the problem." Naoto said venomously. She came in and actually drew up short at the sight of the Phantom Thieves. "Ah… Apologies, I did not realize that we had company. You should not have seen me lose composure like that." Her voice deepened, likely a subconscious thing at people she didn't necessarily trust with the knowledge of her being a woman. Akira didn't mind. She didn't look at him like he was a delinquent at least.

"Tell me about Akechi-san." Yu said as he came out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee, placing it at the spot he had just vacated at the low sitting table. Akira watched the sleuth maneuver herself to the empty spot and sit down, almost rigidly before taking a drink.

"Later. If a meeting is being held, then it's important." Naoto said as she took a drink of the coffee, giving a soft sigh.

Akira sighed. "Madarame has a door we can't bypass in his Palace. It apparently correlates with a real life door that Madarame perceives as being unopenable, so the door in his Palace can't ever be opened. The only one of us," He motioned to Ann, himself, and Ryuji, "That is even allowed near that door is Ann. And Madarame has to see it open, long enough for a team that's inside his Palace to make sure the door inside doesn't close back up again. The issue is… Yusuke Kitagawa, Madarame's Pupil, wants Ann to pose nude."

"Hell no!" Ann said vehemently.

"Which she has made us well aware of is not an option." Akira said, looking to the Detective. "I had been hoping that we could do this today since we are slowly running out of time as is."

Naoto took a sip of her coffee, apparently mulling over the facts that were being offered. "And none of you have thought of the simple solution to this?" She asked after a moment.

"There's a simple solution?" Ann asked, looking hopeful. "I mean, I know I model for a hobby, but I don't want to be seen naked, especially if Madarame's going to be taking credit for the work." She shuddered.

Akira could admit he had not thought of that. It would very likely ruin any dignity that Ann would have, especially after the rumors with Kamoshida. Even with Kamoshida confessing, there were a few whispers every now and then that it had been a stunt of some kind Ann orchestrated.

While not necessarily wrong, the reasons they were using were much more twisted.

"Appeal to his sense of artistry." Naoto said.

"I'm not modelling nude for him!" Ann said, clearly taking what Naoto said as going for it.

"I'm not saying you are going to." Naoto shot back. "He is a pupil, not a master of his art. If he wishes to see you model nude, then he will have to produce something that could capture your beauty. If he wishes for it to be you, then he will have to take to drawing you dressed instead of naked. It is a matter of comfort. If he can show himself to be professional, if he can show himself to do quality work, then you will model naked for him. Naturally, it is all a ruse, but it should buy Morgana time."

Akira began to understand then. "Dangle the carrot in front of his nose, but not actually give it to him."

"I'm sorry, what?" Ryuji asked, clearly not exactly understanding.

Akira stood up. "Come on Ryuji, we're heading into Madarame's Palace. Ann, we're counting on you."

"Wait, what? Oh man, we're doing it today?"

"I will go with." Naoto offered. "This way it won't be just you and Morgana."

"I'll stay here." Yu said. "A smaller team will be easier to move. While Naoto-kun should be able to smooth things over with Kitagawa-san, I do not think my being there will help any either."

Akira nodded and headed towards the front door. He activated the Meta-Nav for Madarame's Palace. Through some trial and error, they had been able to determine it wasn't going to just yank anyone in, so they were safe to use it. It however, could pull in other Persona users if they weren't cautious. It was why Yu had been sucked in the first time.

Igor had also been gracious enough to include a limiter to the number of people. So, Akira could put in that he was taking two people, himself and Ryuji, and it would only grab them both. Yaldabaoth had no qualms about letting multiple people, even those uninitiated to things, get pulled in.

Once on the other side, the pair made a quick jog over towards Madarame's Palace. The followed their infiltration route towards the lasers that had surrounded the impregnable door. Akira took to a position in the shadows, with Ryuji moving nearby.

"Psst. Joker." Ryuji whispered.

"What?" Akira asked.

"Got a minute to talk?"

Akira looked over to Ryuji for a moment. "Really Skull?" He asked in a flat tone. He shook his head. But it could be important. "We got nothing but time right now, just stay alert for Shadows, and the door." He said, perhaps a little more cooly than he should have.

Ryuji moved over, holding the bat he used for a melee weapon. "What do you think of Scientist?" he asked after a moment. "I mean… that she's actually a girl and all."

Akira sighed. "Really? That's what you want to talk about? We're in the manifested twisted desires of someone's heart, surrounded by potentially lethal shadows without backup this time, in front of an impregnable door that our teammates are going to try and open in the real world, which could very likely end up with them getting in trouble, and you're asking about the gender identity of someone?"

Ryuji winced. "Well, it's just there's so little time to really talk." he said. He tapped his booted foot on the ground a moment before speaking again. "Plus, I'm not good with this sort of thing." He actually admitted. "You want me to beat somethin' up? I'm game. You want me to run a couple kilometers? I'm your partner. But…" Ryuji struggled for a moment, and Akira turned, giving the blonde boy his attention a little fully. "Look, I'm not smart like you are. You got the top grade of our year. Me, I scraped together a pass, and was near the bottom of those that did pass. And that's because you took the time after Kamoshida to sit down with me and help me out, help me study. I thought I could be better if I took some cues from you, alright? But I'm not good with these sorts of things, and you prolly already broke down everythin' you need to about Scientist. Help me out man, help me work through this on my own."

Akira crossed his arms a moment, thinking for a bit. "This isn't just about impressing Panther, is it?" he asked.

Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "A little?" He admitted. "I mean, I've known her so long, and she's gorgeous to boot. But it's also about bein' better for my mom, you feel me? Like, she apologized to me and all. Apologized for being a single mom. How fucked is that? I'm the bad son."

Akira frowned a moment. He grabbed Ryuji's shoulder and pulled him down, tucking into the shadows a bit while a pair of guards walked on by. Their escapades had not gone unnoticed, but Security was still light. He'd rather keep it that way. He watched the pair of Shadows before letting go of Ryuji and standing up more.

It really wasn't the time for the conversation, but Akira knew that it was a conversation that needed to be had. Akira decided to address something first. "Skull, you're not a bad kid. You're impulsive." he said honestly. Akira wasn't just going to sugar coat things with his friends. He was going to tell them the truth, whether they wanted to hear it or not. And judging by the way Ryuji winced, the blonde knew it. "As to your mom apologizing, did you tell her it wasn't her fault? Did you try apologizing to her?"

Ryuji tapped his toes against the ground. "No. No I didn't. I was just kinda… dumbstruck by it. But… what do I have to apologize for?" he asked.

Akira looked at him though. "Figure it out. We have time for you to do so."

"It can't be for being a bad son." Ryuji said softly. "That goes without sayin', But you're talkin' about apologizing for something bigger than that." Akira knew Ryuji was smart enough to work through it. "Should I apologize for not thinking?" he asked.

Akira nodded his head. "That's a good start Skull. But you have to mean it. You have to mean it, understand it."

Ryuji scratched the back of his neck. "So… by taking that swing at Kamoshida… I basically reacted and didn't think things through. But I'd have taken that swing anyways."

Akira shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. We both know you taking that swing was well deserved. But I bet you never even mentioned to your mom about how Kamoshida was talking like that. Have you told her how much she means to you because of your situation? We're similar in that regard, it was just my mom and I for a long time, and now I'm here in Shibuya because of something stupid. But you gotta show your mom that you care."

Ryuji nodded his head and scratched the back of his neck again. "Alright, thanks Joker. But what about Scientist?"

"Think about Scientist's job. She's a Detective. It's a male oriented profession." Akira said. "She has her reasons for hiding, but it's none of my business. Though if you ask me, I'm pretty sure she's in a relationship with Fool."

"No doubt about that. Did you see that kiss before he went into the Velvet Room place with you?" Ryuji commented.

Akira did. And it was a good piece of blackmail if it ever came up. He swatted Ryuji's stomach. "Look alive. The lasers are coming down." While the conversation was far from over, it was time to get to work regardless. They didn't know how long they had.

Ryuji punched a hand into the other. "Alright, go Panther." he said. The pair then headed in to make sure the doors stayed open. Akira knew that things weren't perfect, but he hoped that with time, Ryuji would be able to make a better person out of himself.

 _Scene Break_

Ann was extremely grateful that Naoto was coming with her. She had already messaged Yusuke about modeling. She was nervous about it and it was causing her fingers to fidget and squirm together. When she had mentioned to Akira about strengthening her heart, she had never really anticipated doing something like this, but she thought it might be required, in the now, to do so to give herself a little bit more bravery to do other things in the future.

She really didn't want to have to go with Ryuji's idea of putting on a bunch of clothes. It just sounded horrible, stupid, and how was she honestly to get inside like that? Yusuke wasn't stupid and was going to see through the ruse and know she really didn't intend to get naked. Though, with what Naoto was recommending, she wasn't certain it would be able to work either.

Still, the pair of girls made it to Madarame's Residence and Ann went to ring the buzzer. "Kitagawa-kun, it's me." Ann said, trying not to let her anxiety take hold in her voice. "I brought someone with though, not one of the other boys." She said, not wanting to surprise Yusuke with Naoto.

The door opened to reveal Yusuke. He took a hard glance at Naoto a moment before he opened the door wider. "I did not expect you to show." Yusuke said, turning to face Ann a bit more. "Though I do appreciate that you did not bring those uncouth boys here again, I was expecting you to be alone."

"Well… that is…" Ann hesitated.

Naoto stepped forward though. "Naoto Shirogane, I recently transferred into Shibuya's Shujin Academy." she said calmly, her voice deep and professional. "Ann and I have hit it off rather well, well enough that she asked me to accompany her since her usual compatriots are not welcome here under deserved circumstances. I'm also to help her convey her feelings since this is a delicate matter." Naoto's words were well spoken and even diplomatic to a point. "She has a lot of anxiety on this matter, and doesn't wish to insult you or your work so is hesitant to say it outloud." Ann almost bristled at that, but the fact of the matter was that Naoto wasn't exactly wrong either. "So, to be as transparent as possible, you won't be painting Ann nude today."

Yusuke looked a taken back, eyes wide and even leaning back from the rather blunt, straight forward, and polite statement. "Why not?" He asked, glancing between the two girls.

"You are a student, Kitagawa-san." Naoto said simply. "Not a master artist like your Sensei. I cannot speak for your talent, and neither can Ann. Would you trust the brush of an amateur to paint something so important? Or would you like to know that the one behind the brush is capable of capturing both the good and bad?"

Ann couldn't believe how smoothly this was going. She liked to think she had some skills in acting, but Naoto was spinning this spiel like it was well rehearsed. And by the look on Yusuke's face, it looked like he was buying it too. "Of course!" he said. "You're absolutely right. In Takamaki-san's eyes, I must appear terribly inexperienced." He really was buying it.

Ann decided to try and roll with it. "It doesn't have to be anything special, but just something that will show your skill and passion."

"Come in, come in, both of you. You are absolutely correct. And for such a painting, everything has to be perfect." Yusuke said, already stepping inside the humble shack.

Ann stepped in and took her shoes off before stepping up onto the floor. She noticed Naoto do the same. The pair moved deeper into the house, though by the stairs she bent down and let Morgana out of her purse. She watched the cat pad his way up the stairs with a hairpin in his mouth. Ann didn't miss the way that Naoto clenched her fingers, as though the illicit action bothered her. Not that Ann blamed the sleuth. The entire act they were going through was very… questionable.

Ann followed Yusuke into his studio once more. She took her place on the stool and breathed a bit, trying to get into the right headspace for it. Sure, she modeled, but that was more a hobby than anything. Something like this was almost intimate, would be intimate if she had to pose nude.

Which she was still vehemently denying at all costs.

Naoto went and took one of the chairs that the boys had sat in their prior visit. "Ann," Naoto said after a moment. "Try to relax as you would for one of your shoots. When you are at your most natural is generally when someone will get the best side of you. Is that not another reason that you didn't want to do a nude drawing right away? You need to let yourself be comfortable with Kitagawa-san in a professional manner."

Ann nodded a moment and took a moment, inhaling. She leaned back a bit, hands on her knees to keep her supported forward so she didn't drop off the back of the stool. She put her feet down and moved her hands to her thighs and just let her mind wander. Eventually she felt a smile grace her lips. For just a moment, she wasn't in Yusuke's studio space. She did the same thing she would do with the cameramen of the modeling company, but this was different.

She wasn't Ann Takamaki the model, she wasn't the blonde girl at school, she wasn't Panther of the Phantom Thieves, she was just… Ann. It was liberating in a sense. She usually only brought this out with Shiho. She was going to miss her friend, but she decided to look at it as a new chapter in their friendship. She'd still get to see the other girl after school as work and studies allowed too.

"Marvelous." Yusuke said, though his voice sounded distant to Ann.

"Focus Kitagawa-san. Do not worry about making it extravagant, simply follow your heart." Naoto told the boy.

Ann lost track of the time that she had been sitting as still as possible for Yusuke. But she jolted out of it when she heard her name being called in a particular manner. "Lady Ann," There was a sharp whisper and Ann cut her eyes towards the door. Was Morgana already done?

"Do you hear a cat?" Yusuke asked, glancing up from the work he was doing.

"I didn't hear anything." Ann said. "Do you mind if we take a breather? My legs need to stretch."

"Oh! Of course!" Yusuke said. "We can reconvene in a few minutes."

Ann stood up and stretched herself out. If it had been Ryuji there, she would have worried about the pervert's eyes moving along her curves. As it was just Naoto, who she was confident was a straight woman, and Yusuke, she didn't really have to worry. Though, Yusuke might have looked, but he seemed engrossed in what he had been working on.

She stepped out of the studio, taking a second to spot Morgana and beginning to walk that way. The door opened a second time and Naoto stayed in the room. She then turned at the stairs. "Kitagawa-kun, what's up here?" Ann asked curiously. She was curious as to the door, so she made her way up the stairs. She wanted to see what Morgana was talking about for experience sake.

"No, wait!" Yusuke came rushing out. "That's just a storage area for old paintings" he said as he followed Ann up the stairs

"Yusuke, I'm home." Madarame called out. Ann hastened her footsteps a little bit since she had to draw the older artist to the door, soon coming to the door that was standing partially ajar with the lock off of it.

Yusuke came up after her"Takamaki-san, please, it's just an old storage room, only Sensei has the key." He explained. "I can't open it."

"But I'm so curious." Ann decided to turn on the airhead act a little bit. She turned the small corner and actually slipped inside the darkness of the room a little bit.

Yusuke followed her. "Takamaki-san, please…. huh?" He was confused as he saw the door was opened.

"Yusuke are you up here?" Madarame asked. He came up the stairs slowly, moving towards the doorway. He saw that the door he kept locked was wide open. "What are you doing there?!" He demanded.

"It's not what it looks like." Yusuke said, trying to plead with his Sensei.

Ann reached out and grabbed Yusuke by the arm and hauled him in through the door. She ignored his words about it being bad as she reached around, finding the pull chain. "Are these the lights?" she asked as she gave it a pull. She gasped at what she saw. She even heard Yusuke give a confused muttering.

There were dozens of them. Replicas of the Sayuri painting, the portrait that Madarame had gained acclaim with.

Ann noticed that Yusuke looked conflicted, confused. Ann didn't blame him. The passion that Yusuke spoke with whenever he talked about the Sayuri was inspiring. To see it so blatantly replicated and ripped off, she was concerned. "Why are there so many of them?" She asked confused.

"I have no idea." Yusuke said, even as he straightened up. But something about his tone said he might know more than he let on.

"Get out!" Madarame said loudly as he came into the room. Ann could see in his coal dark eyes that he was angry.

"Sensei, what is the meaning of this?" Yusuke asked. "All these portraits of Sayuri, there has to be dozens of them."

Madarame closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. For just a moment, Ann thought he might be showing regret, but then she had seen the Palace within his heart. It was a disgusting place for the greedy to show their true colors. "I suppose I can't keep quiet now that you've seen this…" Madarame said, sounding almost broken. "Truth be told, I'm in severe debt."

Ann doubted it. With as many portraits of students he had within his palace that represented the students he had, who knew how much money he made from plagiarizing their works.

"I handmade these Sayuri copies and have been selling them through a special connection of mine. It is not something I take pride in as an artist." Madarame even managed to sound broken up about it.

"But why…?" Yusuke asked, sounding grief stricken. He was buying into his Sensei's act.

"The real Sayuri was stolen… by one of my pupils long ago. I assume they begrudged my strictness. Not everyone is as talented as you are Yusuke. That moment was quite a shock for me… Since then, I've been mired in a terrible artist's block. Because of this distress, some of my pupils handed their ideas over to me from time to time."

Ann had to give the man credit, he could spin words of honey and make it sound like he had done nothing wrong but attempt to survive. But Ann looked towards Yusuke before at the easel that was covered up. Something about it was begging attention.

"I knew I couldn't keep that up, so I attempted to recreate the Sayuri a number of times. However, it resulted in nothing more than replicas. That's when someone came to buy the paintings, knowing full well that they weren't the original. It's all my fault, I couldn't pay the price of being famous. As expectations for me rose, it reached a point where I had no choice but to keep making them. I needed money… to further your talents… I ask that you please forgive your cowardly teacher."

"Please… don't…" Yusuke said, taking a few steps forward. He looked like he was a kicked puppy.

"Hang on…" Ann said, she refused to let this man try and brow beat Yusuke into his scheme. "If the original painting got stolen, how did you make copies of it?" she asked. There was no way in hell he could have made so many copies of it without the original. Even a talented artist would have difficulties painting every detail exactly. Even the original artist would have difficulty making every single detail just right

"I… happened to find a finely detailed photograph of it in an artbook." Madarame said, sounding almost surprised she had asked. But Ann didn't need to be Naoto to see through that lie.

"So, you managed to sell copies of a photo of the original? I'm not sure how this works, but… Don't people who buy paintings have a keen eye for the fine arts?" Someone like that would be able to tell it was a copy in an instant. And then they would come looking for their money, very likely, as Sayuri was a very highly priced portrait.

"What would you know?" Madarame asked venomously.

"Lady Ann," Ann heard Morgana give a soft whisper, as soft as possible. "This one seems different."

As Ann suspected, the covered easel was something to look into. She turned and grabbed the purple silk, pulling it off to reveal another portrait of Sayuri.

"Sayuri…?" Yusuke sounded confused, shocked, disappointed, and more all in one. Ann hated for him to find out this way, but if it was how it was going to happen, then so be it. He came up beside her. "This… this is the real Sayuri!" Yusuke said. Ann figured he would know, he had taken to studying it so intently. "But you just said a moment ago that the real one was stolen." Yusuke said, turning to his Sensei.

"That's a replica." The look on Madarame's face was not a pleasant one. It almost scared Ann.

"No! It is nothing of the sort!" Yusuke argued. "This painting kept me going, it's the reason I made it this far. I could spot the real one from the fake. Sensei, don't tell me…" Yusuke sounded like his heart was breaking, and Ann could feel for him.

"It's fake. A counterfeit, I heard someone was a counterfeit circulating about and bought it." Madarame said. But it came too fast, like he was grasping at straws as they continued to use logic against the man.

"Bullshit." Ann said. She usually reserved such harsh words for someone like Ryuji to use, but in this instance she couldn't hold back.

"You're lying Sensei." Yusuke said, shaking his head. "Please, just tell us the truth." He beseeched his mentor.

"You too?" Madarame asked. He shook his head and pulled his cell phone out, holding it up. "I've reported you to my private security company." he said.

Ann's eyes went wide. "What?!" she screeched.

"I had it set up to deal with some problematic paparazzi, but I never thought it'd come in so handy." Madarame said, closing his eyes. He almost sounded smug.

"Please, wait, we can talk about this." Yusuke tried saying.

"You can talk all you want to the police. That includes you, Yusuke." Madarame managed to sound disappointed. Ann wanted to move over and punch him in the face.

"Lady Ann, we need to go!" Morgana said before bolting from the room.

Ann followed swiftly behind it, hearing Madarame call out about there being no point, she heard Yusuke calling her name, but she ran regardless. The commotion had apparently spurred Naoto towards the front door, apparently understanding what was going on. Ann managed to slip her shoes on and head out after Naoto.

Ann flipped her phone up and brought the Meta-Nav up. "Madarame, Shack, Museum." she said. In her haste, she forgot to narrow down the parameters more, but she was having to move, forgot to make sure it wouldn't grab anyone else. She just hoped that Akira and Ryuji had managed to do the rest.

The world distorted around them. And then suddenly she was falling through the air, even as her clothes became the tight red catsuit and mask. "Noo!" she cried out as she began to fall, but saw a white blur beside her, moving past.

"Ngh!" Yusuke landed hard on the ground, managing to catch her in his arms, wincing a bit. She watched as he started to get up only for Morgana to knock him in the head and drive him to a knee. Ann felt his hand slide to her butt and reacted.

"Let go!" She pushed him back onto his back.

She wished her entrance had been half as good as Naoto's. The sleuth landed into a roll and came up on one knee, revolver drawn and sweeping the area. But as she looked at Yusuke Kitagawa, hearing Mona's cries of pain, Ann knew she was likely to get ripped into about carelessness.

She winced a bit. Oh this wasn't going to be good. Either to explain, or the verbal lashing Naoto was likely to give. Maybe she could deflect it a little bit by trying to figure out where Naoto had been when she was dealing with Madarame?

Maybe there was a bit of hope for her.

Chapter End

 **A/N: So… Let's talk a little bit. The base idea for the Reflections is mine. If there's anything akin to it within the Persona series as a whole, or the Shin Megami Tensei series as a whole, I don't know about it. It was just something I wanted to throw in. The rules of the game had to change, Yu has forced Yaldabaoth to act outside the pre-planned plot of Persona 5. So… with that in mind, I decided to plumb the depths of my mind, and came out with the idea of a Reflection.**

 **Shadows: These are still connected to the person in question. They represent the suppressed and even twisted desires of an individual. They can be reasoned with, they can be accepted.**

 **Reflections: These are completely separate from the person in question. They represent the alternative path taken. Yu Narukami is a stand up guy, bit quiet. Yu's reflection is a loud mouthed asshole who is unrepentant about it. These cannot be accepted. They are fundamentally different from the person in question.**

 **Think about in reality. Your Shadow moves as you do. It is always there, always, and while silly to say it, you can touch it. You can touch the surface it is on. Your reflection on the other hand, you can only see in a Mirror, you cannot touch your reflection because you just end up touching the glass it is on, and it moves in the opposite way you do. Sure, logically we know that when we raise our right hand, our reflection is technically raising its right hand, but thinking about its positioning, it's raising its left hand. Which hand would that be for an actual person?**

 **Weird ass half manic explanations aside… No, it was not Yu's Shadow.**

 **Everyone thought it was, but then this series is known for them, and it could have technically happened. But an option of 'it's from the author's brain' should have been accepted as well. Now, I've just finished the rough draft, it's time to go back and work on it. I wasn't happy with the ending because it's almost word for word from the game. I'm better than that. And I wasn't happy with the fight or in story explanations for the Reflection.**

 **But hey… finally hit that 10k mark for a chapter like I promised back in chapter 1.**


	8. Chapter 8: The Truth of an Artist

Chapter 8: The Truth of an Artist and the Talk of Fools

Naoto slowly got up to her feet and put her revolver away. She pulled her jacket over it, making sure it was properly concealed. The fact of the matter was that they were still in Madarame's Palace, but there was, at present, no need to have her gun out. Instead, she took stock of the situation that she found herself in. It was not pretty, and she desperately wanted Yu to be there. He and Akira seemed to connect rather well, enough that the two leaders could actually make headway in dealing with issues and conflicts between the two sides. She tried to be better at it, but, as someone had once pointed out, she had a tin ear.

And the presence of Yusuke Kitagawa within the Palace of Madarame was definitely an issue to be had. When the Phantom Thieves had pulled her lover into Kamoshida's Palace, they had been lucky. Yu was skilled in kendo at the very least without taking into account of what they had gone through in Inaba. The Shadows they encountered were no more dangerous than the ones in Yukiko's Castle.

Yusuke Kitagawa was no combatant. He had no Persona, he had no weapons, he held no martial skills to the best of her knowledge. He had no way of defending himself. He was a liability. She pinched the bridge of her nose slightly, trying to think of something. Yu was better at it, but she was no slouch either. It just seemed like she had always been a half step behind the Investigation Team because she didn't have all the facts.

She made her way over towards the Phantom Thieves and Yusuke. She inhaled a moment. "We'll need to talk later." she said. And given the wince from Ann, she had a feeling the blonde girl knew what their talk would inevitably be about. Good, she wanted Ann to realize that she had made a mistake. An innocent life was in danger at the moment because of Ann's thoughtlessness.

Had Naoto been a half second faster, this would have been avoided.

"Who… are you all?" Yusuke asked after a moment. He looked confused, more so than ever.

"Calm down Kitagawa-kun, it's me." Ann said as gently as she could.

"Takamaki-san… then you two would be…"

Akira moved and held a hand out to help Yusuke up. "Yeah, we were with her that one time." The boy said.

"What is this place?" Yusuke asked. He glanced about to the gaudy interior.

Naoto pulled her revolver. "Later." she said. "We should move and extract as quickly as possible. Kitagawa-san is a liability and security has to be getting tight."

"Agreed." Akira said thankfully.

Naoto stepped up beside the artist. "You're with me, stick to me like glue." she said. "The others will clear a path forward for us."

"Where are we?" Yusuke asked, stressing it a bit more.

Naoto glanced to him. "We're inside Madarame's heart, a representation of the shack that you both live in. We'll explain more in detail later, but we need to move." she said a bit more forcefully.

Akira nodded his head and checked his pistol before moving to the hallways, not exactly running but definitely moving at a quicker pace. Naoto was quick to follow, and glad that Yusuke could follow orders. But he was looking around at everything.

"This is Sensei's heart?" he whispered, more to himself than asking of someone else. "This… gaudy gilded monument to greed?"

Naoto sushed the other boy and pushed him into a wall as Akira and the others ducked into the shadows. A pair of guards walked by and Naoto kept her revolver carefully trained on them. But Akira eventually gave the all clear and they moved forward again, with Naoto carefully keeping an eye out.

Yusuke almost collapsed at a wall, retching but not quite vomiting. The weight of the Metaverse was wearing on him. Naoto pulled a can of soda from her pack and popped it open, passing it over to him. "Drink. The sugar will help." she said.

Yusuke took it and took a deep gulp of it. "I apologize. I don't know what came over me."

Naoto shook her head. "Don't worry about it, it happens to everyone." she said before she peered around the corner as the Phantom Thieves began moving. She motioned Yusuke up a bit more. She was tempted to give him her revolver, to handle everything else with Yamato Sumeragi, but she was hesitant to give up the comforting weight of the revolver.

"Ah… Shirogane-san… can I ask you something?" Yusuke asked.

"Later." Naoto said a bit more firmly than she intended to. "We're not safe here."

They came to a gallery of pictures and Yusuke's pace slowed a bit. "This… vain museum is inside Sensei's heart?" He asked. "Truly, Shirogane-san?"

"Yes." Naoto said as she checked around the pillars, making sure a Shadow wasn't in hiding before she waved him up. She wished he wouldn't ask so many questions.

Yusuke leaned against one of the glass containers in the next hallway, retching again as he held his stomach. When he looked up, his eyes widened. "This… painting…" he said surprised.

"Do you recognize it?" Ann asked, moving back towards the pair a bit. "We were thinking these might be his past pupils or something."

"But why are there paintings of them?" Yusuke asked.

"They're the pupils themselves, or at least how Madarame views them." Morgana said. "Can we please move on?" he asked.

The group moved on, with Naoto bringing up the rear behind Yusuke. She kept sweeping the area, making sure that there was nothing that was tailing them. It took some doing, but they made it to the front exhibit area, they were almost outside.

Shadows erupted in the doorway, cutting off the pass. Naoto was about to open fire when laughter was heard behind them. She spun around with her revolver to aim at two more Shadows, and Madarame's Shadow. Dressed in a gaudy gold kimono with white stage makeup on his face and his hair drawn into an ostentatious hairstyle.

" **Welcome to the museum of the Master Artist Madarame** " The Shadow bellowed boastfully, tilting his head back in a smug grin.

"Huh?" Yusuke asked, sounding completely confused. "Sensei…? Is that you? That… attire…"

"Disgusting." Ann said.

"It's his Shadow. It is him, his twisted desires taken form." Naoto said.

"This… this is all one big lie, isn't it?" Yusuke asked taking a half step forward towards it.

" **My usual ragged attire is nothing more than an act**." Madarame sounded disgusted and sneered. " **Besides, a famous man of my stature living in that dump of a shack? I have another three homes, each under a different mistress' name of course"**

"I'm almost impressed." Akira said in a boring tone as he kept his hand on the handle of his gun. Naoto had to give the leader credit, he could deliver words in a way that Yu had been able to.

" **Ha! How Naive of you**!" Madarame declared.

"If the Sayuri was stolen, why was it in the storage room?" Yusuke asked, desperate to make sense of this craziness. "And if you had the real one, why make copies? If it is really you Sensei, please tell me." He sounded on the verge of tears.

" **Foolish child, you still don't see?** " Madarame asked in a bored tone. " **It being stolen was a false rumor! A perfect staging. How does this sound as a sales pitch? 'I found the real painting, but it can't go public. You can have it at a special price.' Art snobs eat it all up and pay excellent cash for the portrait.** "

"No." Yusuke said falling to one knee. The shock and the exhaustion of this place had begun to get to him as he breathed heavier.

" **The worth of art is subjective, it is a legitimate business transaction.** " Madarame said, brushing what he had done off. " **I merely made the price of the transaction more in my favor. Though, I doubt a brat like you can fully appreciate such a brilliant scheme.** "

Ryuji stepped forward, bringing his bat up. "You keep going on and on about money. No wonder you have this disgusting museum."

"You're supposed to be an artist!" Ann said. "Aren't you ashamed of plagiarizing others' work?"

Madarame shook his head. " **Pride? Is that what you are going on about? Art is nothing but a tool. A tool to gain wealth and fame. And Yusuke has helped me greatly.** "

"But what about the people that believe in you? Who think you are a master artist?" Yusuke pleaded, as though trying to get through to his Sensei.

Naoto knew it was pointless. The Shadow was the representation of how Madarame really felt. And while she was highly tempted to take a shot, she had a Shadow eyeing her up from within arm's reach at the side. She was having a standoff with it. She had Madarame in her sights, but if she took the shot, then the Shadow was going to attack.

Plus, Yusuke needed to hear his Sensei's truth.

" **I'll tell you this alone, Yusuke.** " Madarame said. His tone went benign, as though he was about to offer some sage like wisdom. " **If you rise against me, you will never succeed as an artist. I will have your name thrown to the wolves in a heartbeat. Do you believe anyone could find success with my objection holding them down?** "

"To think… I was under the care of this wretched… vile… greedy man…" Yusuke said.

" **You thought I took you in out of the goodness in my heart?** " Madarame scoffed. " **Plucking talented artists with troubles allows me to find promising pupils and take their ideas for my own. Who's going to argue? Certainly not some brat that can't fight back.** "

"I can't believe this." Yusuke hung his head. Naoto imagined it was difficult. To find out he was only being used as another meal ticket.

" **Livestock are killed for their hide and meat, you are my livestock, your work my hide and meat. It is not different.** " Madarame said.

Yusuke closed his eyes and Naoto could see him tense. "You… are unforgivable." he said. "It doesn't matter who you are, or what you have done for me, I will not forgive you!" Yusuke said, forcing his body to stand. An impressive feat given he looked ready to keel over.

" **Men, dispose of these thieves!** " Madarame ordered.

Naoto pulled the revolver back and turned, sliding to one knee and ducking under the swing of the Shadow that advanced on her. Two pulls of the trigger caused the Shadow to disperse quickly. She turned to try and get another bead on Madarame.

Yusuke's laughing caused her to look in his direction though. "It seems the truth is stranger than fiction…" Yusuke said, closing his eyes. "I wanted to believe it wasn't true, I had clouded my vision for far too long… But no more… My blind eyes were unable to see the true self of this one horrible man." Naoto could feel something building inside of Yusuke. A Persona?

Yusuke clenched at his head practically writhing in the air until he collapsed onto his hands and knees. She watched him painfully drag his nails along the floor, blood staying along the ground. A white and red fox like mask appeared on his face, so similar to the masks of the others. Naoto took careful watch over this event. It was an important one to witness. Yu had not seen Akira and the others transform.

"Very well…" Yusuke said, reaching up to the mask. "Come, Goemon!" He violently wrenched the mask off his face, spraying blood into the air before flames erupted from the wound and engulfed him. His Persona rose behind him as his clothes changed. It was some large almost kabuki dancer esque thing, and Naoto could feel the cold play across her skin. "Imitations they may be, but together they make a breathtaking spectacle." Yusuke said. "Though the flowers of evil blossom, be it known… Abominations are fated to perish!" With a wave of his hand, his Persona swiped out its hand in time with Yusuke's motions and blasted the Shadows back with a wave of cold.

Naoto took in his new clothes. White boots, a black and white jacket with a high collar unzipped to just below his clavicles, with matching black pants and a white fox tail hanging from his belt. Naoto wondered how the clothes were chosen. It hardly looked like this… Goemon.

" **Where are my guards?!** " Madarame demanded. " **Kill them all!** " More guards spawned forth and Naoto moved to the side, taking a shot at the man. She was glad to see him stagger back, holding his shoulder and looking her way venomously.

More Shadows came forward rushing for the group of Phantom Thieves.

"I will bring you to justice for your crimes!" Yusuke declared.

"Let's see what you're made of." Akira said, stepping up beside Yusuke quickly as the room flooded with Shadows.

Naoto turned and unloaded her last three rounds, making the cylinder pop out to the left with practiced ease and the brass falling out. She pulled a speed loader and slotted the six new rounds in, snapping the rounds back in with a flick of her wrist.

She was able to help with the smaller Shadows while the group fought off the other group. She slammed her revolver into the tarot card for the Wheel of Fortune that popped up. "Megidolaon!" she declared, slamming the blast into the group of Shadows. Madarame was even caught in it and stumbled back into his gaudy center piece.

Akira and the others took advantage, and as Naoto had suspected, Yusuke's Persona was one that dealt with Ice Damage. He looked like he went to grab for something, like a sword, but apparently didn't have the equipment for it and had to back off, swearing some as he did so.

Yusuke took three steps towards Madarame before falling to his hands and knees.

" **You've just thrown away your future, Yusuke. I'll destroy every chance you ever had of becoming an artist.** " Madarame said with a sneer. Madarame then turned and began to rush off. Naoto took two shots at the man, one more clipping his shoulder and making him move faster.

"Get… back here!" Yusuke said, trying to get up and go after him. "Why can't I move?" he asked, grabbing his knee.

Naoto moved over to him and hauled him up, despite her smaller stature. "Summoning your Persona drains you. Come on, we need to get out of here now before we're swarmed with Shadows. Joker, Skull."

"Right." Akira said and went over to Yusuke, grabbing his arm and throwing it over one shoulder to haul him away. They took him out to the main lobby and had him sit on a sofa, passing him a second soda that he began to greedily gulp at.

"You've… known for quite some time… haven't you?" Ann asked, broaching the topic as gentle as she could.

Naoto didn't think it was the time or the place, but with Yusuke unable to move as he was, there wasn't going to be much they could do. She kept her revolver out, ejecting the spent casings again and slapping in the next set of rounds. She was quite thankful for the rather realistic model and the speed loaders it had come with.

"I'm no fool." Yusuke said in an almost defeated tone. It was something Naoto would argue, but she was going to save that for when Yu was there. Last thing she needed was for the whole of the Phantom Thieves to gang up on her without having someone in her corner to back her up. "Strange people have been coming by for years, and the plagiarism was an everyday affair. But I owed my life to Madarame, how could I admit that he was doing such terrible, disgraceful things?"

"Why didn't you leave, Kitagawa-kun?" Ann asked.

"Where would I go?" Yusuke asked with a self deprecating laugh. "He is the one who painted the Sayuri. He took me in when I was young. I don't know who my mother or father were, just that Sen... Madarame helped my mother at one point. He was practically a father to me… but he changed. To think… he would treat his foundation like that..." Yusuke sounded angry.

"When you had mentioned the plagiarism, I knew you were right deep down. I just… I couldn't admit it. I had wanted to be a blind fool." Yusuke said. "It is why I so vehemently denied you. I am sorry."

"No worries. I understand." Akira said.

"I am grateful for the chance to face what I have been denying all this time." Yusuke said.

Naoto glanced over. "That's enough talking for now. We need to move, the security is still tight and it's only a matter of…" Speak of the Devil, four Shadows spawned in front of her. She popped off four rounds, and while it wasn't enough to put them out of commission, it definitely hurt them. She turned and ran with the others.

"Wait… when did my clothes change?" Yusuke asked as he felt at the mask.

"Later!" All of them shouted at him as they headed for the skylight.

They moved quickly. Yusuke lagged, but they still managed to get him back to Yu's home. He looked confused when his clothes changed back, and was about to express his question but they kept him moving to keep him from really being able to. Once inside the entryway of Yu's home, Naoto pulled out her phone and initiated the travel back.

"Senpai, we've returned." Naoto said. She kicked off her boots and headed up and towards the kitchen. "Please tell me you still have coffee on."

"Of course." Yu said, looking around. He spotted Yu and paused. "Who's this?" He asked cautiously as the rest of the Phantom Thieves were coming into his living room. Naoto didn't blame him for being cautious, but she had a one track mind at the moment that demanded some coffee.

"Something that I plan to have a talk with Takamaki-san about." Naoto said rather loudly and she knew her tone was frosty. She was visibly shaking with her anger. Her anger from earlier in the day regarding Akechi had not abated in the slightest, and now Ann's actions had compounded on it.

Yu gently took the mug from her hands. She didn't bother fighting him as he made her the cup of coffee she so desperately desired, black with just a touch of sugar. She took it and took a deep sip of the scalding fluid before going out to sit at the table.

Yu moved and sat down with her, the Phantom Thieves having taken the couch or another side of the table. Naoto clenched her hands into fists and stared at the black coffee. "What the hell were you thinking Takamaki-san!?" she demanded.

"What was I thinking? Where were you?" Ann asked. "I had to deal with Madarame alone."

"Enough!" Yu and Akira said at the same time. They both looked at each other before Akira backed down. "Your home." Akira said politely.

Yu inhaled deeply, going through his breathing exercises a moment. "Let's start from the beginning. Akira, Ryuji… how did your side of things go?" he asked carefully.

And like that, everyone began to slowly recap on their part of the mission. When Morgana tried to cut in at one point during Ann's explanation, Yu shot the cat a look that quickly silenced it. Naoto had never seen her boyfriend upset like this. She had seen him furious, she had seen him betrayed. But this was something else. And when Naoto's turn to explain things came around, she recounted them as she had seen them. She even produced her phone and hit play on the recording she had made.

Madarame's shack had thin walls after all.

But Yu even had Yusuke give a recount of his events, though the artist was initially hesitant. It was only when everything was said and done that Yu pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a sigh. "So what I'm hearing is we're still having teamwork issues." he said after a moment, inhaling. Naoto felt a bit wounded by that, but she could see where he was coming from.

"Ann…" Yu started. "We have to be careful to the utmost extent. You had to escape into the Palace, I get that. And hey, we got a new ally out of it, but if you're not careful in the future, someone will catch on that you don't want having proof over you." Yu said. "We know you're not some airhead. We need you focused whenever dealing with the Metaverse."

Ann winced and looked away. Naoto didn't blame her. No one wanted to hear their faults laid to bare. And she knew her turn was coming up. Yu was going to be fair, and distribute blame as it was needed to be distributed. "Sorry." she said.

"Naoto-kun…" Naoto winced at the tone. "They're just teenagers, normal ones at that. You're a detective. You're trained to see things that others don't normally see, it's how you've been so successful. But we need to lighten up a little, mistakes happen. As long as we learn from them." Yu looked around at everyone. "So, we need to tighten our act up and learn from this."

"Man, he's inspiring." Ryuji said, staring at Yu with a hint of awe.

Akira shrugged his shoulders. "A leader has to make sure everyone takes responsibility for their actions Ryuji."

"Kitagawa-san," Yu said, turning to the newest member. Naoto noticed the artist sat up straighter. "Welcome aboard, you'll be mostly working with Akira, but I hope we work together well." he said.

Yusuke blinked a bit. "Kurusu-san… but why won't I be working with you?" he asked curiously.

"Naoto-kun and I are the backup." Yu said. Naoto was grateful for that. Yu wasn't going to cut her out, but she definitely needed to talk to him after the Thieves left.

Akira shifted up to stand. "Why don't we take Kitagawa-san out for some coffee and get him up to speed?" he asked, glancing at Ryuji and Ann. "I'm sure he has a lot of questions and Naoto-Senpai and Yu need to work things out on their end."

"Yes, that sounds most beneficial." Yusuke said, standing up as well.

Slowly, the Phantom Thieves took their leave, and Yu followed them out to lock the door behind them before he came back to sit down with Naoto. She felt so tired though, she didn't really want to have the conversation they were about to have.

She closed her eyes a moment before she sipped more of her coffee. "Was I wrong, Senpai?" she asked, glancing up at Yu worriedly. She knew she wasn't much of a people person, sometimes even neglecting the feelings of Yu.

But he moved over and wrapped her in a hug, one that she leaned into gratefully. "You weren't necessarily wrong." he told her as he gently rested his head on hers. She closed her eyes as she buried her head into his chest. "But like I said, you're a detective first and foremost. I know this has to be hard on you, all this talk of thievery, and the lengths they go to accomplish their goals." he said.

Naoto wrapped her arms around Yu and nodded softly. "My parents would be so ashamed." she whispered. It hurt to think it, but she came from a line of detectives, yet she had let breaking and entering slide just that day, maybe two hours ago.

Yu shook his head. "No, I think they would be proud." he told her. "You're doing your best to try and make the world a better place. You're trying to keep people like Kitagawa-san from being abused by people like Madarame. Ann should have been more careful activating the Meta-Nav, that you have every right to be upset about." She felt him gently rub circles in her back.

Naoto sighed and closed her eyes. She slowly pulled away from Yu and she saw the worry in his eyes. "I'm going to get a shower." she said. She stood up, looking at her boyfriend that sat at the table. "I don't know how to connect with the Phantom Thieves like you do, Yu-kun. I'll be counting on you to help me in the future."

Yu gave her a small nod and Naoto went up to wash up. As she scrubbed down, she let her thoughts wander. She didn't doubt that the Phantom Thieves were doing what they felt was right. And Naoto could certainly agree with it to some extent. But it was the methods that she was bothered by. Did no one trust the Police anymore? Could Shiho Suzui not have gone to the police regarding Kamoshida? Could Yusuke Kitagawa not go to the Police regarding Madarame's scam? Rape and counterfeiting were both considerable crimes.

Instead, they risked the life of Kamoshida and had broken into a room in Madarame's own home. Two wrongs didn't make a right, and she was just as at fault for being involved with it. She didn't know if Yu was correct or not, if her parents would in fact be proud of her or not. It scared her thinking about it.

She stepped from the bathroom once she was done and went to her room. Carefully, she got dressed for sleep. Yu was probably right. They needed to take this as a learning experience, all of them. She was a proud detective, the proud successor to the Shirogane line. She had spent a lot of time cultivating those skills, gladly so. She had wanted this, had wanted to be a detective. Perhaps it was time for the Detective Prince to sit down with the others and really talk them through what needed to be done.

She walked down the stairs, footsteps light and quiet. The benefit of being a bare fifty kilos at her height made it easier to be quiet, especially without her hard soled boots on. She made her way over towards Yu standing in the kitchen, finishing up the instant ramen. She appreciated even the quick and simple meal. They didn't even take it to the table, just eating leaned up against the counters of the kitchen.

When Naoto finished hers, she glanced up to look at Yu a bit. "Can… Can we talk a bit?" she asked softly.

Yu finished his own and set the container on the counter. "Always." he said.

"Couch?" she asked. What she wanted to talk about wasn't going to be easy, on either of them and she wanted to make sure that when she did talk about it, some answers were had.

Yu made his way towards the couch and sat down on it. Naoto didn't sit on the couch, instead sitting in Yu's lap with her back towards the arm of the couch. She curled into his chest again, even as his arms wrapped around her reflexively. She took a moment to get a little more comfortable, making sure Yu wasn't uncomfortable as well.

She felt his hand on her back, gently rubbing circles. She appreciated the feel of it and she closed her eyes. She was tempted to just fall asleep in his arms, being comforted by his presence. She grabbed his shirt, bunching it up a bit before she just asked. "Why didn't you ever call or text?" she whispered.

He had, but too far and few between, and never for long. She missed the long discussions they had in the quiet of his room, sitting on his couch, or whenever she had gone out at night and met up with him in front of the bookstore. She didn't let him speak just yet. "I… I know I should have. Maybe if I had tried harder." she felt his hands tighten around him and knew he was about to speak, so she reached up to touch his lips with one finger. "We both know I didn't call or text nearly as much as I should have either." she said. She wasn't going to sugar coat things, not with herself about this. "I kept telling myself that you were busy. But we're both used to being up late, we could have, should have, talked more."

She didn't hold him at sole fault. No, the fault also lay with her. She pulled her finger away from his lips, seeing the serious and concerned look in his grey eyes. "You know I'm not good with interacting with people Yu-kun. I felt so… lost without you. I have difficulty connecting with the others on the team. Rise helped, she seems to just click with everyone. But…" She winced. "It felt as though someone had tossed me a life ring before they cut the line. I needed you."

Naoto was a very proud and determined woman, so talking about this was difficult. It made her sound weak, or helpless, or that she had to rely on Yu. And if she was honest, she despised the feeling. It made her stomach churn. But her social skills were still lacking. As an only child raised by a grandfather that frequently made trips, it was difficult to garner those sort of social skills. Her grandpa had done his best to be there at home as often as possible, but there were still nights when he hadn't been home before she had to go to bed.

It had felt… wonderful being able to open up to Yu. She could express her interest in heights, in working with her hands, in a number of detective novels, and yes even children shows that she still frequently enjoyed. Her apartment back in Inaba had been littered with those things that she could have. She could have stayed at the Shirogane Estate, but she had enjoyed her independence and continued having the apartment.

But when Yu left, it felt like she was cut off from being able to talk about things. Whether they mattered or not was irrelevant. Yu had been a saving grace. She had someone she could socialize with, and it didn't matter if she was disparaging over the fact she was born a woman or anything. He seemed to know just want to say. She could have talked about the technical aspects of the watches for a few hours, and he'd still express interest.

The others in their group tried to be there for her and she certainly appreciated it. But none of them held the same interests. Their differences were what made them come together as a group quite nicely. They all melded together and they still held a tight knit to their group, even after everyone had gone seperate ways to pursue their dreams..

She wasn't blaming Yu, she was trying to understand so that it didn't happen again.

She watched Yu's eyes lower, as though taking in her words and really thinking about it. She appreciated it, she appreciated watching him think on her words. For a moment she feared she had pushed too far, that she would force his walls to close up. His shoulders sagged a moment and his eyes closed before a sigh escaped his lips. "I'm sorry Naoto." he whispered her name. She leaned into him some. "You're right. We both should have done more." There was no blaming someone else, not between the two of them. It was already agreed upon that they were both to blame. "It… hurt… talking to you." he admitted. "I was so far away from you, I couldn't see your beautiful smile, I couldn't see your cheeks flush crimson. It… hurt so bad. I kept telling myself 'it'll be better soon' and would put off texting or calling. Another night, another day, another week. 'It'll be better soon.' I should have done more." He gently squeezed her a little closer. "I'm sorry Naoto." he reiterated.

Naoto did believe that there were some things that sorry didn't quite cover. This was not an instance of it though, not with how sincere and broken that Yu sounded about it. And in some way, she couldn't blame him. That she never got to see his gentle smile, hear the soft chuckle when he successfully set her blushing or any other little thing she got to have with Yu, she understood why it had been painful even talking to her. She turned in his lap and cupped his cheeks with both hands, leaning in to kiss him. She let her eyes flutter closed, just savoring the feel of his lips on hers.

 _Scene Break_

Yu looked at his new phone, a plain thing that was silver backed. Though, it was a smart phone and he already had the Meta-Nav on his phone, so that was a plus. But he looked at the blinking date of May twenty first. Just a day after the events of Yusuke Kitagawa joining the Phantom Thieves.

The Saturday saw Naoto working with the police after school on something. She was going to undoubtedly end up in a slightly foul mood. He still hadn't been able to worm out of her what was wrong with Goro Akechi, but he knew Naoto well enough that she wouldn't have so vehemently been angry about it without good reason. The Phantom Thieves were already inside Madarame's Palace, Akira wanting to make a strong push for the treasure.

It left Yu by himself with his thoughts. He didn't need to study up on anything pressing at the moment, Naoto had already volunteered to grab some food on her way home so that he didn't have to worry about dinner, and Saturday afternoons and nights always saw Yu as having nothing to do.

"Ha.." He breathed out a sigh. Loneliest day of the week it seemed. He tapped his foot. He did recently get that Perfect Grade… No… He'd need a few days to dedicate to that. He leaned back into his sofa, thinking about what he could do to kill the still life for a bit.

' _We could always play.'_ The innocent voice of Alice cut through his mind. And for an instant, Yu felt a not so innocent thought violence before he pushed it down. He hadn't really gotten the chance to express his more violent tendencies with his Persona, so it held merit.

He tapped the Meta-Nav app on his phone. "Mementos." he said. He stood up and grabbed his usual bag of supplies, including his weapon and armor. He then pushed the button to initiate the transfer. He could walk to the subway station, maybe take a look at the world outside in Mementos.

He felt the world distort around him and he headed for his front door. Out of habit, he locked it behind him before he clipped his keys onto his belt loop. He took about three steps before a thought popped into his head. He turned to look at his motorcycle and Yu crossed his arms. "The cognitive representation of the public huh?" he asked aloud.

It was a silly idea. There was no way it would work. Was there? Then again, he had routinely found things for people in the TV world that couldn't be easily found in Inaba. Even a water repellant board of all things. He had half been tempted to get that girl a can of silicone spray and a new board.

Yu tapped his foot a moment and went over to his motorcycle. It wasn't anything special really. It was a black 2004 Honda VT1100 Shadow Sabre. According to the information he had received when he bought it, the motorcycle had been in a wreck, causing some damage to it. It was partly how he managed to get it for a steal for about three hundred thousand yen(1).

What did he have to lose was the better question? At worst, he looked silly. He pulled out his key and pulled the cover off the bike. He straddled it and bent down, putting his key in. Moment of truth as his finger hovered over the ignition. "I feel silly." he said before he just pushed it.

He was quite surprised when the Motorcycle came to life under him, rumbling. Yu grinned a bit, suddenly feeling really giddy. "Woah." He had of course driven it before the ignition had given out, but it was still an amazing thing to feel roar to life once more. He turned it off and turned it back on again, just to make sure it really was running.

He looked over at the tool box he had for working on the motorcycle. He could probably strip the ignition from this bike and put it into his bike on the outside… But that would be a hassle to do. He could take it for a ride…

Yu killed the engine and got off the bike. Suddenly feeling more energized to be in Mementos than he had before, he rushed inside his house and up to his bedroom. He grabbed his riding leathers and quickly got them on. They weren't the highest quality leathers, but they were going to keep him safe. He grabbed his helmet too, jamming it on his head.

He did not forget his bag either.

Carefully, he straddled the motorcycle again with his bag on his back and his sword was carefully tied across his back, beneath the bag. He started the engine again, bouncing in his seat a little bit at the fact it was working. He began to back out onto the street. He drove a bit towards the main road and looked down both sides.

Hmm. Seemed there was no traffic in Mementos.

Yu took off down to his right, and just drove. It was a liberating feeling, to be able to just get away from his home, to be able to drive on his motorcycle again. Of course, he had to worry about things, but he didn't see any Shadows or any people there. He took a chance to just drive around the city and explore on his own terms.

He came to the highway and paused, putting his feet down and balancing on his motorcycle, looking at it. Still barren of traffic. He wondered why. If Mementos was Everyone's Palace, then shouldn't there be a line of cars? There should have been a ton of traffic of people's thoughts about going to work.

Yu was going to be pissed if it was a dream.

He tapped his foot on the asphalt. He took a glanced to the signs. Inaba was about six hours away, on a good day without traffic. Four hours if he had to take trains, especially given the transfers. Not everything ran at exactly the right moment after all. The times had made it difficult to go from Shibuya out to Inaba.

But here he was. In Mementos without a lick of traffic to be seen.

Yu glanced down at the black Shadow Sabre he was straddling. It had a top speed of approximately one hundred and sixty three kilometers per hour. He had never had a need to even begin pushing that, but without any traffic in Mementos...

Yu made his decision and gave the throttle some gas, heading up onto the highway. He had to be careful with the turns, but he was going to be a brave fool. He gunned the engine and felt the motorcycle accelerate. At one hundred and fifty kilometers per hour, he could probably make it to Inaba inside two hours. He moved his body along curves of the road as they occurred.

Of course, he wasn't actually going to go to Inaba. It was an intoxicating idea, but impractical. Instead, he raced down along the roads for about a half hour before he turned around to head back. He learned two more things during his joy ride. The first was that his motorcycle still ran on gas, even inside Mementos. The second, gas stations still had gas in them.

When he managed to get home, he immediately removed the helmet and the leather jacket to set to work. He accessed the tools on his work bench. Some of his neighbors had seen him tinkering with the motorcycle, so that, he assumed, was why he had his tools within Mementos. His bike had been out in the open.

Or maybe it was Mementos playing on his cognition? After all, how would someone know where his riding leathers were? But then why did his motorcycle work? Ugh… the Cognitive stuff was always annoying to figure out.

It took him about another thirty minutes to pop the ignition out. "Moment of truth Yu." he whispered as he put the leathers and helmet in his usual pack. He headed inside his home and inhaled, taking out his phone and booting up the Meta-Nav.

" _Returning to the real world."_

The world distorted around him and he found himself standing at his doorstep inside. He patted his legs, felt the stiff riding leathers. He pulled his pack out and pulled out the ignition to his motorcycle. He laughed a little bit, falling back against the wall. Now he just had to put it in…

But that could wait for another time. He felt exhaustion hit him.

He pulled his phone out and sent Akira a text. ' _I need your help with a project Wednesday. Wear something you can make a mess in.'_

 _Scene Break_

Wednesday came around far too slowly for Yu. He had made two more solo trips into Mementos to strip parts from the bike there to bring out to the outside so that he had the parts on hand for when he started to fix his motorcycle. He didn't know precisely why he was able to get the parts in a fairly nice condition there, but he wasn't going to be complaining.

He was just calling it a stroke of good fortune.

He had just started to get to work when he heard the footsteps coming up to his house. "Over here." he called out.

Akira came around, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and an old grey t-shirt. Both were old, faded, and worn. Yu chuckled a wrench over towards Akira, watching the Phantom Thieves leader catch it deftly. "I don't know the first thing about fixing vehicles." Akira said.

"Consider it a learning process. You've got some skilled fingers and I'm going to need your help with some of the work that needs done." Yu said as he got up and wiped his hands on a rag.

Akira nodded. "You know what, sure… This seems at least a little normal." He came on over and moved to the other side of the bike, where, with Yu's help and guidance, began to pop another piece out to replace it.

"Something wrong?" Yu asked the younger teen.

Akira paused a moment and he ran a hand through his hair, with the hand that wasn't yet coated in grease from handling the parts. "Just… had something embarrassing happen last night."

Yu shrugged his shoulders. "So? Spill."

Akira shot Yu a glare, but Yu didn't let it bother him. "Alright fine. Have you gotten a promotional flyer about this maid service?" he asked.

"Sure. Naoto-kun and I had a chuckle and then shredded it." The silverette said with a shrug of his shoulders. "We don't tend to make that big of a mess, so it wasn't needed."

Akira shook his head. "Well, remember Mishima?"

"Yes…" Yu drew the word out carefully, thinking. "You said he was fairly overzealous, created that… Phantom Thieves Site."

"He calls it the Phan-Site." Akira supplied.

Yu gave the other teen a flat look. "Not happening. I'm not saying it. You shouldn't indulge him in saying it." His comment got a chuckle out of Akira before he bent down to pop a piece in.

"So Mishima brings it up with me, and then Ryuji got involved. Last night we headed to some apartment and made the call. Worse, I had to make the call." Akira sighed and buried himself in the motor of the engine under Yu's guidance. "I don't know what they were thinking."

"Knowing Ryuji? Probably something a little perverted." Yu said bluntly.

Akira nodded his head and inhaled a bit. "Right. Anyways, we're standing around in an empty apartment, probably six, seven at night, when the doorbell rings. The other two panic and head out to the balcony, we're on the first floor, and leave me alone to deal with this mess they dragged me into. As it turns out, my homeroom teacher was the maid we ended up calling last night."

Yu couldn't help it. He burst out into laughter. And it was good, cathartic laughter that made his abdomen hurt.

"It's not funny!" Akira said, face flushing. "It's embarrassing. How am I supposed to look Kawakami-sensei in the face anymore?" he said.

Yu laughed a bit harder but took a few breaths to try and get it to calm down. "It is a little funny." he said between chortles. He sighed a bit, thinking about his own experiences in Inaba. "You didn't do anything untowards with her did you?" he asked.

"No!" Akira denied vehemently. "She knew me by name, could recognize Ryuji and Mishima when they made a racket leaping from the balcony."

Yu nodded his head. "One, don't hold her second job against her. While a bit questionable, you don't know the circumstances surrounding it." He said carefully.

"Yeah, I don't plan to. She's actually asked me to call on her a few times. Said she's a trained masseuse on the flyer. I was thinking it might help me when I'm feeling exhausted after the Metaverse." Akira said, his cheeks a little red.

Yu smiled a bit and got up. He wiped his hands off and grabbed his phone, sending a text to Naoto. ' **I know you have a picture of Teddie's victory. Send it to me. Need it for something.'** "As embarrassing as that was, I want you to take a step back from it and instead think of it as an experience." Yu told the other boy.

"An experience?" Akira asked a little confused.

Yu nodded his head. "Life is full of experiences. Good, bad, funny, embarrassing, beautiful, ugly. It's all about what you make of them." It was one of the things he learned from talking with everyone around Inaba. "Treat it as something you can laugh about instead of something to be embarrassed by."

"Yeah, that's all good and well, but this was…" Akira couldn't even finish the comment.

Yu put his elbows on the seat of the motorcycle. "I came in second place in a drag queen contest that I was attempting to win after being forced into against my wishes because of a mandatory attendance policy." With each word Yu said, Akira's jaw went more and more slack.

"Do I get to hear the story behind that?" Akira asked, staring at the other boy wide eyed.

"My original homeroom teacher was murdered, our replacement turned out to be of questionable ethics. Quite bluntly, people called Kashiwagi-sensei a slut behind her back." Yu said rather frankly. He took to taking a part out to replace it. He had a lot of parts that he wanted to make sure were in tip top condition. "Kashiwagi-sensei was in charge of two beauty pagents during our Cultural Festival, one of which was a drag queen contest. Well, Yosuke Honamura decided it would be a great idea to sign the girls up, just to get them up on stage. With a mandatory attendence policy in effect, the girls had to attend. They might have gotten out of it, but they managed to convince themselves to do it." Yu shook his head. "In retaliation though, Chie I think, ended up signing the guys for the drag queen contest."

"But you were forced into it." Akira said.

"Kashiwagi-sensei didn't care." Yu said bluntly. "To her, it was a chance to flaunt what she had, even though, as a classmate put it, she was on the wrong side of forty." At Akira's wince, Yu nodded his head. "Yeah, she was one of those. Anyways, since I knew we would be forced to participate, I decided I was going to give it my all. I'm a Drama student, I can act no problem. And next to Yosuke and Kanji? I had victory assured. All I had to do was tell any one of the girls, I had no idea Yosuke was putting them up for this."

Yu grabbed the rag and wiped his hands again as he pulled out his phone. He saw the text with the attachment in question. He tapped on it and blew it up, turning the phone so that Akira would see. He didn't need to be reminded of the humiliation that Kanji and Yosuke had been put through.

Akira winced a bit at the sight of the two very blatant guys dressed in awfully done dresses and make-up. "Wait… that's a guy?" He asked.

"Teddie." Yu said. "Blonde fool signed himself up at the last minute and then came skipping on stage with a wig of long locks. Naoto-kun dressed him up to be the prettiest girl you've ever seen. He danced and just acted all cute and innocent, up beat having no clue that the event was supposed to be humiliating. He won by a landslide vote. I got beat out by a bear that was dressed up by the person I wanted to do my makeup for the event."

Akira finally gave a chuckle. "Alright, you win for embarrassing events. I got nothing to complain about with meeting my homeroom teacher in a maid uniform." Akira looked over at Yu for a moment. "Your… uh… Outfit didn't look bad." he offered.

Yu shrugged his shoulders. "Shortly after that, we stayed at Yukiko's folks' place, they run an inn with a hotspring, and Yukiko proceeded to get the hot spring times mixed up. When we, the guys, went in to relax, the girls were already there. They started to throw everything and anything within reach at us."

Akira's eyes went wide. "What did you do?" he asked.

Yu gave a rueful chuckle. "What any good leader should do in that situation." he said. "I ordered a retreat."

"But it was your time." Akira argued a bit weakly, likely just playing devil's advocate just for the sake of conversation.

'Two things. One, the girls wouldn't have been listening and I've seen Chie drive her heel into Yosuke's groin over a broken DVD, even though it was an accident. I wasn't risking that for me, or the men under my command. Two, I may have already had a small crush on Naoto at the time and didn't want to risk angering her by seeing anything more than I should have." Yu freely admitted the last one. He had certainly voted for Naoto to win at the beauty pagent.

Yu had spent a few nights questioning his sexuality because of the sleuth, not that he was going to tell her that.

Akira shook his head. "You're crazy man." he said with a chuckle.

Yu smiled at that one. He didn't know what it was, but it was relaxing to hang out with Akira. Was this what it was like for everyone that hung out with him? There was certainly a level of comfort that there was to be had from hanging out with his friends, but it seemed like with Akira he was just relaxing. There was no TV World, no Metaverse, no goblin man in a suit in a Velvet Room. It was just two guys working on a motorcycle. "Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. You might surprise yourself with what you'll find." Yu told the other teen.

Akira continued helping him with the bike for a few moments. "So… given what you've said about this Kashiwagi-san, I take it the swimsuit portion was readily okayed. How'd Naoto-senpai look?"

Yu laughed at the boldness of Akira for asking. "Didn't wear one. Dropped out before the competition, though I may have gone and gave her that recommendation. She still won."

"Wait. What?" Akira asked disbelieving. "Didn't you have Rise Kujikawa in the competition?"

Yu shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, but Naoto-kun had this air of bashful shy innocence. You could tell she wasn't comfortable on the stage, it's why I went and told her it was okay to take off from the swimsuit portion. She had been fretting over it, and as her friend I could already tell she wasn't yet comfortable with herself."

Akira hesitated a moment. "Speaking of Naoto-senpai…"

"Go ahead." Yu said as he stood up. "I won't get angry at whatever you ask, just be aware I'm not obligated to answer."

Akira breathed a sigh of relief. "Ryuji asked me about my thoughts regarding Naoto-senpai. We did find out in a rather… unorthodox manner."

"So did we." Yu said. "Her Shadow spouted it out just before we had to fight it."

"Well, I answered in a generic way, mentioning how since Naoto was a detective…" He trailed off, but it was enough for Yu to understand.

Inhaling, Yu thought about it. "A ruse, a white lie of omission by her and her grandfather. Takashi Shirogane introduced Naoto-kun to a police prefecture at the age of eleven, claiming her to be the 'Successor to the Shirogane Name'. Note the phrasing of it."

"He didn't specify her gender. Just called her a Successor." Akira said.

Yu nodded his head. "Given Naoto-kun's age, they were hesitant to accept the help, but the case was cracked in three days." Naoto was quite proud of that fact, and Yu could listen to the story a hundred times without ever getting tired of it. "Not every Police Prefecture accepted Naoto-kun's help so easily. It was a struggle, with her getting regulated ot petty crimes because of her age. Just over time, she got used to speaking in a deeper tone of voice, nothing every overt to make it blatant she was hiding her voice, but it was easier to get someone to listen if they could pretend she was an older, just slender teen. Eventually it got worked into her head that she wouldn't be accepted as a female. I know it's fairly common knowledge in Inaba by now, so it's not exactly a secret, but at this point, Naoto-kun simply… is more comfortable dressing and speaking as a male. She doesn't have an issue with her gender, but it's a matter of preference by this point."

Akira nodded his head a bit. "Alright. I thought it was something along those lines, but I didn't want to make an assumption and be completely wrong either."

The pair fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to work on the bike. There were frequent pauses for Yu to look up videos on how to do the work, but other than that, they made good progress. There was no guarantee that it would work, but Yu was hoping they were doing it right.

"Can I ask a question?" Akira asked.

"Hmm. Sure." Yu said, deciding against giving Akira a hard time.

"How'd you make a girlfriend?" Akira asked. This got Yu to look up at the dark haired boy. "Well, I mean…" He sighed. "I want to be a normal teenager. My reputation is working against me, but the rumors have begun to die down. I'm hoping during my team here in Shibuya I might be able to… have a relationship with someone? I don't know."

Yu chuckled and he set the ratchet down as he finished tightening a bolt. "Nothing wrong with wanting that someone special." he said. He thought about how to answer it before he gave a shake of his head. "I can't answer that for you. Only you can." Just like with Igor, there were some things that Yu could help Akira with, but there were others that he had to find on his own. "But don't force it. You won't be happy if you do. Just let it come natural. Got a crush on anyone? Ann maybe? Kawakami-sensei?" Yu teased. He figured it would make for excellent blackmail material and there was no way he was going to miss using that, even once.

Akira groaned. "No!" he said, clearly tempted to throw the wrench he was holding, but Yu was glad he refrained from doing so. "I just… like I said, I want to be a normal teenager. Do my probation, get some good grades, be able to return home with my head held high. I'm doing this Phantom Thieves stuff because well… like I said before, I'm having the time of my life with it, at being able to help people, but it is so stressful sometimes."

Yu nodded his head a bit. "I get you." He said. "Let it come naturally. Just focus on making good friends, But if I could make a recommendation? Learn how to make better coffee and curry. Ladies love a man that can cook for them. Learn some favorite dishes, actually go out of your way to buy the ingredients fresh and make them, even for your guy friends."

Akira groaned a bit. "Oh man… I routinely burn water. I refuse to leave the stove whenever I'm working on Sojiro's curry and I'm trying so hard to make that good. My first few batches tasted awful."

Yu chuckled and shook his head. "Practice, practice, practice." he told him. "Thanks for your help today."

"Yeah, no problem. Text me again when you want to work on it again, but we should be sending out the calling card in the next few days." Akira said.

Yu let him wash up before showing the Phantom Thief leader out. It was only after he left that Yu realized Akira didn't answer his question. "Hmm. Wonder if he does have a crush on someone. Should ask Naoto-kun." Yu said to himself.

End Chapter

 **A/N:(1) 1 USD is approximately 100 Yen, so… Yu's motorcycle was bought for about three grand.**

 **So… fun fact. Doing a bit of research, I saw someone make a very solid argument that Inaba is the equivalent of the Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan. Like, really solid complete with comparable pictures. The problem with that for this story, is the Yamanashi Prefecture is a two hour drive away from Tokyo, which is where Persona 5 takes place.**

 **I took more author liberties and moved the city of Inaba over towards the Fukui Prefecture which is still pretty close to the coast, still close to a mountain, has a river running through it, etcetera and works better for Yu not be able to go there since it's like a five and a half, six hour drive. It's not a casual trip to be made over and over again.**

 **Besides, Persona is some excellent urban fantasy in which while the places might be based on real ones, you never know. And I've been pretty… vague about the actual places. I know Persona 5 is in Tokyo. I don't know if Shibuya is anything in Tokyo or just something made up for the sake of the game, but I've just been giving everything in this story for the city they are in a general blanket of 'Shibuya' so… yeah…**

 **I also played around with the dates of things. You can technically get Yusuke at earliest at 5/19. Grades are posted 5/20. You don't meet Kawakami in her maid outfit until 5/28. I played around with these a bit.**

 **Also, I had a bit of fun with letting Yu get his motorcycle back. I won't say it's running perfectly at the moment, but it might be a recurring theme of Akira and Yu working on it.**


	9. Chapter 9: Problem Solving

Chapter 9: Problem Solving

Yu was not stupid. He had seen the signs of problems, time and time again. From Yosuke Hanamura to eventually Naoto Shirogane. Each of the people he had bonded with in his time in Inaba each had problems. Even now in his time in Shibuya, he could see it with Akira and to the lesser extent the rest of the Phantom Thieves. As the eldest member of the joint workings of the Phantom Thieves, he had taken it upon himself to at least keep an eye out for problems. Akira had the makings of an excellent leader, but he could only handle problems that he knew about.

So when a problem arose, not with the Phantom Thieves, but with one of his own, Yu knew that Akira was not the one to handle it.

It had been a throw away statement. Yu had initially wrote it off as a clash of personalities. Naoto had proclaimed Goro Akechi as arrogant, ostentatious, attention-seeking and a braggart. Yu had thought that, perhaps, with some time, Naoto's demeanor would cool. He would never tell her to give the boy a chance, that would just piss her off more. He had initially wrote it off.

But that quickly changed.

Yu watched Naoto get more and more focused, manic even. She was sleeping less and less, and he was missing her by his side during the times that she would fall asleep in her room, not waking up when he knocked. And he wanted her to sleep, even if it ended up passed out in her work chair. She was drinking more and more coffee, more than his uncle had even managed. He couldn't ask her about her work, as it tended to be sensitive, so he didn't know how to help.

But Yu decided to do a bit of detective work of his own. He needed to help Naoto, and so he had to understand why she was so upset. He looked up the name Goro Akechi and quickly got filled in on the so-called Detective Prince. In Yu's eyes, only one would hold that title. And he looked at the cases that Akechi worked. He carefully mapped them out the months of cases. He had even told his Sensei that he was going to have to skip practice that week, just to have a bit more time mapping the cases out.

Telling the man it was for Naoto had been enough to satisfy his Sensei.

Yu carefully tracked the cases, even during the time he spent getting parts for his motorcycle or working on it with Akira. Various crimes done, from a shooting to hit and run, a mugging to even a traffic accident, Goro Akechi seemed to have his finger in every pie that he could get his hands in. He had a charming enough appearance, Yu supposed, but that just made it easier for him to be disarming in his mind. That, or appear as no one.

Yu and Naoto would never have that benefit, their hair colors being what they were.

The Leader of the Investigation Team then proceeded to look at the Trials. There were a few that were still ongoing, but a lot of them ended up being opened and shut in almost record time. He learned that Sae Niijima was a dangerous woman to be on the wrong side of. The prosecutor was downright scary at times.

But more importantly, Yu learned that Naoto's instincts, like they usually were, were on point. There was indeed something wrong about Goro Akechi. Everything seemed too… easy. Eighteen cases in the past seven months, three were still on going, but each of the fifteen remaining cases had been opened, and almost just as quickly shut. Each of them had a damning piece of evidence. A piece of evidence often times found by one Goro Akechi.

Even the three other cases were already looking like a victory for Sae and the other prosecutors on the job. All because of evidence, once again, supplied by Goro Akechi's investigative work.

Yu thought he was on the lead of a trap. And then Akechi proceeded to go onto talk shows, over and over and over again, talking about his work. He pretended to be humble about it, but Yu could see it in his posture. Akechi was practically gloating about it, about putting people to jail. So Yu decided to dig deeper. He dug into the crimes of the men themselves.

But none of that helped him with his problem. His problem being that Naoto was clearly having issues with Goro Akechi. With the knowledge he had, and was working on, Yu didn't blame his sleuth girlfriend from having issues. Especially with the public touting him as the next Detective Prince. That one stuck in his caw a bit on behalf of his girlfriend. Naoto had been in the business since she was eleven. Goro Akechi was an upstart. They were touting an upstart as being worthy of a title that belonged to the fifth generation Shirogane Investigator, a name that had been around for about a century. Takashi Shirogane had been in the business since the sixties, having started at around the same age that Naoto had.

And Naoto, dedicated girl that she was, wouldn't refuse helping the police with various cases, pouring over testimonies and reports for them. He could see her becoming more and more obsessed with helping out. Driven by pride in her family's name to prove herself the better of Goro Akechi. All because Goro Akechi felt wrong, he was the opposite of her. She didn't take credit for the cases she solved. Akechi practically demanded it.

So while Akira and the other Phantom Thieves were off stealing the treasure for Madarame's Palace, Yu was at home. He had already finished another helping of California rolls. He'd usually wait on making them for something a little more special, but he needed to distract Naoto, he needed to get her to relax. It would be a special enough occasion, especially once he had her helping him with his own project on Goro Akechi so that he had answers of his own, and she might be able to prove him a fraud.

He heard the front door unlock and Yu glanced over his shoulder from the kitchen. He watched Naoto come in, giving a soft sigh before she took her boots off. "Welcome home." he called out to her. Home. He liked saying that. He liked saying it to Naoto. It wasn't a house. It was a home. He had experienced it in Inaba, but it was more than that now.

"Can you make me a cup of coffee Senpai?" Naoto asked, dragging herself to the living room.

Yu finished up on the sushi rolls and carried them into the living room. "No." he said softly. He set them on the table. He dug his heels in, preparing for the incoming argument. "You need to sleep tonight, a full eight hours of sleep. I don't want to think about how much sleep and caffeine you're running on at this point."

He watched her lips purse into a slight frown. But Yu stepped forward towards his sleuth. "Senpai…" she said, putting one hand on her hip. It was a gesture she did often when she was getting ready to make her argument.

Yu had a counter argument however. He came up to her and bent down, kissing her on the lips. It was not the gentle pecks they tended to share often when they were alone. He circled his arms around her and ran a hand up along her spine, moving it beneath her coat. He didn't need to see her to know her eyes were wide. Her body had stiffened up in his arms and she had yet to start kissing him in return, the surprise of his argument still registering. But he kept pressed towards her. He kept his lips against her, using his lips to lightly tug on hers, alternating between the top and bottom lip.

He drew back just as she started to meld against him, her arms circling his neck. "I have a better wake up call that won't keep you awake tonight." he whispered against her lips.

Naoto was looking up at him with wide eyes when Yu opened his eyes to look at her. Her face was flush brightly. He reached up to gently brush her hat from her head, dropping it on the couch. "Yu-kun…" She said in a softer whispered tone.

Yu took that as an okay to continue. He moved his hands from being around her waist and along her back to her hips. He gently squeezed before he just lifted and stepped in between her legs. He heard the gentle gasp she gave as he pressed her back against a wall. He leaned in and captured her lips again. This time, she returned the kiss, tilting her head just slightly to give him a bit of a better angle.

It was electrifying in ways Yu could not begin to explain. Kissing Naoto was always a pleasant experience. She had such soft lips. Neither large or small, full or thin but they were so very soft. She had lips that suited her. He could feel her legs tighten around his waist, her body arching against him and off the wall as she tried to touch more of him. Her hands gripped at his shoulders.

Yu moved a hand over her hip to her backside. He splayed his hand against the intimate spot to touch and hold. He gently used teeth to nip at Naoto's lips as her breath came in short little gasps. They refused to break contact from their lips for more than just a few moments. He felt her tongue poke at his lips, as though experimenting with something new. Yu's other hand came up to untuck Naoto's shirt before his hand went up under the back of it. He felt her arch more as he moved his hand, roughened by callouses, along her smooth skin.

"Yu-kun." Her voice came out especially feminine as his hand slid up higher. Her shirt rode up with him, baring her navel. Yu's fingers found the clasp to her chest binder and quickly undid it. But he moved his mouth to kiss along her jaw, along her neck. He felt her tilt her head back, giving a soft gasp. He enjoyed hearing it come from her.

His muscles burned a little, holding her weight up with mostly one hand and his body, but he pushed through it. The other hand busied itself with peeling the strapless chest binder that pushed her breasts down off and out from under her shirt until he could feel the not so inconsiderable swell of her breasts against his chest.

Yu put his mouth back to Naoto's, kissing her again. She gave soft little moans as he rubbed circles along her spine, moving his hand back down to help the other in supporting her weight. This time, as his teeth got involved, offering little nips to send shivers racing through Naoto, Yu also let his tongue come out, to gently brush over her lips or her own tongue whenever she was feeling bold and daring.

Naoto was Yu's weakness. There was no way around it. She was his everything. His weakness, his strength. She was like the sweetest of poisons that he greedily inhaled. When she was upset, he was upset until such a time that he could make her feel better. He loved her in ways he never thought he'd ever end up loving someone. He hated to see her get so worked up and obsessive that she ended up neglecting herself.

His tongue pushed past her lips, eliciting another gasp from her. He gently brushed it against her teeth, against the tongue that had retreated. Her hands fisted at the front of his shirt and her ankles locked at the small of his back. Yu wasn't a particularly experienced kisser, so a lot of what he was doing was just trying things, experimenting. He thought he was doing alright. Slowly, he pulled back from Naoto's lips again.

Her breath was coming short, her gaze was glazed slightly, her cheeks held a rosy hue. Her lips were starting to swell with the attention he had been giving them. Yu smiled a little bit. Maybe he was better than he gave himself credit for. He lightly leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. "Still want coffee?" he whispered to her, ever so gently.

"No." She whispered. He could feel her thighs tense, as though trying to squeeze at his waist. "Yu…" she whispered. "Please… More?"

Yu smiled and set Naoto down. He leaned over to kiss her again. This time, he took the jacket off her shoulders and tossed it behind him to land over the arm of the couch. He gently removed the suspenders from her shoulders. Each action was followed by a light peck that Naoto tried to turn deeper, but given his height advantage over her, he was able to keep it at bay for a moment.

Yu then picked her up again, lifting her once more. She was quick to cling to him. He kept pecking her lips, even as he carried her up the stairs. He didn't want to risk the Phantom Thieves coming back and catching him being quite intimate with his girlfriend. The stairs were no easy feat, but he managed, thanks to Naoto's light frame likely.

He managed to get to his bedroom door before Naoto sank a hand into his hair and kissed him fully once more. He could feel her trying to use her own teeth and to him, the affection was amazing. It reminded him that Naoto did care. He could admit that sometimes it was difficult to keep upbeat about their relationship, but in that moment, he knew just how much Naoto did care. It made the kiss feel all the more electrifying to him. To feel her passion peeking through. For it a moment, it was just Yu and Naoto. No family name to live up to, no titles, no group affiliations, just two young adults in love with one another.

His door shut with Naoto's back up against it. He set her down a second time, even as she leaned up for another kiss. But Yu decided to remove his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it to the side. He lightly jerked as he felt her hands move along his chest. He traced his fingers along the buttons to her shirt, but Yu ultimately left it closed. He bent down to kiss her again, and she moved her hands around his neck.

He felt those slender fingers trace the upper working of the scars that Izanami had left him with. But Yu didn't care. He had his girlfriend, his lover, touching him. She wasn't recoiling in disgust from him. Rather, she touched him, kissed him like she was greedy. And Yu was all the more willing to give that same feel. She was his, no one else's. And he'd slay his Reflection fifteen hundred times to make sure he came back to her.

Their lips continued moving against each other, gentle nips and pecks keeping them close so that they didn't have to pull apart. Yu felt Naoto's hand slide down his shoulder, down to the hand at her waist. She took him by the wrist and led his hand upwards, over the swell of her breast to the buttons on her shirt. He took the hint and popped two open blindly. He heard her gasp, felt her chest rise sharply from it as his hand dipped beneath the shirt to lightly cup her breast once again. She had a good handful, possibly just a little bit more than a handful. And given the size of his hands, it made that handful more impressive.

And honestly, Yu thought it was quite appealing that she had such breasts. But he loved her for more than just her body.

It was her passion, the same passion she was showing him at that moment, with kisses and touches, that Yu had fallen in love with. The way she talked whenever they inevitably landed on a topic that she felt strongly about. He didn't have to necessarily like whatever she talked about. But he loved hearing her talk about what she was passionate about.

Yu carefully picked Naoto up once more. He stepped into her just slightly as he moved his hand away from her breast, purposefully trailing a finger along her nipple before it flicked over the hard nub. The gasp he got against his lips was worth it. He pulled away from her soft lips and moved his mouth to her neck. He kissed along the large pulse in her neck. He could feel her heart racing. He unbuttoned the next two buttons on her shirt and moved his mouth lower to her collarbone.

She wasn't stopping him, and so Yu moved his mouth against the collarbone. Her breathing was coming even faster. He had wanted to touch her as well, to show her that he still enjoyed that she was born a girl and had blossomed into a fine woman. He gently pulled the shirt open, spilling her breast out. He kissed along the swell.

"Yu." Naoto whispered his name so sweetly, a mix of worry and desire, of love and acceptance. He took a moment to draw back and look into her grey eyes.

"I love you Naoto." he whispered to her.

"I love you too Yu." Her voice was a little breathy, a little huskier. "But if you don't stop soon, I'll…." she blushed more.

Yu Narukami felt himself at a crossroad. If he kept going, then chances were that Naoto would want more. He already wanted more. He knew, logically, that they weren't necessarily ready for more. But if Naoto said yes, then he would not be able to stop them. But he didn't want to stop. He wanted his girlfriend to feel good, to experience her everything as he had once told her.

He laid his head gently on her breasts, listening to her heart beat in her chest. He gently clenched her thigh with the hand he had opened her shirt with and now helped support her with. He breathed a shaky sigh. "The things you do to me Naoto." he whispered sweetly to her.

"I know." Naoto said softly, gently squeezing him with her legs. "I know because you do similar to me."

The words made Yu smile a little bit more against the swell of his girlfriend's chest. It was all he needed to hear to know that he should continue. He carried her over towards his desk and sat her on it. She seemed surprised at the change of location, but Yu moved away from her legs and his hands busied themselves with unbuttoning her shirt fully.

He could see her gray eyes widen. "Yu-kun…" She whispered. Her gaze was not scared, it was one that held passion, but there was still a hint of worry.

Yu reached up and touched her lips with one finger. "Shh." he whispered softly. He leaned in and kissed her. He didn't need to ask if she trusted him. He knew she did so without a doubt. "I want to spoil you, but you're too dressed for it."

He watched her stomach clench, the muscles tightening before relaxing. She took a deep breath and nodded before she lightly kissed the fingertip he had used to shush her with. He took that as his cue to continue. She had only needed to say no more, and he would have stopped. They both knew it. Yu removed her shirt, watching her shiver slightly as the cooler air touched more of her skin.

Yu carelessly tossed the shirt behind him.

He then lifted her legs and began to continue his work. He removed her socks. He sat down in his chair and brought her feet into his lap. He began to work his thumbs along the arch of her right foot, working his thumbs in slow firm circles. She leaned back and gave a soft groan. They were both too used to sore feet to ever complain about such, but Yu knew that his girlfriend could still enjoy a foot massage. He moved his thumbs up to work at the ball of her foot, feeling his way along his self appointed work. He then went to the heel of her foot. Then came the slow task of massaging her ankle and slowly rotating it around for her, loosening it up

He was no professional masseuse, but he hoped he could still make her feel good and relaxed.

He quietly, wordlessly, repeated the process with the next foot. Naoto's eyes had fallen closed and she squirmed a bit whenever he was dealing with a spot that she was either slightly ticklish at or the muscles were particularly tense. But she offered no objections.

When he finished with both feet and ankles, he took great care to lift them from his lap and set them to hang once more. He watched her curl her toes, rotate her ankles a little bit, no doubt testing how they felt at the moment. But Yu stood up from his chair and moved his hands over her thighs.

He looked into her eyes as his hands found her belt. Wordlessly, without looking at it, he undid the leather belt. Her eyes widened a touch and her lips parted ever so softly. He pulled it open and his hands brushed rather close, rather intimately as he began to unbutton the slacks and draw the zipper down. She shuddered a moment and reached out for his shoulders.

"Yu-kun… I… I…" She came forward and Yu paused in his actions. "I'm worried." she whispered so softly. He didn't blame her. The confession not that long ago still lingered on his mind. She thought herself as not as beautiful as the likes of Yukiko or Rise. Naoto still had lingering concerns regarding her femininity, but had mostly accepted them. But Yu was determined to make her feel good, to make her feel beautiful and wanted.

Yu drew back and set his hands on her thighs. He gently squeezed to comfort her. "Naoto." He said, leaning in to get her looked to him with beautiful grey eyes. He kissed her lips softly. "You are beautiful." he whispered. He watched her flush brightly. "I only want you, only ever want you. I want to continue what I started, but your slacks are in the way. May I?" he asked ever so softly.

He watched her inhale. He felt her press her lips back against his lips before she drew back and nodded. She lightly bit her lip before exhaling. "Go ahead Yu-kun."

He kissed her again, brushing his lips against hers. "You are intoxicating." he whispered to her. "I feel this little rush, every time I get to touch you, every time I get to kiss you." He undid the button and began to pull the zipper down. Once he had her slacks open, he gently lifted her so that he could work them down. Yu Narukami would be lying if he said he wasn't thrilled by his girlfriend being in only panties in his bedroom.

Respectable he tried to be, he was still a male.

He pulled the slacks down completely and removed them. He watched her shiver, once again having cool air brushing over her skin. She was as beautiful as he thought she would be. Without the slacks, he got to see the curvature of her hips, of her thighs, the roundness that was hidden by the slacks. The simple black panties that hugged at her hips were just cotton, but nonetheless were beautiful on her. Still, she couldn't look him in the eyes.

Sitting down once more, Yu set to work. He started on the right leg and worked from her ankle up to her knee. He gently massaged and squeezed the calf muscle. The tenseness wasn't difficult to work out. And with her as bare as she was, Yu was able to make out her musculature. Calling Naoto muscular was wrong. But there was definition, even to her form. A hardness in certain spots that indicated Naoto did a lot of either walking or running. Yu had similar, but he also had more in the chest, abdomen, and arms.

Once he felt that he gave one leg enough attention, he moved to the next one and repeated the process.

Unfortunately, his desk was hardly an appropriate place for this. So he had to stand up after a point, getting a slight whimper from her. He slipped an arm under her knees and around her shoulders before lifting, feeling her curl into him and cling closely. He then carried her to the couch he had in his room, setting her down on it.

His room was bigger than the one he had stayed at with his uncle, but he had much the same setup since it had worked rather marvelously.

Carefully, he laid Naoto down on the couch and then rolled her over onto her back. She propped her head up on her arms a little bit and Yu moved down to her thighs. He felt her tense whenever he moved his fingers over a particularly sensitive spot, or particularly close towards brushing over the black cotton panties. But he worked his thumbs in slow circles and squeezed with his fingers to try and get her to relax.

Then it was time for him to start on her back. Yu maneuvered to give himself more leverage, applying a little bit more pressure as he worked his thumbs along the muscles. He heard the soft pants, the soft moans, the soft groans from his girlfriend. He watched her legs tense, her toes curl before relaxing. Her head would shake a bit before lulling to the the side.

Her back took the longest naturally. And he even ended up straddling her rear at one point, shirtless and in a pair of jeans of his own. He moved his hands over her shoulders, squeezing and working the muscles out. Yu got to see the adorable sight of Naoto's head drooping before coming back up.

He smiled a bit at it before he went back down to her legs and feel. She had tensed them up while he worked her back and he wanted to make sure she stayed loosened up. When he finished up, he sat with his back to the couch on the floor, leaning his head back towards the couch cushion with her head. "How do you feel?" he whispered softly to her.

"Like jelly." she whispered happily. "Thank you Yu-kun."

He smiled and looked to her. "Think you can get dressed in your sleepwear and come on down for some food?" he asked her.

Naoto smiled and nodded her head. "If you'll carry me down." she whispered without missing a beat.

'Of course." Yu told her. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. He grabbed her sleep clothes before bringing them over to her, setting them on the table beside his couch. He then went to go wash his hands. His girlfriend was not sweaty or dirty, but he was still going to be hygienic.

When he returned to his room, Naoto had managed to get dressed and was barely sitting up awake. Yu grabbed his shirt and threw it back on before e went over and picked her up into his arms. She curled against him, even as he carried her to the door and took her downstairs. He sat her on the couch, and watched her lean slightly to one side.

Smiling like a loon, he sat in the spot she left for him before he felt her cuddle up against his chest, moving under his arm as she did so. She leaned against him rather heavily. "Love you." she whispered ever so softly. "Best boyfriend."

Yu smiled and took pride in that statement. He lightly reached up and massaged Naoto's scalp. He heard her give a few mewls of delightly, like the sensation was extremely pleasant. He'd have to keep it in mind. Before he could even grab one of the sushi rolls to feed to his girlfriend, he heard a wonderful and pleasant sound that was exactly what he had been hoping to hear, just had not expected it so suddenly.

She was snoring, ever so softly.

Knowing the Phantom Thieves would return eventually and not wanting them to wake Naoto, Yu settled in to greet them, a sleeping blue haired sleuth under one arm. He was content to just hold Naoto and listen to the ticking of the clock on the wall. He didn't bother checking his phone or turning something on, not when his girlfriend was so content.

When the group of four teenagers and a cat eventually materialized in his living room some hour later, breathing a bit harder, Yu held up one finger to his mouth before they could start cheering and congratulating themselves. "Shhh." He watched them slowly settle down. "Success?" he asked and saw Akira nod his head. "Good." He whispered softly, massaging Naoto on the scalp some. "We'll celebrate another time."

Another nod and Ann was looking at him and Naoto together. Even Yusuke seemed to be surprised at what he was seeing.

Yu motioned them politely out of his house and the four teens and cat took that as their cue to leave. It left Yu with a sleeping sleuth, one that he had to carry back up the stairs and put in bed. But he didn't mind. He was happy.

Happy… It was a word he had begun to forget about. Then Naoto had returned. She really was his everything.

 _Scene Break_

Akira stood up and gathered his bag, carefully putting things in with Morgana. He stretched himself out after having sat in class most of the day before he shouldered his bag. "Let's see here…" he said softly. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, going through his messages. Nothing from anyone wanting to hang out. It gave him the day to himself. He could go and study… He headed out of the classroom, heading down the stairs

Akira liked to think of himself as a problem solver. If he had a problem, he solved it. Simple as that. It didn't matter what the solution to the problem was, he simply took the best one for the situation. He didn't always take the easiest, he didn't always take the simplest solutions, but he did try to solve them. If he had an issue with a class and not understanding what was being asked, he'd take a bit of time and look up what had been asked.

Asshole PE teacher that hated him on day one? Well, he did technically fix that problem as well.

So when he saw his current problem, with nothing else to do for the day, Akira took it as an opportunity to fix said problem. And his current problem was pretending to lean against a wall with her nose buried in a book. He had caught her the first time she had started, and he had let it go on long enough since he had been busy with Madarame.

Akira Kurusu began to approach his current minder, one Makoto Niijima of the Student Council. He could see her eyes start to widen before she tried to bury her face in the book a bit. But Akira already knew how to get her attention, especially with as many students moving through the entrance as there were. "Niijima-senpai, might I speak with you?" Akira asked. He saw her about to start making some excuse, like the number of times she had whenever he did try to talk to her. "As a concerned student to the Student Council President?"

He watched her stiffen up, as though it never occurred to her that he would ask her in such a manner. He watched as she glanced around, as though weighing her options. Akira knew the rumors circulating around about Makoto at the moment. That she knew about the abuse Kamoshida was heaping on the students. That she cared about her position than the actual students. But she took a deep breath and closed the book, tucking it at her side. "Of course Kurusu-san." she said and offered a weak smile.

"In Private?" Akira asked.

Makoto nodded her head and began to lead the way up the stairs towards the Student Council Room. Akira followed behind her calmly. He wanted to nip this right in the bud. He knew well enough that she suspected him and his friends of being the Phantom Thieves. He didn't know if he could turn her into an ally as he hoped to, but he knew she would be a dangerous enough enemy to have. She seemed driven, and he didn't want to think about what could happen, either to him and his friends or her if she continued pursuing this.

When they entered the room, Akira took note of how small it seemed to be. But it didn't matter. He watched as Makoto sat down and he moved to take his seat across from her. He lifted the bag from his shoulders and carefully set it on the table.

"What can I do for you Kurusu-san?" Makoto asked politely, offering a slight and faked smile.

Akira inhaled a moment and took a second to think. He opened his eyes and was looking sharply at the older girl. "You can tell me why you've been tailing me." he said.

She recoiled a bit. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about." She said.

Akira shook his head. "Let's be frank here, Niijima-senpai." He was still going to afford her the respect she deserved as an older student. "Your attempts to tail me, to keep an eye at my comings and goings within Shujin Academy are… laughable and humorous at best. Annoying and irksome at worst." He saw her eyes darting to and from. From his bag to the door and back again. "I don't want to have to make a formal complaint about it. But you've even been taking a similar train as me. Can we please stop with the persona?" A funny comment coming from the Leader of the Phantom Thieves.

Makoto watched Akira for a while, her hands coming to rest on the desk. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about Kurusu-san." She said a little more calmly.

Akira sighed a moment and he took his glasses off a moment. He took out a cloth from his front pocket and began to clean the lenses before he put them back on, not that he needed them. "Then let's cut to the heart of the matter." Akira said. He noticed her eyes drift towards his bag again. Did she put stock in those ridiculous rumors that he carried a rusty knife? "I don't put much stock into rumors." He said. He saw her eyes snap up. "I don't believe you knew exactly what was happening with Kamoshida-san. I don't believe you only care about your position. I don't believe you're just in the position of President of the Student Council because it'd look good on a college application. I believe that you're the type of person that cares, but doesn't know how to show it too well. I believe you've been forced into a position where your feelings are being trampled on, regardless of what you want."

Her hands clenched into a fist a moment. "What is the point of this, Kurusu-san?" Makoto asked. "Or would you like me to pick at your character?"

"I just want you to be truthful and honest with yourself Niijima-senpai." Akira said. And as it stood, to him she didn't seem like she was being that truthful with herself. He didn't want to see her get hurt because of it. "So, Senpai, why are you tailing me?"

"That is not your concern, Kurusu-san." Makoto said.

"I like to think it is because I'm the one being followed." Akira said. He pretended to think a bit. "I bet you're suspicious of me and my friends." He said. She had practically said as much when she kicked them from the roof. "Me because I have a criminal record, Ryuji because he has a previous altercation with Kamoshida-san, and Ann given their… relationship." He shook his head a bit. "You haven't been very discrete in following me, I wonder what the school students would think. Probably claim you have a crush on me."

"C-crush!?" Makoto asked rather loudly, her face flushed. It was an interesting reaction in Akira's mind, but he put it to the side for the time being. "What do you know about being discrete Kurusu-san?" she asked, trying to regain some composure.

Akira took his glasses off and tossed them onto the table between the two. He looked at Makoto with his uncovered eyes. "I know a thing or two." he said. "I'd have used some thick, heavy lawbook that no one would have thought twice about you having your nose buried in rather than some action manga. The idea that the usually prim and proper Student Council President enjoys those sorts of books would be surprising to people. It draws attention."

Makoto stood up. "I do not have to deal with this. If you are quite done, Kurusu-san." she said, stepping towards the door. Her tone was quite frosty even.

Akira remained seated, watching the Student Council President. "Niijima-senpai, I've been judged since I got to Shujin Academy without being given a proper chance to show who I am." he said. "Are you just going to follow what everyone else says?" he asked the girl. "Or do you want to learn about the troublemaker that apparently carries a rusty knife in his bag? You've been following me, for whatever reason you want to use to justify it, but like everyone else, you don't actually know me."

Makoto looked at him with an almost glare to her eyes before she sighed. She moved to sit down once more across from him. "Fine." she said, looking across from him. She crossed her arms.

"I don't carry a knife." Akira said. He did, but that was generally in a pack he didn't bring to school. "I carry a cat."

The absurdity of the statement actually caused Makoto to recoil, blinking. "A c-cat?" she asked.

Akira nodded and reached into his bag. "Come here Morgana." he said. He drew the cat from his bag slowly and set it on the table.

"What are you doing?!" Morgana hissed at him loudly.

Akira reached up and began to scratch Morgana behind the ears, quickly setting his companion purring. "See… I'm a normal guy." He said. "Mostly." He amended after a moment, thinking about his criminal record. "I've been judged since I got here, and the students aren't quiet about their rumor spreading. Morgana here keeps me calm, else I'd have snapped and probably proved one of those rumors right a long time ago. Hard to stay calm with everyone calling me a delinquent, or pretty much saying I'm stupid."

Makoto was watching him as he continued to scratch Morgana's ears. She tentatively reached out and scratched him up under the chin. "He's… soft." she said.

"Oooh… that's the spot…" Morgana said.

Akira smiled a bit. "I know, I know. Rules state I'm not supposed to bring him, but… he keeps me calm, he's generally quiet, and he's not messy. All I need to do is reach in my bag, rub on him a bit, and I feel calmer. High school is stressful enough without adding more onto it. And I help out all around town. I hold a placard for Toranosuke Yoshida. I work with Munehisa Iwai at Untouchable, generally dusting around the shop while he builds the airsoft guns. I work at a beef bowl shop, the convenience store, and the flower shop. It keeps me busy. I still study for tests and classes, still read when I can find a seat on the train."

Makoto pulled her hand back from Morgana a moment, watching Akira. "Why tell me all this?" she asked.

Akira shrugged his shoulders and lightly set Morgana in his lap to pet. "Mostly so that I can have another person not assuming things about me." he said. "Plus, I'm hoping you might stop tailing me. I'm a normal human being, I'm someone that can be talked to."

Makoto winced a bit at that. "I have been rather… rude, haven't I?" she asked softly.

"A little bit." Akira said without sugar coating it. "But I don't plan to let it get to me." He said. "I'm going to assume that Principal Kobayakawa asked you to look into the Phantom Thieves, and my friends and I ended up in your sights because of circumstances, right?"

Makoto winced and nodded. "Yes, I wished he would take my feelings of things into consideration when asking me these sorts of things." She said softly. Akira almost missed it with how softly she spoke. "But a lot of evidence pointed at you three." More than she could imagine if she ever found out about them being around Yusuke.

"Shirogane-senpai said a similar thing when he came asking in a similar vein of thought." Akira said.

"Shirogane-san?" Makoto asked surprised. "I thought he wasn't working the Phantom Thieves case."

"Not to my knowledge." Akira said, shrugging. "I hang out more with Shirogane-senpai's roommate, so conversations about ongoing police investigations are nil."

Makoto was surprised by that and leaned back in the chair a little bit. "I wasn't aware you were on such good terms with Shirogane-san. He's never mentioned you."

Akira shrugged again. "Shirogane-senpai was met through Yu Narukami. Like I said, I hang out with Yu more. Our meeting had been… less than ideal, but we quickly got through it. He's a good guy, both of them are good people."

Makoto frowned ever so slightly. "So you knew I would likely end up investigating you." she said a bit accusatory.

"A little bit." Akira said with a shrug. "When you met us on the roof, I kinda figured you suspected then. I'm half surprised you haven't already gone to Principal Kobayakawa about it." he said. "I'd be kicked out faster than you could say my name, Ryuji would likely be following me." And the prestigious Shujin Academy could claim some sob story about trying to help out the poor delinquents, but being incapable of doing so.

Makoto's frown got more pronounced as she crossed her arms under her bust. "I wouldn't accuse anyone without substantial evidence. It's not justice then."

Justice. Akira snorted a bit. "You'll have to excuse me. I don't put much stock in the justice system anymore." Not when it had failed him as hard as it had. Naoto never told him who filed the charges, but had informed him that she had a name.

"You're saying that your criminal record is false?" Makoto asked, surprised.

"Oh it's real." Akira said. "I went through the trial and everything, had someone testify, went before a judge, the works." He ran his fingers over Morgana's fur. "But the crime was, excuse the bluntness, bullshit. I never even touched the guy. But, he had influence, I was a dumb kid in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Makoto winced. "I'm sorry." she said. "But, I wouldn't turn you in without proper evidence." She said. She looked like she wanted to say something else.

Akira looked to her and decided to see if he couldn't give a gentle prod. "Something on your mind?" he asked her. He saw her look up. "You look like you have something else you want to say."

"That's…. Personal, Kurusu-san." Makoto said politely declining telling him.

Akira watched her a bit more. "First, call me Akira. Please. Second, I'm not going to judge whatever you want to say. We're all entitled to our opinions."

Makoto brushed some bangs back behind her ear a moment. She was quiet, watching Akira. He worried if he might have said something he shouldn't have. "Then call me Makoto." she said. "It seems that I keep getting further and further away from my peers the longer I stay as the Student Council President. Maybe this would be a step in the right direction in reconnecting with them." She watched Akira for a bit. "What do you think about the justice of the Phantom Thieves?" she asked.

Akira thought about it. She wasn't outright claiming him to be the leader again, so there was some benefit. He watched the older girl a bit. "Well, Makoto-senpai," He saw her wince slightly. "Makoto then." She gave a small, real smile and a nod. "I don't necessarily disagree with the Phantom Thieves." he said. "Targeting someone like Kamoshida-san, I can get behind that. It was someone like Kamoshida-san that got me a criminal record."

She frowned a bit at that. "So you agree with them then?" she asked.

"Not necessarily." Akira said. A minor lie, but not necessarily one. He didn't agree with the reasons Ryuji and Ann sometimes threw out, about wanting people to believe in them. He didn't care about Mishima's Phantom Thieves Aficionado Website. He cared about helping people, that was it. "The methods are still mostly unknown and could be very dangerous to whoever they target. It begs the question on the manner of what keeps them in check. What stops them from targeting innocent people?" The fact the group would never agree to go after innocent was a large part, but he had a part to play. "I'm sure you've seen that website that's recently popped up."

Makoto nodded her head. "My sister talked about that." she said. "It has a surprising amount of requests and information to it. It's almost scary. Even my name has appeared on it."

Now that, Akira was surprised by. He wondered if Ryuji or Ann had seen it. "I think the website is… an interesting source of information for such a group, and on such a group," he said carefully. "I mean, sure, most of the requests will end up going unresponded to, but some of them will likely post of some measure of success on the site, if the Phantom Thieves go after them."

Makoto nodded her head slowly. She could probably understand that sentiment. "Akira…" Makoto hesitated a moment. "I don't disagree with the Phantom Thieves either." she said softly.

"What?!" Morgana exclaimed surprised from Akira's ceaseless petting. He lightly gripped the scruff of Morgana's neck.

"Sorry, pet a wrong spot." Akira lied a bit as he moved to continued petting the cat. "What do you mean Makoto?" He asked.

"I didn't know about Kamoshida's abuse." Makoto said. "And was as horrified as everyone when I learned of it. He never seemed to have any interest in me, so I seemed to have escaped his attention or else I would have said something. But I've also heard rumors about bullying going on, and that stopped just as swiftly also, just as abruptly. The victims were apologized to. And then there's been rumors of a worse bully. It was… There's a lot going on behind the scenes. And I think some more criminal elements are causing problems for the students." She winced, closing one eye. "I hate being powerless to help. The adults I held such expectations for are not meeting them. Worse, I'm taking the fallout from it." She said.

Akira thought about it long and hard. It seemed the seed of rebellion had been planted inside Makoto by simply talking to her, by getting her to actually open up. He wondered though, was that seed enough? The Phantom Thieves had already agreed to go after the Bully that was making problems for the bullies. The others wouldn't necessarily like it though.

Makoto had left quite the impression after all their encounters with her.

"Just a second, apologies for the rudeness." Akira said and he pulled his phone out. He went to his contacts and pulled up Yu's number. He shot a quick text. ' **I think I found someone I can bring in to help. I'd like to swing by today and take her into Mementos. Let her see with her own eyes what we do.'**

' **It's a risk.'** Came the reply relatively quickly.

' **It's why I want you and Naoto-senpai with me. I'll hold off telling Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke for a bit. But I think she'd be a good fit.'** Akira glanced up to see Makoto giving him an unreadable look.

' **Why take the risk?'** Yu asked via the text message.

Akira glanced up from his phone at Makoto. "I want to show you something." Akira said. "Today. If you think the Phantom Thieves just, I want to show you what I do know. You're right that I know something, but I'll deny it ever again. But I want you to see with your own eyes, judge with your own eyes. You're determined, and driven. If I leave you to your own devices, I'm worried you might get yourself caught in a situation you can't get yourself out of. So… Do you want to keep learning about me from the source? Or do you want to keep stalking me with your nose in a manga? Forget the expectations of Principal Kobayakawa, forget the expectations of your sister. What does Makoto want?"

Makoto frowned, looking Akira in the eyes. "No one has ever asked what I want." she said softly.

"Just realize, that by walking the path of what you decide, you're chaining yourself to Hell itself. You have to take responsibility for all actions that you make, take responsibility for all mistakes. There is no guidance, and in the name of your own personal justice, you might make all manners of sacrilegious acts. The path of your own justice is one filled with strife. So… What does Makoto want?" Akira remembered the awakening of his Persona. He remembered what Arsene had told him. And he wanted Makoto to be sure that what he would show her was what she wanted.

Makoto bit her lip and closed her eyes. Her hand clenched into a fist for a moment before she opened her eyes. She had a determined look in them. She nodded her head. "Show me then Akira." she said.

Akira stood up and slipped Morgana into his bag. He answered Yu's text finally. ' **Because she'd make for a terrifying enemy to have. And I'd rather her be on my side than against me.'** Akira glanced back as he led the way out of the school, with Makoto following closely behind.

And given Ryuji and Ann's excitement, there was a good chance Makoto would overhear something she really shouldn't.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter, and it's about… almost 24 hours late. But that's fine. I've been pumping these chapters out twice a week since I started, so I think I'm entitled to a bit of lateness from time to time. But come Hell or High Water, I will have the next chapter out before I go to work Monday. I'm keeping this pace up, even if it breaks me. I cannot begin to express how much I have enjoyed writing this story and it will help me when I begin work on my own novel properly.**

 **So little bit of steamy romantic fun without going into sex, we'll be talking about the outcome of that next chapter. Especially since Akira and the others will be meeting Goro Akechi next chapter. Likely. Maybe. We'll hope.**

 **Also, I want to throw this out to all of you. Do we see Naoto's Reflection during the Kaneshiro Palace? Or should I wait for the Futaba Palace? They're the only two I can work it in during without derailing a number of plans that I have.**

 **So be excited for her, I sure as hell am.**

 **A/N 2: Minor edit. Bumped when Takashi Shirogane started as an investigator forward by about twenty years.**


	10. Chapter 10: Justice

Chapter 10: Justice

Makoto Niijima had not expected her day to go the way it had. She figured that she'd likely end up trying to, discreetly, tail Akira Kurusu and see what she could find. She thought it convenient that when the trouble maker had come to Shujin Academy that things with Kamoshida had begun to transpire. Plus with his first day being late there, the almost unusual friendship between him, Ryuji Sakamoto and Ann Takamaki, it was just too circumstantial to write off as them having nothing to do with the Phantom Thieves.

She had, during their talk, been prepared to do just that. Akira had shown himself to be a polite young man just trying to find some semblance of normalcy after having his world flipped around. But then he had confirmed that he did know something. And if Akira knew something, then chances were that Ryuji Sakamoto and Ann Takamaki did as well, her initial suspects having proven fruitful. She could very easily go and get the information that someone like her sister or Principal Kobayakawa could use and turn it in.

But… something nagged at the back of her head. No one had ever asked what Makoto wanted. They all just assumed. They wanted to give their own sense of justice to her. Akira was the first one to offer to show her and let her make her own decisions.

' _By taking the path of what you decide, you are chaining yourself to Hell itself.'_ His words from earlier seemed melodramatic at first, but he then had gone on to expound upon the statement. No one else would be there to offer her guidance. Her decisions had to be made, and if she made them then it was going to be up to her to own up to them.

' _Have… tread… strife?'_ Makoto reached up and touched the side of her head slightly. She glanced around from beside Akira. She had thought she heard a woman's voice.

"Did you hear that?" Makoto asked in a low tone to the dark haired boy she stood next to.

"Hear what?" He asked, turning to look at her. She took in how sharp and focused his eyes were. Before, while they talked they had that sharp look in them. Prior times he had tried to talk to her, it had a lackadaisical sort of look. His gaze was rather intense when focused in her opinion.

"Nothing." Makoto said, biting her lip and glancing around. Was she going mad? Then again, she was following a boy she barely knew to find out about the Phantom Thieves. She really should have asked to check his bag.

She inhaled a moment. No, that was rude of her. She didn't think he did carry a knife. It was foolish to think that he would. Besides, even if he did, she had Aikido to fall back on, and it was something she was no slouch at. She had long since learned how to deal with an opponent coming at her armed. She inhaled a bit, rolling her shoulders.

They came to the central street stop and Makoto followed Akira off. In moments, they were topside. The smell of Big Bang Burger wafting through the air made her stomach churn slightly. How many times had she been forced to swallow that because her sister worked late? She couldn't stand the stuff.

Akira's feet thankfully led them away from the greasy fast food towards the residential area. She didn't know where Akira was taking her, but she was prepared to find out. He came to a house at the end of a dead end and headed for the front door where he rang the doorbell.

Makoto glanced to the side where a motorcycle sat on a tarp with parts clearly taken off for it to be worked on. Who lived here?

The door opened to reveal a taller, silver haired teen that Makoto knew well enough. She had been at Shujin during her second year when Yu Narukami had been there for his third. The distinct silver hair was something she wasn't bound to miss. It never occurred to her that when Akira had mentioned Yu Narukami that it would be the older student who had graduated from Shuji with honors. She had almost forgotten his name.

He stepped back, letting the door swing open more. "Naoto-kun, visitors. Roll it up, it doesn't concern them." He said, looking back.

Makoto hesitated a moment before stepping in. She traded her shoes in for the house slippers. "Narukami-senpai." she greeted politely.

"Niijima-san. Sorry, but I don't really remember you." Yu said and offered an apologetic smile. "My head wasn't in the best place last year and with the usual business of third year, I don't really remember many faces from my time at Shujin Academy."

Makoto accepted the apology for what it was and glanced further into the house. She saw Akira already setting his bag down and taking Morgana out to let the cat wander around. He also grabbed a second bag, opening it. She heard some clinking of metal, like the sound of several cans of drink rattling together. He zipped it closed before she got too close. She also saw Naoto Shirogane finishing packing up what he and Yu had been working on.

She inhaled a moment. "What is it that you wanted to show me Akira?" she asked, trying to remain polite and keep an open mind about things. But all these people that she knew, maybe not well, but knew had been involved. She even looked up to Naoto and Yu. What else had she been blind to?

"You sure about this Akira?" Naoto asked. The boy had picked up his own blue pack and was shrugging it on over his jacket.

Akira nodded determinedly. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and tapped something. He then glanced at Makoto a moment. "I want you to stick behind us." He told her. "Things are about to get… weird."

She frowned ever so slightly. Weird? Weirder than they already were? Yu brought her shoes over to her, as well as Akira's, Naoto's, and his own. He also grabbed his own, larger, black duffle bag and slung it over one shoulder. He stepped up to Akira. "It's your show." He said before moving to stand by Naoto.

Akira tapped something in on his phone and looked over to Makoto. "What you're about to see… I don't know how to explain it. I don't know why or how it exists, just that it does. But it's time for you to see with your own eyes and determine your own justice."

There was that word again. Justice. Makoto nodded her head and set her bag down. She didn't think she needed it. School books and supplies were clearly not going to be needed for whatever it was they were doing. She wished she had something a bit more comfortable to wear than her school uniform, but she'd make do.

" _Initiating Travel."_ Akira's phone announced.

Makoto felt something practically jerk her forward. She took a half step forward from it and the feel reverberated side her head. ' _Have you… walk… of strife?'_ She clenched at the side of her head, like she was trying to grab at something there. But there was nothing there to grab.

"Makoto!" Akira's words managed to snap her back to reality. She saw him looking at her worriedly, second guessing himself for an instant. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." she said softly. "Just a small headache." She lightly rubbed her temples a moment.

"Here." Yu said, popping open a can of soda. She took it and drank, grimacing slightly at the salty taste of the Dr. Salt NEO. Sweet and salty did not need to be mixed into a soda. "It's probably an adverse reaction to the world we're in now. The caffeine helps. Just, save your questions until we get to our destination. I know a lot of strangeness is being thrown at you, just hold off, your questions will likely get answered in time."

Makoto nodded and grimaced again before downing the rest of the can in one go. She really disliked that stuff. She followed suit with everyone as they swapped out the house slippers into actual shoes for walking. She was a bit surprised when Yu walked across the hardwood of his own home, even let Naoto do so in his hard soled boots.

But Makoto followed suit, going after the group. Even the cat was coming along, hopping up onto Akira's shoulder and meowing. Akira spoke in softer tones to it and Makoto furrowed her brow at the strangeness. Was he legitimately talking to the cat?

But what was even stranger was the way that they moved among the people. Yu's neighbors didn't even turn to look at them or anything. When they turned, Makoto even bumped into someone, but they hardly seemed phased, walking on while she rubbed her shoulder a bit. "This is getting weird." she said.

"I told you it would." Akira said. He came to the subway station and headed down, not quite going all the way down to the platform. But he paused at a certain point and leaned against the escalators. He was looking at her with those intense eyes again as he removed his glasses and tucked them away. "It's dangerous from this point on. And you're going to see things get even weirder. So far, things have been odd, but nothing that can't be brushed aside. Are you ready to see this through or do I take you back?"

Dangerous. Makoto frowned a moment. DId he think she was weak? But then she glanced to Yu and Naoto. From his bag, the silver haired adult was pulling a large sword that he balanced on his shoulders. Her eyes went wide and her heart raced. But no one, none of the people that were walking down into the depths had even given a start at the sight of it. Yu then shouldered the rest of his bag. She turned to Akira and slowly nodded her head.

Akira pushed from the railway and reached into the new bag that he had. He pulled out a handgun and held it out to her by the barrel. "There, to help you protect yourself. Just… remember trigger discipline."

Makoto reached out and took it. She felt the solid weight in her hands and ran a thumb along the side of it. For a moment, she went down memory lane, remembering her father's revolver in her hands as he showed it to her. She swallowed slightly. What was Akira doing with a gun?

"Here." Yu said, walking up with a vest of some sort. "Some armor as well."

"You should take it Makoto." Naoto said. Makoto didn't let it show, but she was glad the sleuth finally used her first name. But she did as she was recommended and took the vest. She slipped it on and took the time to make sure it was secure.

"When will you explain things?" Makoto asked softly. She didn't have a good feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Akira glanced behind him. "Just down these stairs." he said calmly. "That's where things get to be the height of weird."

Makoto nodded and she held the gun loosely in both hands before starting for the stairs. She felt the others behind her, even felt the cat brush up against her legs. But they moved downwards. The lights overhead flickered, plunging them into total darkness. She yelped a bit, even as she felt a pull forward.

When the lights came on, they were a deep blood red, casting the stones into an eerie color. She glanced around at the area that was devoid of anyone around, the screens flickered with static. She turned to see Yu and Naoto come down. Yu flicked his fingers to the side and she watched a blue card of some kind form up before being swiped away and a new one taking its place. Naoto was pulling out a revolver and checking it, thumbing the cylinder to the side to check the rounds.

But it was Akira and Morgana that were the surprise. Akira was now dressed in a white domino mask, black leathers, with a black duster, and crimson gloves. Morgana, or at least she assumed it was Morgana, had turned bipedal and seemed like a caricature of a cat. She tightened her grip on the gun. "What is going on?!" She demanded.

Akira held up his hands carefully and tilted his mask back. "This is Mementos." he said. "It is the public's cognitive representation. I don't know all the details myself, but I promised you answers. I'm the Leader of the Phantom Thieves. If you want to turn me in after all this, fine, just please keep anyone else's name out of it."

The leader… Makoto felt a lead ball sink in her stomach. The Leader of the Phantom Thieves themselves had brought her here. The blood red light suddenly looked a lot more ominous and she felt woozy. Her legs about gave out but Akira moved forward and caught her before she slammed into the ground. She looked up at the worried look on her face and before she could stop it, she voiced her concerns. "You're going to kill me aren't you?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears.

"What?!" Akira asked loudly. "No! No! Hell no!" He got them up to their feet and she didn't even mention the relief she had at hearing the vehement denial of her accusation. "What gave that impression?" He shook his head and stepped back.

She heard some gentle chuckles behind her and she turned to glare at Naoto and Yu who were unabashedly amused.

"The armor you have on would make it so he did minimal damage anyways." Yu said amused. "Probably be able to take him down before he could hurt you."

Makoto turned away and took a moment to look around a bit more. She pulled her phone out, only to see that there was no service and even her camera wasn't working. That surprised her immensely. "Where are we?" she asked.

"Mementos." Akira reiterated. "It is the Public Cognition. Except in the Metaverse, things get a little strange. Down below the Shadows lurk, that is to say the repressed emotions and desires of humanity. A particularly distorted and strong desire can lead to what we call a Palace. Kamoshida had one. He thought of Shujin Academy as a Castle, himself a King, and the students his property to do as he pleased with. It was a shrine to his perverse nature. Mementos can be called the Public's Palace. It's not the world you and I are used to."

"A pretty simplified explanation, but good enough." The cat talked and Makoto brought the gun up to bear at it.

"It's… It's a talking cat." she said with wide eyes.

"I'm not a cat! Quit pointing that thing at me!" Morgana said, looking like he was about ready to move.

"We don't necessarily know what Morgana is. On the outside, he's a cat. In here, he's this. There's some strong theories going around, but he believes himself to be human and he's friendly." Akira said, stepping in front of the gun slightly.

Makoto slowly lowered the gun, breathing a bit heavier. She looked at Akira's clothes a bit more. "What's happened to your clothes?" she asked. "And why do they look normal?" She motioned to Yu and Naoto who were still looking entirely too amused.

"It's apparently the manifestation of his Rebellious Will." Naoto said stepping forward. "When he has discarded the mask that he presents the public at large. The reason Yu-senpai and I don't have such clothes is because while we have similar powers of Persona, they are different. Akira, if you'd give a small demonstration."

Akira stepped up and pointed at a blank part of the wall. He grabbed the white domino mask a moment. "Arsene, Eiha!" Makoto was not expecting the creature that spawned forth in a red tuxedo with black wings and chains coming from it. A blast of red and black energy struck the concrete, splashing almost harmlessly against it.

"Arsene is a Persona." Yu said. "His first one. A Persona is… like a shadow. A repressed side of yourself, only it has become a partner and an ally to you. Their power is great. But we haven't been able to figure out the difference between our Persona and the Persona of the Phantom Thieves."

Makoto nodded her head slowly. That explained very little. "And the whole… changing hearts business?" she asked.

Akira stepped back and pushed the mask back up to his forehead a moment. "I don't speak for everyone." He said honestly. "But I just want to help people. Kamoshida was a right bastard. When I was late that first day, Ryuji and I had accidently activated the Meta-Nav app that lets us come here. We ended up in Kamoshida's Palace. Kamoshida's Shadow was dead set on killing Ryuji and I."

Makoto winced slightly at that. It definitely didn't sound good. But she began to calm down a little bit. She felt a little tired, but nothing she couldn't handle yet. She wondered if she should mention it, but ultimately dismissed it. The day was just stressful already. From what she was hearing, Akira did have the best intentions involved and wasn't doing it because he could. "You mentioned you wondered what kept you in check." MAkoto said.

"We don't go after a target that the group can't agree on. We all agreed on Kamoshida the moment we found out what happened with Shiho Suzui." Akira said solemnly. "That's why we're here today. We have a smaller target, but a no less important one. The bully that's leading the group of bullies at school. Turns out, he's also bullying them and black mailing them. The group already decided to go after him. I'd be lying if I didn't say I didn't get a thrill out of this, but ultimately I'm doing it to help."

Makoto frowned a bit. She definitely didn't necessarily like what she was hearing, but she couldn't exactly fault him. "And how exactly do you go about changing their hearts?"

"We take their Treasure." Akira said. "That is to say, the cognitive representation of the source of their twisted desires. For Kamoshida, it was his olympic gold medal. For Madarame, which I'm sure you'll learn about soon enough, it was the original painting of Sayuri. Down here on the other hand, the treasure hasn't fully manifested yet, and it's just a bud of a treasure. This is the Public's Palace after all. Not everyone has distorted enough desires to merit a full blown Palace like Kamoshida and Madarame."

Makoto thought long and hard about what she was being told. She felt the tightness of the armor she was wearing and she held the gun in her hand. Akira and his friends were fixing issues that she definitely would have tried to fix if she knew about them as well. She felt a strong sense of justice. Sae would have told her to turn them in.

But Makoto thought her father might have agreed with their justice. She looked to Akira a moment and nodded her head. "Then let's go. You brought me here to see what it is that you do, then show me."

Akira nodded and pulled out a knife from his bag before he headed down further. Yu and Naoto followed him. Morgana, Makoto noticed, watched her a second before heading down to follow them. Makoto quickly followed along behind them. She kept the gun pointed down for obvious reasons.

Once downstairs, things changed for the weird again when Morgana had shifted into a large bus. She was surprised by that. "Can we do that?" she asked, arching a brow.

"No, that particular weirdness is all Morgana." Yu said. "Naoto, I believe it's your turn to drive."

The smaller boy swore but before towards the front of the bus, getting in the driver side and adjusting things a little bit to make it easier for him to drive. Makoto moved to get in the middle seat, with Yu taking the front and Akira taking the seat beside her. "Why is Naoto?" She glanced to the sleuth who gave a nod, allowing the familiar use of his name. "Driving?" she finished.

"Yu had the grand idea of having everyone learning to drive. Naoto-senpai has the most difficulty given Morgana's layout." Akira grimaced a bit. "Better than Ann any day though." he said.

"That bad?" Makoto asked.

"Takamaki-san's banned from driving." Naoto said from the front. "She almost drove us into a wall."

Makoto grimaced a bit but settled in. It was a bit of stop and go for a bit, but soon Naoto was getting into the rhythm of things and driving, sitting up close towards the wheel. Makoto figured there was still things she wasn't being told, but she got to catch a few glimpse of the Shadows that were mentioned. They didn't seem dangerous, in fact they kept running.

"It's because Naoto-senpai and Yu are here." Akira said, already hearing the question on her mind apparently. "They're afraid. Survival instincts are still present in the repressed sides of humans. It makes training down here a bit of a problem since we can't have Naoto and Yu with. The exceptions are Shadows of our targets, since we basically call them out. It makes them a little more alert and stronger."

"What makes them so special?" Makoto asked curiously.

"They had a similar experience to what me and the others are experiencing back in Inaba two years ago." The black haired boy turned to regard her a bit more. "We accidently dragged Yu into Kamoshida's Palace, he brought along Naoto. We got our asses handed to us by the pair. Yu's like me, able to summon multiple Persona. He's switching when you see him swiping to a new card like that. For me, I have to pull the mask off and put it back on. Everyone else can only summon one Persona. I much prefer our way of exploring the Metaverse though. They had to climb in through a department store TV. Still can't believe no one ever caught them."

"My Uncle Ryotaro did piece together than me and my friends were making a lot of trips to the Electronics section a lot." Yu said. "And the man behind the murders that started everything did know we were meeting up. He had a good few laughs about it, but we beat him in the end."

Makoto looked a bit surprised and looked between the two before settling back into her seat. But she kept her eye out and soon they were coming to a glowing red and black portal. Morgana transformed back into cat thing form and walked with them through the portal.

Makoto looked surprised at the Shujin student some number of meters away from them. The group began to walk up towards him and she felt her heart clench. Shadows seemed to rise up around him and he noticed them with his yellow eyes.

" **You think you can blame me for what I've done? Judge me? Don't make me laugh."** The Shadow said smugly. " **It's a dog eat dog world, you here? Might makes right, and I'm the mightiest."**

"And what gives you the right to dictate that?" Makoto asked, stepping forward before she could stop herself.

" **The Rules of Nature do, Niijima-san."** Worse, the Shadow seemed to even recognize her. " **The Weak are nothing but food for the strong. Prey to be taken advantage of and devoured."** Was this how this person truly saw things? It was… it was despicable.

"Uhg!" Makoto felt her heart racing, and her head pounded.

This time, when the voice spoke, it spoke in a loud, clear feminine voice. ' _Have you decided to tread the path of strife? Does my voice finally reach you?"_ It asked her.

Makoto clenched the side of her head and grit her teeth. "Yes." she said.

"Yes… Even if it means chaining myself to Hell. Come to me…" Makoto dug her nails along the side of her head, ignoring the pain. The throbbing hurt more.

' _Excellent. Let us proceed with the contract at once.'_

The throbbing hurt again. It felt like someone drove a hammer against the back of her skull. Makoto felt like she was going to vomit and her eyes were wide. The scenery grew darker around her, she saw Akira and the others turning to face her a bit worried. But MAkoto could barely focus past the pain. She took a half step forward, her body reacted with more strength than she should have used and actually drove her foot into the tiles, cracking them.

' _I am thou, thou art I.'_ She began to give small sounds of pain as she reached up with both hands, clenching at something that just wasn't there. ' _You have finally heard my voice, and found your own path of justice. Please, never lose sight of it again.'_

Another hard step forward that broke tiles and Makoto felt something smooth and metallic under her fingers, attached to her face. A mask, the mask she wore. The mask of a prim and proper Student Council President, always listening to the words of the adults. Always following what she was told. Following what she was told to do had led her to this. Led her to see that the adults didn't make things better. Their actions allowed bullies such as the one in front of her to fester. She'd be no better than them if she kept the mask.

The mask disgusted her. It had to go. Go. GO. Pull it off!

She began to pull, crying out as she felt it sticking to her skin. It had to come off. ' _This memorable day marks the graduation of your false self.'_ She grit her teeth and wrenched it free, blood spilling down her face before blue flames erupted from the wound and covered her.

The sounds of chains rattling filled her ears as she felt what she one. Her right hand grasped the handle and twisted, revving and making the chains sound. She breathed heavier, but had never felt more free than in that moment. Makoto Niijima had found her justice. She could feel the constrictive leather of the outfit she wore, but… damned did it feel good.

She felt powerful and confident. Like she could do anything. Be anything.

She turned to look at the bully. She could feel her other self. She revved the engine and the wheel spun, straightening her out as she maneuvered it with a frightening ease. "Let's go, Johanna!" she cried out.

The Shadow erupted from a student into what looked like a Black Frost. Makoto moved with Akira and Morgana, Yu and Naoto taking up a flanking position. The battle was fierce, but short lived, but in those moments, Makoto had never felt more alive.

But when it was over, and Johanna left her to form the metal mask on her face, Makoto felt more drained than ever. She almost fell to her knees she felt so woozy.

The Shadow returned to normal, even as Akira held her up, with one of her arms around his shoulders. It was embarrassing, and she breathed heavier, but none of them seemed to be looking at her like she was weak.

" **I'm strong. I'm not a loser."** The Shadow almost sounded pathetic. What came next, Makoto wondered to herself.

"You're strong" Akira said. "Should you be using that strength to really bully others?" he asked.

The Shadow bowed its head. " **I'm pathetic."**

"Well, it's a dog eat dog world." Naoto's voice was a higher pitch that had Makoto staring. Wait. When had that happened?

" **Please, spare me, I'm begging you!"**

"Relax. We're not the ones you need to ask for forgiveness from." Yu said. "You know what you have to do."

The Shadow nodded and was enveloped in a light. Slowly it went away only to leave a glass orb of some kind behind. Akira reached out and grabbed it, it seemed to be a crystal of some kind.

"Wait, that's it?" Makoto asked softly, half panting.

"That's it." Akira said. "Morgana, get some coffee from my pack." he said.

The cat grabbed a thermos and soon passed it over to Makoto. When she sipped it, she soon began to greedily gulp it down. She had enough strength that Akira was able to let her go and she wasn't in danger of falling down on her own.

"Let's return to the entrance." Yu said calmly. "There, we can fill her in on the rest, if she wants to join you Akira."

"I do." Makoto said once she was done drinking. That was some very good coffee. Did Akira make it? She wondered what it would have tasted like fresher. "If there are worse than that in this world, I can't just turn a blind eye to it."

They quickly returned to the entrance and sat around. She got another thermos of coffee which she drank a little slower. The rest were drinking cans of soda, including Morgana which was quite the sight to behold.

"We left the codenames for the time being, but generally when we're in Palaces, we use them. Going with the whole Phantom Thief motif of not being known to the general public." Akira said. "I'm Joker. Morgana's Mona. Yu is Fool. Naoto is Scientist. Ann is Panther, Ryuji Skull, and Yusuke Kitagawa is Fox."

"Who is Yusuke?" Makoto asked, frowning a moment. It was not a name she was familiar with from the various students at Shujin Academy.

"Madarame's pupil. That is a long story to be told." Akira said with a grimace.

"So what will I be called down here?" Makoto asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

The four looked at her for a while. Akira glanced down to her feet, to her arms, and then to her eyes. He tilted his head slightly. "How about… Queen?" he asked.

"It fits surprisingly well." Naoto said.

"Can someone please tell me why Naoto suddenly sounds more feminine?" Makoto asked. It was bothering her a lot.

Naoto pulled the hat down. "I am a woman Makoto." She said, blushing slightly. "Senpai and I agreed that I shouldn't keep the ruse up around the members of the Phantom Thieves."

Oh. Makoto blushed, thankful her mask covered most of her face. "But he still calls you Naoto-kun." She said. She was confused.

Akira threw his hands up. "It's why I just use Senpai for her. I'm not keeping track of it."

Yu chuckled a bit though. "Naoto-kun prefers to dress as a man, speak like one. I'm generally the only one that gets to see her feminine side, being her boyfriend and all."

"Senpai!" Naoto hissed.

Wait… Naoto was living with her boyfriend? Makoto's face flushed a bit more at that. She didn't want to think about whatever they might have gotten up to. She cleared her throat. "So… what now?" she asked.

"Now, we return to the real world and continue acting like normal people." Akira said, heading for the stairs. "I'll get you armor and weapons for real. The gun is just a model on the outside world, but for some reason in here it seems to work like a real one. Also, can I get your contact information?" he asked.

Makoto nodded and rattled off her information, taking her phone out and putting Akira's in when he gave it to her. She could still access her contacts, but it seemed most things on her phone didn't work.

She was a bit surprised when they walked all the way back to Yu's home. She was also thankful the leathers vanished when they came back up into the light of day. She didn't want to have to try sneaking those around with her sister. But she also felt suddenly very drained, like she could sleep for a long time.

"We use Yu's house as a staging ground, because we can head into the Metaverse and leave it from inside." Morgana said, in full blown cat form, while walking beside her. "We've had a few close calls with being caught, but we don't want to get caught again."

"I'm talking to a cat." Makoto said, shaking her head.

Once inside Yu's house, shoes were traded and they returned to the real world. Akira put his things back into his bag and then he gathered his school bag and Morgana before leaving with her.

It was later that night when her phone buzzed. She saw an invite to a chat group and tapped her thumb to accept. ' **Everyone, I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Phantom Thieves. Makoto-senpai will be assisting us from now on as Queen. I'm sorry about not taking the time to check with everyone else. It was a spur of the moment thing, and I'll make sure that it doesn't happen in the future.'**

Makoto smiled a little bit at the introduction that Akira gave her, as well as the apology to the rest. It was good of him. ' **Hello.'** She sent, figuring simple would be easier.

Queen of the Phantom Thieves… She liked that.

 _Scene Break_

Akira bounced his foot on the ground, staring out the window a little bit, hearing the clock tick. His class was abuzz with excitement, going on and on about Akechi while they worked through the self study. With the teacher out for their last period of the day, they had a free period to pretty much study and most of his classmates were using the chance to do so and gossip about the TV station trip they had been on just the past Friday and Saturday.

He had thought about it all of yesterday and something bugged him. Something that he didn't like. He frowned a moment and pulled his phone out. He went to the group chat. ' **We need to meet up.'**

' **Yeah, we should totally get together and figure out how we wanna celebrate!'** Akira frowned at Ryuji's response. He'd take care of that the next time that he hung out with the blonde. But for the time being he had more pressing matters in mind.

' **Quit texting in class.'** Makoto sent. That almost got Akira to chortle. Despite awakening to her Persona, Makoto was still a very grades driven woman. He gave a small shake of his head.

He noticed Ann glancing over her shoulder at him.

' **That's not what I mean Ryuji. What I want to talk about is a little more serious. Goro Akechi said something that bothers me.'** Akira knew he would get the attention of Naoto at the very least.

' **Swing by my place.'** Yu's message was short and simple, no doubt covering for both him and Naoto. It was something Akira had noticed, Naoto never messaged in the group. Ever. He wondered what was up with that.

Akira tucked his phone away and went through the motions of being a good student for the last thirty minutes or so. Eventually though, once class let out, he made his way to the train station. Ryuji, Ann, and Makoto joined him as they got on the train car. He checked his phone briefly to see that Naoto and Yu would be running a little late and that he should use the spare key by the door.

He wondered about that. Naoto went to Shujin with them and if Makoto was able to leave quick enough to join them, then shouldn't Naoto? But then, Akira didn't bother asking. He'd get his answers soon enough. So together, they went to Yu's home and Akira grabbed the key, opening the door. He'd wait and hold onto it before returning it to Yu.

"So man, what do you want to talk about?" Ryuji asked as they took their shoes off. "I mean, he's just a pretty boy that's been making waves on TV right? No need to stick our nose into it."

Akira shook his head and he took Morgana out of his bag. "We'll wait until everyone is here." he said. He sat down at the table, watching as everyone moved about the house. Ryuji sat down on the couch and began to play a phone game, fingers tapping at the screen. Makoto sat down on the other side from Akira, taking the moment to take out some school work. Ann simply sat down as well, texting.

When the doorbell sounded, Akira stood up and headed for the door. He peeked out the peep hole and saw Yusuke and let him in. "Has Yu not returned?" the artist asked.

"Not yet, he said he's running a little late." Akira said. They both went inside, with Akira taking his spot at the table, taking a moment to think and get his thoughts in order.

Yusuke nodded and found a quiet spot at a corner. He took out his sketchbook and worked at something. Occasionally he'd glance at the couch but then look down, sketching. But to Akira, it looked like his eyes were glazed over, as though he was seeing something that wasn't there. The black haired boy shook his head. He was going to leave Yusuke Kitagawa alone. Whatever he was sketching was none of Akira's business.

The door opened and business stopped for a moment. Yu came in through the front door followed by Naoto. "Sorry we're late. My train was late, and Naoto-kun and I had to do some grocery shopping." He was coming in with two armfuls of grocery bags. Naoto was even stepping in with some hanging from one hand.

The pair went to the kitchen and Akira watched the pair a moment. "You both know something's off about Akechi." he said carefully. It was just a guess.

"Yeah. We do. Naoto-kun, want to go get my files?" Yu asked while he set to work putting the groceries that they had gotten away. "We also used the chance of grocery shopping to decide how much we'll fill you in."

"You don't trust us?" Makoto asked, turning to look at Yu in the kitchen.

"We do." The sole adult said. "But you have to understand, there are some things we can't just give you every bit of information that we have. Partly because we don't know how people will react."

Slowly, Akira nodded. They did have some hot headed members of their group, Yusuke was an oddball, and they were still learning Makoto. "How about I tell you what I determined, and you can tell us as much or as little as you want." he said.

Yu nodded his head and started a pot of coffee, as was his tradition it seemed. Then again, Yu and Naoto drank quite a bit of coffee. Akira decided he was probably going to ask for a mug, he was slowly getting to enjoy the caffeine more and more. He used to think it as bitter as could be. Oh well, Sojiro was rubbing off on him.

Akira took an inhale. "Goro Akechi has been to the Metaverse." he said, just dropping the bombshell out of the gate.

"Wait, what?!" Ryuji asked, snapping up. Makoto sat up straighter, turning to look at Akira properly. Yosuke abandoned his sketching to adopt a troubled look on his face. Ann was mirroring the look of surprise on Ryuji's face.

"Caught that too, didn't you Joker?" Morgana sounded smug.

Akira nodded his head at the cat. "Remember our first day at the TV station?" He asked Ryuji and Akira. "After we had been forced into manual labor and were talking about going to Dome Town?"

"Sure." Ryuji said. He grabbed his shoulder and rotated it some. Akira had noted that Ryuji tended to do that whenever he was agitated or excited, as though he was prepping his body to move.

Akira pressed on. "Remember when he came around the corner? He asked if we were all going for cake. None of us mentioned cake, yet he said he thought one of us did."

Ann furrowed her brows and nodded. "How does that mean he's been to the Metaverse?" she asked.

" _I_ mentioned pancakes." Morgana said, sounding smug. "So if he heard us talking about cake, he could only have heard me talking about cake."

"And he could only have heard Morgana if he had been deep into the Metaverse, deep enough to awaken a Persona." Akira said. "Makoto didn't hear Morgana talking until she went into the subway, after my clothes changed."

Akira glanced to Yu as he clapped a bit. "Good. You gathered important intel, paid attention to details, and deduced what it could mean. You'd have made a good fit with the Investigation Team as well." Naoto returned and gave Yu the files, heading into the kitchen for her first cup of coffee. "Now, I'll share what I know, but I want a promise from each of you. I want you all to promise you won't treat Akechi any differently than what you normally would." he said.

"Why would we do that? He could help us." Ryuji said standing up.

Yu shook his head. "He's a poor fit to the makeup of the Phantom Thieves." he said bluntly. "Now, a promise."

"I promise." Akira said. It started a slow cascade of the others, each of them slowly nodding in turn. Whatever Yu had to say, it had to be important or else he wouldn't be so adamant about the promise. But Akira had a feeling he'd be dealing with Akechi more than anyone else.

Yu nodded his head. "With the information you just gave me Akira, I can confidently claim that Goro Akechi is our black masked Palace Infiltrator that Madarame mentioned." Everyone sat up straighter. Akira had expected he'd drop the biggest bombshell, but Yu's completely blew him out of the park. "I've been tracking his work for a few weeks now, since Naoto-kun came home angrily decrying him as an attention-seeking, ostentatious, braggart. The childlike innocence? The charisma? All a ploy. He's demanding attention. And everything comes too easy for him. Seventeen cases in less than a year. It'd be pretty impressive, if I wasn't certain now that he's the cause of them."

Makoto covered her mouth briefly, her eyes wide. "The Mental Breakdowns."

Yu acknowledge Makoto's words with a nod of his head in her direction. "That's right. I don't know how the whole thing works, but I'm going to assume he's a Persona user and that it has something to do with his Persona. Go into Mementos, cause some poor bus driver to have a mental breakdown, say he was trying to attack some politician. If he's successful, politician is dead, make a case out of it. If he's unsuccessful, plant some evidence that points to the bus driving as wanting the politician dead. Akechi finds it, and there you go. Another case down for the upstart. Akechi goes on TV, talking about justice and morals and he's made to look like some upstanding genius of a detective."

"Holy Shit." Ryuji said, sitting there with his eyes wide. "That's terrifyin'."

Yu nodded his head. "That's all I can really say for certain. I can't tell you why, or who is benefiting from this. That's not what I focused on. Instead, Naoto-kun is working on those details." Akira thought it was truly scary that Naoto was already that ahead of the ball on things.

"And that has to deal with an ongoing police investigation, so I'll be keeping that information confidential." Naoto said as she sipped at her coffee. "So I have a suspect, and a motive. That helps."

"What could Akechi gain from all this?" Yusuke asked from his spot at the side.

"Why he's doing it personally can be argued." Yu said and shrugged. "He could simply, truly be an attention seeking braggart, someone that was used to being no one until he discovered Mementos. Why someone is backing him in his task of doing these things? Well… that falls under police investigation confidentiality, so we're not going to get an answer out of Naoto-kun about it." Yu then went into the kitchen to get a mug of coffee.

Akira stood up and went to get one himself. It wasn't as good as what Sojiro served, but he'd be lying if he said Yu didn't know how to make some coffee. The adult of their group kept fresh beans so that he could enjoy the benefits of a good pot of coffee. Akira sipped the hot fluid and moved to stand in the living room again so that he could look at everyone. "Thoughts?" he asked.

"Goro Akechi goes to a different school that Shujin Academy." Makoto said slowly. "And he's from a different school from Kosei High School as well, so Kitagawa-kun won't have to deal with him either. We will have to be careful of interactions that could lead us to him. Sis tends to deal with him, but I think she may be safe, for the time being." She bit her lip and brushed her bangs back. "Ultimately, I think we'll be okay."

"Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves?" Ann asked. "I mean, a lot of this seems pretty bad, but we have no idea if he is a Persona user or not." she said.

Ryuji shrugged. "There's an easy way to check." he said. He seemed to not realize what he said until everyone was looking at him. "The Meta-Nav…" he said, a bit unused to all the attention.

"Wow… That's pretty smart for you Ryuji." Morgana said.

"What was that?!" Ryuji asked angrily.

"Enough!" Yu barked out, getting the pair to cut with their antics. "Don't start that in my home."

Akira nodded his head and pulled his phone out. He typed in Akechi's name and Mementos. He had a feeling what would happen, but it would give them some answers. ' _No Match Found.'_

"There you have it." Yu said. "There's a strong chance he's a Persona user from that alone, I'm not saying it's a hundred percent certain, but I wouldn't trust him. I made that mistake before."

"Then what comes next?" Yusuke asked.

"I don't mean to sound impertinent, but I have a suggestion for a target." Makoto said from her position at the table. "There's apparently been some students getting involved with criminal elements at Shujin Academy."

Thoughts of Goro Akechi were put on the backburner for the time being, but for Akira, they were not forgotten about.

 _Scene Break_

"So let me get this straight," Yu said into his phone as he stood outside the subway station. "You want me to come with you to the Red Light District to this bar Crossroads, so that you can speak with a reporter that you barely know to get information on the thing Makoto brought up." Akira really had a way of making Yu's night interesting. He pinched the bridge of his nose slightly. "Alright, fine." he said.

" _Well, it was either ask you or go it alone with Ryuji. And between you and me, I'd take the trained Kendo practitioner than the former track star."_

Yu chuckled at the comment before he shouldered his bag a bit more. By sheer dumb luck, Akira even caught him after Kendo Practice on the sixteenth of June. "I'll see you guys there." He said before hanging up. He opened his phone towards the text messages with Naoto. He smiled at just seeing the messages filled with just general talk.

He loved that girl.

' **Don't wait up.'** He texted quickly. ' **Akira asked for my help with something.'** He then tucked his phone away and headed away towards the train station for Shinjuku. He paid his fare and took a moment to look at what he could on Crossroads.

From what he was able to determine, it was a bar that catered more towards the gender and sexuality fluid crowd. That wasn't to say they only catered to those people, but that was the general clientele. They had apparently just had a drag queen contest the last Friday. Oh joy.

Yu stepped off in Shinjuku and sighed. The smells that permeated the air was worse than the ones near central street. None of the greasy fast food, but there was a general smell of alcohol. He opened his bag just slightly and slipped his hand into it, grabbing the handle of his _bokuto_. While he didn't want to get into an altercation that would lead to police involvement, the area was colloquially known as a Red Light district for a reason.

He took his time wandering around briefly, getting a feel for the place. He even stopped by the Fortune Teller that was about to do a reading on him. The first card she flipped was the World, so Yu kindly thanked her but declined the rest of the reading, paying her some money for the trouble. He dealt with that enough with Igor. He stopped in at a bookstore and picked up a few books that weren't baudy. He even managed to find Crossroads.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out. ' **We're here at the train station.'** Yu pushed himself from the wall and went towards the train station again, spotting Akira and Ryuji. He shook his head at Ryuji, spotting him in the Shujin Uniform.

"What?" Ryuji asked.

"You stick out like a sore thumb." Yu said. He pulled his wallet out and gave Ryuji money. "Go home, we'll handle this."

Ryuji hesitated a moment. "I hate to bail on you guys like this." he said.

"It's alright." Akira said, turning to Ryuji. "We're not blaming you, and we're not trying to cut you out." He said.

Ryuji nodded and accepted the money. "Damn. Alright, yeah, you're prolly right." He said. He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Thanks Yu." he said.

The silver haired adult gave a nod before he turned to look at Akira. "Ready to do this?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be." Akira said stepping up to walk in time with Yu. "You ever been here before?" He asked.

"Once or twice during the day." Yu said. "Movie theatre here is a little cheaper and shows movies longer than the one on central street."

"I'll keep that in mind." They moved passed a number of shady individuals trying to promote various things like bars or who knew what else.

A police officer even stopped them. "Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked. Yu stopped and pulled Akira to a stop. "Are you two students?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm a college student." Yu said pleasantly, turning to face the officer. "I'm here escorting my friend to his new job at Crossroads as a dishwasher. We'll be heading straight home afterwards. I can show you some ID if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary." The cop said holding a hand out. "Just make sure that you do that."

Akira shook his head as the cop left, and Yu looked at the younger teen. "You talk like you can convince someone that grass is purple." Akira said.

Yu chuckled a bit and shrugged his shoulders. "It's a talent." he admitted. "You'll develop it as you talk to people, especially since you're working with Toranosuke. A good believable lie has a hint of truth mixed in. It helps that you're not in uniform, he'd probably give us a harder time if he thought you a Shujin Academy student."

"But dishwasher?" Akira asked.

"I did it." Yu said with a shrug. "Even bars need someone willing to wash dishes." Now there was a thought. Getting Akira to work at the drag bar. He bit his tongue a moment. He could probably speak to the proprietor on Akira's behalf and get them to agree to take Akira on, even dressed in drag.

Oh the hilarity that it promised.

"Mmm… look at the muscles on that one." Yu felt a shudder pass through him as a pair of men walked up. "So stoic looking, I give him a ninety out of a hundred."

"Pass." he said, moving to pass by the pair and keep heading for crossroads.

"I'd like you to make a pass at me." The other guy said. "And his friend is so cute with that frizzy black hair." Yu watched Akira tense up.

Yu turned to face the men again. "Look, you're not either of our types. Mine is personally about thirty centimeters shorter than I am, and thirty to forty kilos lighter which perfectly describes my girlfriend. So if you don't mind, I'm asking you to respect the fact that no means no." Yu then turned and kept walking towards Crossroads. His hand slipped inside his bag again, grabbing the hilt of his _bokuto._

Akira shuddered a bit as they turned the corner for the bar's entrance. "Sorry…"

"Never been hit on by a guy before huh?" Yu asked amused.

"No, not really. I grew up in a fairly rural town. Nothing like Inaba, but Shibuya has been… eye opening."

Yu chuckled a bit and nodded. "After the Yasogami Drag contest, I had a few guys come up, trying to hit on me." he said. He went to the door and opened it, stepping inside to the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke.

"Welcome boys!" The almost sand paper rough voice of the man clearly dressed in drag greeted them as they stepped inside. "How old are you two?"

Yu stepped up towards one of the seats, spotting the reporter. "Jailbait here has a meeting with her." He motioned to Akira with a jerk of his thumb.

"You picked a real young man this time Ohya-chan. Just don't let a minor touch the alcohol."

"Oh you're no fun Lala-chan." Ohya, the reporter, said with a large grin. "We're going to borrow the seats in the back."

Yu lightly pushed Akira forward, getting the dark haired teen to head towards the reporter and head to the back. He then stepped up towards the bar. "Water please." he said and put some money on the counter.

"Coming right up." Lala said, getting a glass and filling it with some water, putting it on the counter. "Not going to go back to the meeting?"

Yu shook his head. "I'll let Akira do his thing." he said. "Besides, gives me a chance to speak with you about a few things." He sat down and sipped his water.

"And what can I help you with?" Lala asked giving what might have been a flirty smile.

Yu tried his best to ignore that. "So my girlfriend prefers dressing as a man." he said simply. He saw one of those eyebrows arch. "She's comfortable as a woman, and we're both happy with where everything is, but there's one consistent issue with her very male oriented workplace, and that is she's quite top heavy for her size. I'm wondering if you might know of a good place or website where I might be able to get her a few chest binders. She's got a few, but I can tell they're getting to be a bit too small."

"Well, let me just say it is refreshing to know that you support your girlfriend's decision to dress the way she wants." Lala said, sounding genuinely happy. "And I don't exactly know of a place, but if you let me ask around, I'm sure I can find one of the guys that would be more than happy to help you."

Yu nodded his head. "I appreciate that." He said and offered his number over to the bartender. He was sure Naoto would as well. Centimeters mattered when it came to binding her breasts, as Yu had found out. "Second thing, Akira could use some life experience and I think working in a bar like this could do him some wonders, lots of clientele that come and go." he said.

Lala reached up and scratched her chin a moment. "I could use someone that washes the dishes. It won't be the most glamorous of jobs or high paying, but it would give me a bit more time." she said.

Yu nodded his head. "I'll talk to Akira about it, get him to agree to it. But I am hoping for a tiny joke, just a small one if you'd indulge me." Yu said, looking amused.

"And what would that be?" Lala asked carefully.

"Let me convince him he has to wear drag." Yu said with a chuckle. "Like I said, Akira could use some life experience away, something he can look back on and have a laugh on. He's working himself to the bone with his projects and I try to help, but a good laugh every now and then between friends won't hurt. My girlfriend and I can pretty him up for his first day."

Lala frowned a bit. "I usually frown against someone doing that." she said. "I don't dress like this for a laugh, I dress like this because it's who I am."

Yu nodded his head. "I understand." He said, backing up a little bit. "I participated in Yasogami High's Drag Queen Contest and came in second place. It wasn't for a laugh then either, but looking back I can laugh and curse my friend for coming in first place without trying and we can laugh about it together. Akira could use that, a laugh to be had. It's not an insult to you or your life choices or the life choices of anyone that is gender fluid."

Lala looked at him a while longer, almost giving Yu the stink eye. He didn't necessarily think that he didn't deserve it. But she sighed. "Fine." she said. "He did seem like the sort to be a stick in the mud, Ohya-chan will pull him out of that though. He might even like it."

Yu smiled a bit and finished his water. "I appreciate it, thank you." Really, Yu was doing Akira a favor. Life was all about experiences. Good, bad, ugly, beautiful, funny and embarrassing. Akira had his share of bad, Yu was hoping to give him some that were funny.

It was also a plan he would only share with Naoto. No one but the three of them would know about it unless Akira said something.

Yu turned as Akira came walking out of the back. He grabbed his bag and stood up, following the dark haired boy outside. "Do we got a name?" he asked.

"Junya Kaneshiro." Akira said quietly. "He's apparently more dangerous than we perceived. Ohya-san was adamant we be careful."

"If he's got ties to organized crime, I'm not surprised by it." Yu said. He began to walk with Akira towards the train station. "Might have also gotten you another job working as a dishwasher."

Akira turned to give him a look. "At Crossroads?" he asked incredulously.

"Course, where else?" Yu said. He turned to look at the other Wild Card. "Look at it this way, you'll meet all sorts of people there, and you never know what sort of intel you'll get there."

Akira shook his head. "Unbelievable. I don't even have to apply and I'm apparently getting a job offer."

Yu laughed and paid for the train tickets. He didn't doubt that Akira had the money, but Akira was almost single handedly paying for all of the expenses of the Phantom Thieves. A little every now and then helped out. "It's only washing dishes, but you could learn about a lot of things. People like to talk once they have a little alcohol in them."

Akira shook his head again as they waited for the train so they could go home. "I don't know whether to thank you or strangle you."

"Oh you also have to dress in drag." Yu said, dropping his little prank.

"Wait, what!?"

Chapter End

 **A/N: Mission Accomplished. Chapter 10 is done before I leave for work Monday. Now I have like four and a half hours I can sleep before I have to go in.**

 **As with when I finished Chapter 5, I'm going to go back and edit some of these chapters up. There's a few things that I've been seeing, or that I forgot to change, that I want to fix.**

 **And here we have things changing even more. Akechi has been found out early, but Yu is laying his own trap for the upstart.**

 **Night folks.**


	11. Chapter 11: Downtime

Chapter 11: Downtime

Yu Narukami declared it time for some downtime. Akira Kurusu was of a similar mind. They both agreed that, with the exception of Makoto, they had been basically going non-stop. That wasn't to say they didn't have minor breaks, but it always seemed that there was another new crisis. Something else getting them to head into the Metaverse. And too much running around in the Metaverse could potentially be detrimental. They already knew it was exhausting just being there, but they didn't want to push things any further than that.

The only one who had a minor objection had been Makoto, but even she agreed that they could tackle the problem of Kaneshiro after a week off where they didn't go gallivanting in the Metaverse or were stressed to high unholy hell by exams.

And if she was honest, Naoto was quite thankful for her boyfriend's decision to take a full week off. She of course had to do some things with the police prefecture, working with them on some smaller scaled cases. She'd let Goro Akechi have his Phantom Thieves case, he didn't have a warrant to come into Yu's home and that was how they went into the Metaverse and left it, so they wouldn't be caught as flat footed as before.

It also meant that she didn't have the Phantom Thieves at their home as much for a whole week. So Naoto had planned to take advantage of it as much as possible. She knew Akira wanted to talk to Yu around Wednesday, Yusuke wanted to come talk to both of them before that and wanted them to come to an art exhibit he planned to have a painting in on Friday. But other than those events, Naoto was going to have Yu to herself for an entire week.

Sure, they both had school, work, and in Yu's case kendo practice, but they were minor things to consider.

It would also give Naoto a chance to lightly probe Yu some more, to figure out how much more and what was wrong with him. He was putting on airs of getting better, of being happy again, and Naoto was happy that he did seem happier. But she wanted to be absolutely positive.

As his girlfriend, it was her right to be worried more than everyone else.

But since Yu was out making a run to Le Blanc to pick up some curry, Naoto was taking the chance to set up the living room so that they could have a little bit of fun when he returned. It involved moving the table off the the side, the couch pushed up against the far wall. She made sure to sweep the area nicely and smiled.

She didn't often get to dance after all.

It was one of those odd things that she picked up on how to do. Dancing was never something she would have originally thought she would enjoy. But over the years, and during her time in Inaba without Yu, she had picked up on how to dance. Of course, mostly it had been her and Rise just having fun, but she thought Yu would enjoy it as well.

She went to the stereo that was in the living room and quickly slotted a disc in. It was Rise's recent Sapphire album. The album she had sung once she was off her break in Inaba, songs that had come from the heart and from their time in the TV world.

Naoto checked a mirror and adjusted her hat a little bit. She was dressed in what usually consisted of her summer clothes, that was to say dark blue slacks, a brighter blue dress shirt and a yellow tie. Except, she included suspenders to the outfit, the tie was haphazardly done up correctly, and she wasn't wearing one of her usual chest binders. Instead, she was wearing a sports bra. Hardly pretty, but comfortable enough.

The suspenders had been added after dancing one time with Rise. A slight chance to flaunt what she had as it were, and given Yu seemed to enjoy them whenever he was allowed, Naoto thought it might be fun to just flaunt for a little bit.

Naoto smiled as she heard one of her personal favorite songs come on and felt her hips begin to move to the beat. She made her way back to the space she had cleared in the living room and just let the song begin to take her, dancing and having some fun with it.

She never even heard the door open, but she did see Yu come in with two bags of flavorful curry prepared. She saw him staring and she danced a little bit more, moving towards him. She pointed one of her fingers at him like a gun, pretending to shoot him. She had fun, just moving to the beat of the music.

Yu gave her a smile before he went to the kitchen, setting the curry down. Naoto didn't bother keeping him in eye sight, she knew he'd join her when he felt like it. She did catch glimpse of him going up stairs though. She felt a little disappointed by that, but kept going.

The song hit a particularly raucous tempo that had her moving more. But seeing Yu come on to join her, having swapped to better clothes to dance in, she couldn't help the grin that spread on her face. His dancing was a little awkward at first as he had to get into the groove of the music, but that just made Naoto adore him even more.

And unless Naoto missed her guess, Yu wore his jacket from his time at Yasogami High with a yellow bandana tied around an arm. She wondered about the decision, but then again she was wearing clothes similar to what she had worn when she had approached their group a bit more formally and introduced herself.

They danced four songs from the album together, laughing and just having fun. They didn't really talk, not needing to when they were having as much fun as they were. But eventually, Naoto had to take a break, breathing a little heavier, her hands on her thighs as she leaned over a bit to catch her breath.

"R-Rise needs… to slow down her songs." Naoto said as she breathed. "And shorten them." It was an excellent cardio workout nonetheless.

Yu laughed and came to a stop beside her. He went to the kitchen and got a glass of water for both of them. Naoto greedily gulped at the cool fluid. "So what brought that on?" Yu asked.

Naoto smiled a little bit. "Do I need a reason to just want to dance with my boyfriend?" she asked.

"No, I suppose not." Yu said. "Was just surprising is all."

Naoto went over to him and wrapped one arm around his neck, leaning into him a little bit. "Well, if you need more of a reason, I just wanted to spend time with you." She leaned up and kissed the corner of his mouth. "We haven't gotten to spend as much time together as I'd like." She said.

"So this week of a break is a godsend to you." Yu said, putting a hand on her hip.

"Uh huh." Naoto confirmed casually. "And I plan to make the most of it. So don't make too many plans with the others, okay?"

Yu nodded his head and drank some more water, setting the glass down on the counter. Naoto followed suit and enjoyed another dance with Yu, this time they just had some fun, Yu even boldly dancing the female part and letting Naoto take the male part. They didn't care, they were just spending time together, and Naoto was smiling more broadly than she had in quite a while.

But eventually, they collapsed on the couch and just leaned into one another, breathing heavier and just taking in the moment. They were both sweaty of course, but Naoto still leaned into her boyfriend, tucking herself under his arm. She looked to his jacket and tugged at it. "Where did this come from?" she asked.

Her clothes were her summer clothes, she just added a bit and didn't wear the chest binder. Yu's on the other hand looked to be an actual costume.

Yu chuckled and looked down at himself. "Remember when Rise sent out that invite to come to that studio back in August?"

"The one you politely turned down." Naoto said, nodding her head. She remembered. Most of them had turned it down. Naoto had gone, and had a fun time dancing.

"Well, Kanji apparently got contacted by Rise first, and he made outfits for the group. This was mine. Rise sent it along, hoping I'd at least reconsider. But…" Yu shrugged his shoulders. "You know." he said softly.

Naoto nodded her head. She was beginning to know at least. Still, Kanji had done an excellent job on the outfit, making it look casual but at the same time something they would all recognize Yu by. She leaned against her boyfriend a bit more, sighing ever so softly. "We should go back to Inaba during summer break, if we can manage it." she said. "I heard about you going with Rise to the festival. I'm jealous." she admitted.

"Hey, you know I'd go with you." He said. He lightly tilted her head up to look at him.

Naoto smiled and leaned into his hand a bit. It was a typical Yu response, that he'd go with her. She smiled a bit and leaned in closer to him before kissing his lips softly. "I can even wear a yukata for you." she said. She hoped she sounded at least a little enticing. "And yes, I do have one."

"I'd like that." Yu said sincerely. He kissed her in return and they fell into a comfortable silence. Naoto just laid her head on Yu's chest.

Naoto closed her eyes a bit, and lazily draped her arm across Yu's stomach. She held him a bit closer to her body, tightening her grip a moment. Yu had been in pain from just hearing her voice, hence why she didn't get as many calls. He had devoted everything into an obsession she was all too familiar with to try and get money to get everything he'd need to live in Inaba.

Lightly, she poked his stomach. "You didn't think of the simple solution about your return to Inaba, Yu-kun." she chastised lightly.

Yu stiffened a little bit at that. As usual, she worried she might have pushed a wrong button, but he relaxed and settled into her a bit more. It was not like with Rise. Naoto had heard many a story from the girl about how Yu would tighten and close up if pushed too far. But he seemed perfectly at ease with her. "What's the easy solution?" he asked neutrally.

"Dojima." Naoto said, resting her head on Yu's chest a bit more. "He'd have welcomed you into his home again. You're hard working enough you can afford to pay him rent. Your parents might have understood, they might not have. You're also smart enough that you could have gotten into any university. You, Yu Narukami, are sometimes too smart for your own good." She looked up at him, staring into his eyes. THey held a slightly pained look. "Besides, I'd have let you stay at my apartment."

A bold statement, but not an untrue one. She would have happily housed her boyfriend, especially with the delicious food that he cooked. Of course, he would have had to meet her grandpa sooner with that option, and Takashi Shirogane was still a fearsome individual.

"I didn't want to be a burden." Yu said softly. Not that she blamed him.

"You'd never be a burden Yu-kun." she said. She slowly straddled his legs and put her hands to his chest. "You would never let yourself be a burden. And Nanako-chan would love to have her 'Big Bro' back."

Yu sighed softly and offered a smile. "I'm slowly recovering." he told her.

"I know. And I'm here with you." Naoto said before she kissed her silver haired lover and cuddled up to him.

 _Take Your Time_

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice. I'm aware of the fact that we're supposed to be taking a break for this week, but I find myself needing some assistance." Yusuke's tone was the same almost whimsical tone the artist had whenever they weren't in a serious situation.

"It's okay." Yu said as he let the other boy in that Monday afternoon. "Naoto-kun will be down in a moment. What can we help you with Yusuke?"

Yusuke entered Yu's home and took his shoes off. He moved to the low table and sat down at the side that faced the couch. From his bag, he removed what was clearly a sketchbook and flipped through the pages some. "I wish to finish a project." he said as he got out a sketch pencil.

Naoto arrived just then and the pair moved to sit on the side of the table that was opposite Yusuke. They didn't sit as closely as they would if it was just them enjoying each other's company, but it was clear they were both comfortable with the other's proximity.

"What sort of project are you talking about Yusuke?" Yu asked carefully. With the artist, it was difficult to tell where his brain would take him next. There was no denying his talent, but it was not easy to determine how Yusuke would think.

Yusuke looked a bit troubled for a moment. "I attend Kosei Academy on an Arts Scholarship." He said. "In order to keep that scholarship, I must continue to not only perform, but excel within my field. Since the ugly truth of Sen- Madarame's heart came to be known, I have found myself stuck in a deep mire of a rut. I am incapable of putting the same level of passion to my work as I was before. Before, I could work through it, but now I do not have the same… passion as before. Like all I can see is the costs. Paints, sketchbooks, pencils, none of it is cheap. And it is bothersome to think that I am beginning to tread the same path as Madarame." Yusuke sounded deeply troubled.

Yu and Naoto glanced at one another. He could see the questioning look in Naoto's eyes as the thoughts rumbling about in his brain. He looked at the artist a moment. "I'm afraid I'm not certain how to help Yusuke. I'm not much of an artist, neither of us are."

Yusuke chuckled. "You would say that." He said and shook his head. "But much like Akira, you, Yu Narukami, are an artist in a different sense. You neither sculpt nor paint, you are an artist of the mind. You ease and soothe people of their problems, it is a gift that is incredible to bear witness to. No, I need to work through this rut of my own ability and my scholarship does allow for art supplies which will help for a time." Yusuke turned the sketchbook and slid it over to Yu and Naoto. "I was hoping you might allow me to finish, I have rarely seen such perfect beauty since the Sayuri. I am quite gifted with memory, but there are minute details that would escape me in a short glance."

Yu glanced down to the sketch. To say it was impressive would be an understatement. Yusuke couldn't have had much more than a minute worth of memory to draw from for it, but it was still an impressive recreation of when the Phantom Thieves had returned from stealing Madarame's treasure. Naoto and him had been cuddled up on the couch, her asleep under one arm. And Yusuke had been drawing it, mostly from memory.

Naoto's reaction was predictable. She flushed a bright red, not that Yu blamed her. It had been a moment of intimacy between them and to have it drawn out, even drawn out well, it was a bit embarrassing. Even for Yu. But he could easily and readily see that the drawing had come from the heart, the strokes of the pencil done with precision and grace that could only come from the hand of a professional. Yu could never hope to recreate it, his ability in drawing being meager at best.

"I had hoped to finish the sketch and then paint it properly." Yusuke said. "I would ask to be able to submit it to the gallery this Friday, to be displayed, but I believe it would be an impossibility. You both are too private of people to allow something like this to go public, and even editing out the facial features, Naoto-kun's features are too notable, the public would quickly figure out the ruse of the Detective Prince."

Naoto glanced to Yu a moment. "The thoughtfulness is appreciated Yusuke-kun." Naoto said politely. "You are quite correct, I would be figured out. An artist of your ability would find many questions about your subject, and people would do many things to figure out who it was. And simply seeing us together they would put two and two together eventually."

Yu still liked the picture. As embarrassing as it was that the level of intimacy was being immortalized by an artist of Yusuke's caliber, it was still a very nice picture of the two. He looked up to Yusuke. "If you're not going to submit the painting of us to the gallery, what will you do instead? Why even draw it?" he asked. He wanted to know what was going through the artist's mind.

Yusuke was one of the trendier members of the Phantom Thieves, so rarely having more money than what might get him through to the next time he'd get some money. It could be seen as a waste of supplies to paint the picture for no one to see it.

Yusuke smiled and closed his eyes. He raised his hand and set it on his chest, over his heart. "It is a painting that comes from the heart. A painting I can be my most passionate about. I am hoping that by drawing it, and painting it, I can bring that passion back, remind myself of it. For the art gallery, I will be heading into Mementos tomorrow with Akira, for a brief time. We won't be there longer than… thirty minutes at worst, and we certainly won't be running and fighting as we usually do."

Yu frowned a moment. He didn't necessarily like the plan that Yusuke was concocting for his painting, but he was at least taking backup and wouldn't be there for very long. He glanced to Naoto a bit. "Well?" he asked her politely. He was all for letting the picture get finished.

Naoto flushed a bit. "Do I have to change or can I remain in my current clothes?" she asked. Since she was in her Shujin Academy Summer Uniform, she still looked rather androgynous at the moment. In her sleep wear, it tended to be very clear that she was female.

"I have the details of the clothes, so neither of you need change." Yusuke said.

Naoto glanced to Yu for a moment. "Senpai?" she asked.

Yu looked to his girlfriend. While she wasn't going to end up as relaxed as she had that day, he thought that they could still make it look as natural as possible. "It'd be a shame if it went unfinished. And I personally wouldn't mind a picture of just us."

Naoto eventually nodded and removed her hat, placing it on the table. The couple rose together and moved to sit down on the couch. Once more, Naoto leaned into Yu and he put an arm around her to just enjoy her presence. Yusuke thankfully set to quick, quiet work sketching out whatever was the rest of the details that he needed. But like the time the Phantom Thieves had returned, Yu felt a content smile coming to his lips.

He even managed to forget Yusuke for a while, simply holding the sleuth.

"Senpai?" Said Sleuth started.

"Hmm?" Yu was content to just hold her close. He knew Yusuke would keep his mouth shut about it, and wasn't the type to try and tease them.

"I had something come up with the police." she said. "I'll be staying late tomorrow, so don't wait up." She didn't sound particularly thrilled about it either.

Yu nodded his head. "I have been meaning to go see Akira work with Yoshida-san." He said. The Phantom Thieves leader said the former politician was incredible to listen to speak. Yu had done his homework on 'No Good Tora' as well. He had stepped down from his position before it could be determined if he had actually embezzled the funds or not, and no one had pursued the issue.

"You're not mad?" Naoto asked.

"Not at all." And Yu meant it. While their week was a bit busier than he would have liked it, he was still going to enjoy what time he had with Naoto. But he also knew that police work was important to his girlfriend. He wasn't going to stop her from working on that.

"Lazy Sunday again this weekend?" Naoto asked. The day before, of dancing and having fun was still fresh, but Yu didn't blame her for wanting another.

Yusuke closed his sketchbook. "Thank you very much for the assistance." He said as he tucked it back into his bag. "I was able to get the rest of the details I needed. The passion that you two show for one another is an exemplary subject to sketch." he said.

Yu nodded and stood up. He showed Yusuke out to the door before he returned to the sleuth still sitting on the couch. The silver haired adult watched her for a moment, making his way towards her. "You know, you don't have to call me Senpai, right?" he asked. He usually let it go. "I mean, I'm no longer your Senpai."

Naoto shook her head. "You are." she said. "Maybe not in the matter of school as it is intended, but you are still my Senpai in matters of the heart."

Yu chuckled lightly. "That sounds like you're not telling the whole truth, Nao-chan. Besides, you were my first girlfriend as well." he said.

"Maybe. Maybe not." She had a small smile on her lips. "But I won't ever tell, now will I?" She raised an excellent point. She could be as enigmatic as ever.

Yu made his way towards her and sat down. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, pulling her in closer. Yusuke was quite right. The passion between him and his girlfriend was something else entirely, and while he still had his reservations about the artist drawing, and later painting them, he was hoping they could temper Yusuke's work to something more humble.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira held the placard up for Toranosuke, listening intently to the way the older politician spoke with a passion unrivaled by many others. The only one that spoke nearly as well in as Toranosuke in Akira's experience was Yu Narukami, and the other boy didn't quite have the same passion and drive that Toranosuke did. It was beautiful talk about how to build a better future, that everyone had to work together and not just be reliant on the politicians.

And as usual, the crowd was small and many of them just gave Toranosuke a few seconds before stepping away. He could see Yu standing the back, listening intently and even nodding at a few points. He was glad the other teen was willing to listen to Toranosuke. It might give the old politician the boost he needed.

"Worry about getting elected first No Good Tora! Not that it will ever happen!" Someone heckled the politician and flustered him.

Akira frowned. But Toranosuke had made him promise he'd never speak up in defense of the politician, that it would only make matters worse. It galled him to do so, but he had made a promise and he was going to keep it.

But Yu stepped forward from the crowd. "I think it's impressive that he's speaking about what he's passionate about, what he believes in. Personally, I'd vote for him if I was twenty(1)." Yu comments made some stirring from the crowd that usually sat around, watching Toranosuke. Some of them, Akira had noted, were just there to watch Toranosuke get heckled or flustered when someone called him that nickname.

"Don't you know who he is kid?" An older man in a suit said, stepping up. "Probably not, happened before your time after all."

Yu tucked one hand in his pocket. Akira noted that Yu's expression had turned to one that occurred whenever he was in control of a situation. It was a look of confidence and knowledge, that Yu wasn't about to back down. "Toranosuke Yoshida, one of the block known as the Kuromoto Children, colloquially known as No Good Tora." Akira noted the older politician wince at the name again. "Infamous for his three strikes. Personal vacation time during an important legislative meeting, accused of embezzling party funds, and my personal favorite, calling a voter an idiot in open forum." Yu glanced Toranosuke's way. "He was never actually convicted of embezzling the party funds, so it can only be said that he is accused of it, so really, his Three Strikes are merely two."

Akira noted that Toranosuke was about to say something and minutely he shook his head, holding a hand back towards the man. Yu was already on a roll, and to break it wouldn't be good.

"To me, and perhaps this is a younger man's mindset, but that he actually had the guts to call an opponent an Idiot in open form speaks highly of Yoshida-san." Yu's words didn't surprise Akira in the slightest. "It is a sign that he will stand tall for what he believes in, regardless of consequence. A bit impulsive to call the man an idiot, but nonetheless, Yoshida-san strikes me as a man that believes in what he is giving a speech about."

Yu cut his eyes back to the bystander that was trying to heckle the politician. "As for his third strike, it shows that he is a human being, capable of making errors and being tired. A politician is not some squeaky clean machine. He should be a humble and grounded human. I have seen Yoshida-san eat at a ramen shop, as many of you might have. A large beef bowl there with extra meat is eleven hundred yen, not exactly something you would expect a politician to be eating. I would trust him much more in office than Masayoshi Shido."

"What would you know?" Someone called out. "You're just a kid. Shido-san is going to become Prime Minister!"

Yu shook his head. "I'd never vote for him. He's too squeaky clean." Akira frowned at that. Did Yu know something? And why did the name Shido sound familiar? "Personally, I'd like to know some dirt on the man that's going to be my Prime Minister."

"Kid's got a point." Akira glanced over to where Ohya was stepping through the crowd. He hadn't even seen her listening in. "Shido-san does seem awfully clean." Some whispers were beginning to spread through the crowd, Akira didn't bother trying to locate any in particular.

Yu stepped up towards Toranosuke and held his hand out. "As I said Yoshida-san, if I was twenty, I'd vote for you. And I know my friends would as well. You're a man trying to change our nation for the better."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence." Toranosuke said, accepting the hand and shaking it firmly.

Yu headed off then, Akira watched him pull his cell phone out and soon felt a buzzing in his pocket. But he stayed for the rest of Toranosuke's speech. The man seemed more impassioned by the vote of confidence from another member of a younger audience. And Akira could see that some people were actually starting to listen.

He should have spoken up sooner.

As they finished up, Akira handed the placard back to Toranosuke. "Thank you my young friend. And tell your friend that his speech was empowering in its own right." Toranosuke said.

Akira laughed a little bit. "I promise, that wasn't staged." he said. "I just invited him out to see your speeches."

"I figured. But it is good of him to speak up for what he believes in as well." Toranosuke said. "And it might be the kick in the pants that I myself needed."

Akira smiled. "Good night Yoshida-san."

"Goodnight Kurusu-kun."

The pair separated and Akira pulled his phone out to check the text that Yu sent him. ' **Went over to the Triple 7. I'll buy you a water.'** With the destination in mind, Akira headed towards the convenience store on Central. He could see Yu casually leaning on the outside, drinking some water. When he spotted Akira, he tossed a second bottle that Akira caught in one hand.

The pair stood next to one another, leaning against the wall. "I like him." Yu said. "Reminds me of another politician trying to make amends and make things better."

"Namatame right?" Akira asked. He had done some digging of his own with the name. He could hardly believe the man was mayor in Inaba, especially being on probation. But he had been completely upfront and honest about things and the people of the small town seemed to love him.

"Mm." Yu took a drink. He looked up to the sky a bit. "Do you want to hear that full story?" he asked.

Akira knew what Yu was talking about. The story of when he and his friends had almost killed Taro Namatame. He had caught only bits of it. "Do you want to tell it?" he asked. He didn't want to hear it if it was going to bring problems for Yu.

Yu was quite for a moment, still looking at the sky. "Yeah." he said and inhaled. "It will hopefully remind you that we're still human, that we still have things we're not proud of, moments of weakness and pain." Akira looked at his friend a bit more. And he could legitimately call Yu a friend, he knew regardless of complaint, Yu would listen.

"We had just captured Namatame." Yu said softly. He gently touched his shoulder, Akira noted. "It had been a terrible battle, and I tore through that place with all the fury of a demon. Battle after battle, fight after fight. I didn't feel any ache or pain, only all consuming rage. I pushed myself, pushed myself to fight for my little sister. I pushed myself to protect and heal my team. I pushed them, practically became a tyrant. We cleared Heaven in two days." Yu's gaze stayed at the smog covered sky. "Namatame was possessed by the shadows to become something called Kunino-Sagiri. It was one of the hardest fights we encountered." Yu's voice was practically emotionless. Akira watched his eyes close. "My friends were possessed, turned on me, beat me within an inch of my life. I watched Naoto's body struggle, some subconscious knowledge that recognized me. And then the bullet tore through my shoulder." Akira winced at that.

To be shot by his girlfriend…. That was rougher than Akira could contemplate.

But Yu wasn't done. "When it was over, I didn't even stop. I just… I ran to Nanako." He shook his head and inhaled. "This… strong little… seven year old girl… She looked so small and frail and when I picked her up, her breathing was so… harsh… so heavy… and she was so pale." Yu's frame shook and Akira realized that the older teen was crying, remembering the image vividly. "Once again, I ignored everything. I ran. I ran harder than I ever had. Harder than I had during any basketball practice, harder than any run through the TV World, I ran and ignored the burning in my lungs, my legs." He inhaled and took a drink of the water. "When I got out to the normal world, I just ran straight for the hospital. It wasn't too far from Junes, and I would make it there before the ambulance arrived at the department store."

Akira reached out and carefully put a hand on Yu's shoulder. "You don't have to continue." he said.

Yu shook his head. "I need to." He said. "She was immediately put into a room, hooked up to machines, a ventilator to help her breathe. I paced outside that room for hours, unable to tear myself away. And then a nurse came rushing out, past my friends. Another came out and called me in." Yu took a shaky breath in, his jaw clenching. Akira couldn't remember such raw emotion on the other's face in the short time he had known him. Yu was usually rather stoic, maybe smiling or laughing, but this… this was a mix of things Akira couldn't begin to fathom. Darker things that were still buried in the depths of his soul. "She was calling for her daddy. I told her that her Big Bro was there, that her daddy would be along shortly. She told me she was scared. Uncle Ryutaro came in just as she flatlined. I… her hand… it just… it went limp and slipped from my grasp. Uncle Ryutaro just… dropped. Like a puppet with its strings cut, he just slumped. He stared wide eyed… and then his face went from shock to fury and rage. And he left the room…"

"He went for Namatame." Akira deduced.

"He went for Namatame." Yu said. "I went outside and got where Namatame's room was from Adachi and I tore off for the stairs, my friends giving chase, but none of them could keep up. Hours after I should have slumped over, I felt that familiar surge of adrenaline and rage and…" Yu clenched his hand. "It took three officers to drag my uncle away from Namatame's room. Three to drag an injured man who was recovering from a car crash that was only a few days old with nurse working to sedate him. And suddenly… Namatame's room didn't have any guards. I didn't even hesitate. I tore into the room. And do you know where I found him? He was… staring at the TV, not a meter from it."

"Was he trying to escape?" Akira asked. If Namatame had been the killer, it would have been the perfect escape option.

Yu shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Not hindsight. But when I saw him, I definitely thought he was. I tackled him to the ground and got three good punches in. Three of the heaviest right hooks I have ever given to his face." Yu looked as though he was still remembering the impact of those punches. Akira never had anyone that he wanted to hit that badly, that he would remember the impact of a punch the way Yu was. Not even Kamoshida had made him want to punch the volleyball coach the way Yu was remembering.

"It took Kanji and Yosuke manhandling me off of Namatame. Kanji practically threw me to get me off. And I had been ready to go through Kanji just to get back at the bastard I had perceived as killing my little sister. ANd then we got talking. Naoto mentioned how Namatame would likely get off, that he'd likely manage to escape justice." Justice… there was that word again. A word of bitterness in Akira's mouth. "Yosuke and Kanji were all for giving him his just desserts. And then midnight struck and the Midnight Channel came on… It looked like Namatame's Shadow. Talking about how he'd just go on… saving people. Looking back on it, it was almost like the thing wasn't actually Namatame's Shadow and was just trying to goad us into doing something reckless… And then… Naoto spoke up."

"Probably said you'd get caught, I'd imagine." Akira said. He was relieved to hear that the sleuth had spoken up, it probably helped keep the group from committing a worse crime and losing everything they had worked so hard to gain. "Tried to defuse the situation."

Yu was quiet for a while, and Akira felt a sickening sensation forming in his stomach. Let him be right, let him be right, let Naoto be calm and collected enough to settle the situation enough for Yu's brain to be in the right place. "No." Akira winced. "No, Naoto-kun said we'd get caught… But there was… an… untraceable and proven method."

"Throw him in the TV." Akira said with a grimace. He could hardly believe the usually more law oriented Naoto would make such a suggestion.

"Yeah." Yu was quiet a moment, clearly thinking. "It… snapped me out of it I suppose. I was all for it, but that all encompassing rage was gone. I was thinking 'She's right. Why get in trouble for this bastard?' Kanji and Yosuke were all for it as well. Worse, I think Namatame was about to go through with it. To let himself die. And Yosuke grabbed him by the arm and said 'Nanako-chan is dead because of you, so we're going to deliver her justice.' And then… I saw his eyes. They went from resigned, accepting his fate to… wide… it wasn't fear… it was horror, disgust. I knew then we didn't have all the answers."

"So really, you had to talk down Kanji, Yosuke, and Naoto." Akira said after a moment. He remembered Yu telling him it had just been Kanji and Yosuke.

Yu nodded his head. "Yeah… What man wants to admit the woman he loves has that side to her? That cold, calculating side? I may be a coward in that regard."

Akira was thoughtful for a moment before he shook his head. "Maybe. Maybe not. But then again…" He looked to the silverette. "You both worked through it. See you later Yu." He then headed for the train to take it back to Yongen-Jaya.

 _Take Your Time_

The bell rang to Le Blanc. Akira Kurusu watched the suspicious man leave, with Sojiro giving a sigh. "Geez, talk about ballsy kid. But uh… thanks. You calling like that was…. It's appreciated." The man lit a cigarette and took a deep drag before exhaling upwards.

Akira frowned a moment before he started to prepare a blend of beans for a cup of coffee that he knew Sojiro liked, even preferred. "Can I talk to you? Man to man?" Akira asked as he set the machine to brew.

Sojiro arched a brow and took another puff, exhaling. He ashed the cigarette in the glass ashtray. "Man to man?" He sounded amused. "This punk teen in front of me a man?"

Akira was tired. After having gone into the Metaverse earlier with Yusuke to get the artist some inspiration for his piece, he had felt the usual drag of exploring Mementos. They had gotten into a brief, but quick scuffle with some Shadows. He had perked up more than he did after a quick cup of coffee, but that didn't mean he wasn't tired. "This punk teen has manned up and handled the situation he's in without complaint." He said. He pulled the journal Sojiro had given him that first day and slid it over towards the older man.

Sojiro looked surprised before he put the cigarette in his mouth and left it there, picking the journal up. His eyebrows arched a moment as he opened it to read. "You actually are writing in this." he said. "Detailed too. I half expected you to doodle in it or keep things to little snarky comments."

Akira nodded his head. "It helps keep me organized." He said. "Three jobs, volunteer work with Yoshida-san, helping out here, helping out with Iwai-san, helping out over with Takemi-san, studying, working out, and then some personal projects I'm working on, it's taking everything I have to stay organized." Akira continued preparing the cup of coffee, pulling it once it was brewed for the right time. He handed it over to Sojiro, black without sugar.

Sojiro put the journal down and slid it back across the counter towards Akira. He accepted the coffee and took a sip as he set the cigarette down in the ashtray. "Alright… What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

Akira set to work cleaning up before he just came out and said it bluntly. "Who's the leech?" Akira knew the type. He had seen it around in school, and seen it in the Metaverse more and more. "Look, I don't care about the history between you two, you did me a good turn by taking me in. You did it without being asked. And you know, maybe I'm being rude by asking, but I want to help. And if that just means calling you again, I'll do it without hesitation. You could of screwed his wife for all I care, but who is he?"

Sojiro ran a hand through his hair. "Geez, you're not wrong about being rude, just coming out and asking like that." he said. He sighed and took another drag of his cigarette. "Alright. Fine, you'll just keep pushing your way in anyways if I don't tell you at least something. But you keep this to yourself, you hear?"

Akira nodded his head. He had no problem keeping it to himself. He would have liked to get some help, but if he had to he'd handle things on his own.

Sojiro drank a large swig of the coffee, likely burning his tongue. He gave another sigh. "I have a daughter." he said carefully. "She's adopted, and knows it, so don't be poking at that. She was old enough to understand her mother wasn't coming back." Sojiro scratched at his jaw a moment. "Wakaba was… Beautiful and brilliant." He said. The older man sounded happy, reminiscing for just a moment. "I came up with that recipe for curry, but Wakaba, she's the one that refined it to the perfection that it is now. It's part of the reason I won't ever change the recipe in memory of her. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise, but Wakaba Isshiki loved her daughter. She… came in my shop about two years ago. Said that she was going to die. Not a month later… she jumped in front of traffic."

Akira frowned a bit, wincing at the rather blunt statement from Sojiro. He thought he detected a hint of bitterness. He didn't interrupt though, not when Sojiro was opening up to him about this.

"I was a liaison between the government and her research lab. What they were working on went over my head… Cognitive stuff… The sort of stuff you might only read about in books, yet Wakaba was working on it and making headway." Cognitive stuff? Akira thought it might have to do with the Metaverse. "She had… difficulties sometimes… juggling her daughter and her work. Wakaba wasn't a bad mother per say, but she wasn't always the most attentive mother. After her death… some men apparently read a suicide note in front of Wakaba's family. Siblings, parents, even Wakaba's daughter." Sojiro finished his cigarette and put it out. He took out a fresh one and lit it up. "Course… I know Wakaba. She'd have never committed suicide like that. And she'd have never blamed Futaba. But the family bought it up. Futaba was passed around from family member to family member until she came into the hands of Youji Isshiki."

Sojiro actually looked angry for a moment and he grunted before he took the rest of the coffee and drank it. "That bastard uncle of hers treated her as less than human. I'm not going into the details, but when I found her I knew I had to take her in. I try to take care of her, used to babysit her after all. But Futaba's just… locked herself up in her head. Hardly eats, hardly talks face to face. As smart as her mother, but…" He shook his head.

Akira nodded his head. "So that would be Youji?" he asked. "Why's he coming back?"

"Money." Sojiro said. "He was jealous of the success of Wakaba. Still is. I practically threw Futaba's inheritance at him when I took Futaba in. I have plenty of money, even if this shop goes up I'll be good for a nice long time. Calling him a leech is actually a pretty good analogy."

Akira was thoughtful a moment. He might actually have to talk with someone about what he was hearing. Carefully though. "Anyway I can meet her?"

"HA!" Sojiro barked out a laugh. "If you could even get her out of her room, you'd have to get her away from her laptop. Futaba's not good with people, wasn't even when she was living with Wakaba."

"Computers huh?" Akira asked. "I might know a thing or two then. Talking specs with her might get her to open up."

Sojiro shook his head. "Don't get your hopes up kid." He said as he stood up. "Make sure to clean up properly."

"Will do Boss." Akira said and watched Sojiro leave. He waited a moment and started to wash up. "I bet you got some security cameras set up in here… some microphones… You ever want to just talk specs, just text me or something." He felt a little silly speaking aloud, but he did it anyways. If Futaba was as much of a shut in as Sojiro said, it meant that she needed a way to monitor Sojiro to be able to make requests in a timely manner or take care of certain things that she wouldn't be able to do if Sojiro was at home.

She wouldn't take a shower if Sojiro was on his way home after all.

He pulled the buzzing phone out of his pocket. He saw the message in the chat system and he tapped on it, seeing a username that wasn't associated with a phone number. He wasn't all that surprised. ' **Call me Alibaba.'**

Akira chuckled a moment and nodded his head. ' **Fine. Just so you know, I'm going to contact a few friends about what happened with your mother.'** He texted.

' **Why? Sojiro was wrong. I was only a burden to my mother.'**

' **What if he wasn't?'** Akira replied almost instantly. ' **I think your mother was killed for her research.'** Too many coincidental things were beginning to show, and it was not something that he was going to sit on without at least telling someone. He started a new chat message with Naoto and Yu. But not before Futaba got another statement in.

' **It won't change a thing. I will die here.'**

' **Naoto, can you discreetly look into the death of Wakaba Isshiki? Probably ruled as a suicide. It's from two years ago. Yu, could you find out if Akechi started to gain acclaim back then or if it came later? She was a researcher on what Boss called 'Cognitive Stuff''**

' **Sure.'** Yu's reply came back quickly and without too many questions. IT was something that Akira was grateful for. The older teen didn't need all the details to make to take an idea and run with it.

' **Sorry, but I promise Boss not to talk too much about something. But just work with me, please.'**

' **Relax Akira, we'll help. You're fretting too much.'** Yu's response made Akira chortle. Leave it to the adult to make such a simple statement. But Yu wasn't necessarily wrong. Akira might have been fretting too much.

He closed the messaging app. He'd deal with it later. He tapped his foot a moment, looking at his phone. He opened the Metanav. ' _Futaba Sakura. Tomb.'_ He entered after a moment. He wanted to help Futaba and Sojiro, especially after as much as Sojiro had done for him.

' _Match Found. Please enter destination.'_ Akira's stomach lurched at what he saw. A girl had a Palace? He inhaled a moment and closed the Metanav.

He'd bring it up with the others soon enough. For now, they already had a high target that they thought would be better to take care of. They still didn't have enough information on Junya Kaneshiro though. But he'd be bringing Futaba up as soon as possible. He didn't like the concept that her distortion was that she thought of whatever her place was as a Tomb.

 _Take Your Time_

Ryuji took his time following Akira up towards the rooftop of Shujin Academy. Already it was Thursday of their week long break, Ryuji had spent the time doing some digging that he could do, looking for information on Kaneshiro, but kept hitting a brick wall. None of the students in Shujin wanted to talk to him after all. Freaking reputation. But Mishima's website was good for some information on smaller targets that he could bring up next meeting.

But Akira wanted to talk to him. The black haired teen didn't specify what it was about, merely that he wanted to talk. It was cool with Ryuji. But Ryuji did note a lack of very specific wiggling in Akira's bag. Morgana must have already taken off. That was good, he still didn't necessarily like the cat.

He'd play nice, they had been through too much together for him not to, but they were just too different for Ryuji to necessarily like Morgana.

Ryuji stepped through the doorway after Akira. He wondered how the other boy got them permission to come up there, though he didn't know if they did have it. Either way, with Makoto now on their side rather than investigating them, they had a bit more leeway. They didn't have to constantly watch over their shoulders for the Student Council President.

"What's up?" Ryuji asked, moving to stand at the table that was still up there, half leaning and half sitting on it.

Akira crossed his arms a moment and seemed to size Ryuji up. The blonde frowned a moment. He didn't necessarily like the look that Akira was giving him. Not quite a judging look, but definitely not the usual look he had come to associate with Akira. "Be real with me Ryuji, what's being a Phantom Thief to you? And don't just blurt out what you think I want to hear, be truthful. Completely."

"The hell is this comin' from?" Ryuji asked with a frown, getting more defensive. Was Akira questioning his resolve? Was he being questioned about what he wanted from being a Phantom Thief? The Hell?! He had been there since the beginning!

"Just answer the damned question Ryuji." Akira said, stepping forward a half step. Ryuji straightened up as though prepping for a fight. His hand had already balled into a fist.

"I don't think I need to." Ryuji said. "I've been there since the beginnin' and here you are questionin' me? The Hell man? You even dragged Makoto in without askin' the rest of us. Maybe I should be askin' you."

"Being a Phantom Thief means helping people to me." Akira said sharply. The heat behind the words actually made Ryuji recoil from the words a bit. "I don't give two shits about the fame or being recognized. Mishima's fan site? Just another way I can help people, not get recognized. I nipped the Makoto problem right in the bud before she did something reckless or we got caught saying something stupid by her. Yeah, I should have asked the rest of you guys, but we might have ended up arguing in circles about it. So what does being a Phantom Thief mean to you? You actually want to help people or do you want to end up just like Yamaguchi, doing what you're doing for fame and recognition?"

It was a hit below the belt. Ryuji knew it. Akira knew it. Ryuji knew Akira knew it. His response was as visceral as could be expected. He took a swing, stepping into a mean right hook that caught Akira in the cheek. The black haired boy went down and Ryuji stood defensive and aggressive. "Want to say that again, bastard?!" he shouted.

Akira scrambled to his feet and actually hit back. Ryuji stumbled into the table a bit, the pain blossoming in his cheek taking him in surprise. "I'll say it a thousand times if I have to." Akira said in a low, tight and dangerous tone. "So which is it Ryuji? What's the real you?"

Ryuji rushed Akira and tackled him about the waist, trying to drive him to the ground. But Akira moved him to the side and Ryuji went spilling into the rooftop. He rolled and quickly got back into a better position. As a former sprinter, he was used to pushing off from low to the ground and this time when he tackled Akira, he made the black haired boy move, slamming him into a storage unit up there. Ryuji drew back his fist and went low, driving it into Akira's stomach.

But Akira was no slouch himself. He pounded his fist into Ryuji's back twice before driving his knee up into Ryuji's chest. Ryuji backed off, not wanting to take more knees to the chest than he had to. He could see Akira stepping away, getting ready to continue.

Their fight continued for a while longer. They had come to blows about an issue that Ryuji had no idea had become an issue, and it seemed they needed to knock some sense into each other. Eventually though, both were on the rooftop, breathing heavier, their clothes disheveled. Ryuji touched his stinging cheek as he laid there.

A groan from Akira almost made him get up. But the black haired boy came over and grabbed Ryuji by the arm. "Come on buddy, up we get." Akira hauled the blonde to his feet and carried him over to the desk, practically letting Ryuji slump into it.

A soda was presented and Ryuji took it, shaking his head a moment. The fight had been an eye opener. Had he really lost sight of what he wanted? Had he really begun to focus on the reward versus helping people out? Jeez, no wonder Akira had been pissed. He cracked the soda open and took a drink. It was luke warm, but sweet thankfully.

Akira drank some of his own, a can of tea if Ryuji recognized the label right. "So… What is it Ryuji? Helping people or recognition?"

"You got a mean right hook." Ryuji said. His mom was going to be upset when she realized he had gotten into a fight.

"Whatever gets the point across." Akira said, taking a swig of his drink.

But Ryuji really thought about what Akira had said. Had he been starting to seem like Yamaguchi? That bastard was a mini-Kamoshida, and Ryuji was so certain the bastard was doing it for some reason that would benefit him, not actually help the track team. They were even going to be going to a restaurant he frequently drank at when Ryuji managed to get an idea of when he was going next.

He wanted better for the track team!

And that was his answer. Ryuji surprised himself with the simplicity of it. It had nothing to do with the Phantom Thieves. He had no plans of going back to the track team, even though he could likely end up on the varsity team next year and getting scouted for Universities. He wasn't doing it for himself, he was doing it for the friends he once had on the track team. "Damn…" He said. He really had lost sight of the reason that he had started to be a Phantom Thief. He looked up to Akira and stood up.

His body ached and protested, but he ignored it. "Thanks man. I've got your back, and no more second guessin' from me. I'm in this to help people." Ryuji said. He raised his hand in a familiar gesture. The two gave a hard high five, Akira's hand going back some when they collided.

"Let's get out of here." Akira said. Ryuji could agree. He had to deal with his mom still when he got home, and he thought it was about time he tried apologizing properly.

As they descended the stairs, they were spotted by Kawakami. "Sakamoto-san, Kurusu-san, what in the world happened to you?" she asked crossing her arms. "Have you two been fighting?" she asked.

Akira glanced at Ryuji. They both were starting to show a bruise on their cheek. "No Sensei." Akira lied smoothly. "Simply tripped. Ryuji tried to catch me and I pulled him down."

"What about you Sakamoto-san?" Kawakami asked a bit snappishly.

Ryuji felt his temper flare and for a moment, he wanted to give into it. But he pushed it down. He had to be better, not just for everyone else but for himself. "I ain't lookin' to press about some fight. Nothin' happened." Ryuji was not as suave at lying as his leader, but with both of them saying nothing happened, there was nothing to investigate.

Kawakami shook her head, looking at Ryuji a moment, as though she thought he was the instigator. He might have been, but that was besides the point. "Geez, okay, go home." she said.

Ryuji and Akira headed down towards the train station. Morgana met up with them and Akira picked the cat up, tucking him into his bag. Ryuji tested the teeth on the side of the face that Akira hit. That had really hurt. "Got any Dr. SALT in that bag?" he asked. He knew they were supposed to save it for in the Metaverse, but he was still thirsty.

Akira dug a hand inside and soon passed one over while they waited for the train. Ryuji popped it open and passed over some yen for the can to replace it. He drank it calmly. "Hey… Morgana…" Ryuji said carefully. "Sorry for… dissin' you all the time. You're one of us."

He half expected some sassy, smug remark from Morgana. But a hand from Akira on the scruff of Morgana's neck kept the cat from making a response like that. The pair of boys stood in silence for a while. Finally, the cat spoke up from the bag. "Apology accepted Ryuji. And sorry that I'm berating you all the time. I just… I want to find out the truth of what I am so badly, and I don't want us to screw up and to get stuck as a cat."

Ryuji nodded and finished the can. He threw it away before he stepped onto the train and rode in the silence. There was still a lot he didn't know, but he knew that things would be different. He watched Akira and Morgana get off at their stop and make their transfer, Ryuji rode the line a little further out, getting off at the next stop. He headed for the apartment that he shared with his mom.

He hesitated at the door a moment before he stepped in. "Mom, I'm home!" he called out.

"Kawakami-sensei called Ryuji." His mother's tone was sharp and Ryuji grit his teeth. No use blowing up at his mom, and Kawakami had been in her right. "Have you been fighting again?"

Ryuji sighed and he dropped his bag off. He made his way to the kitchen where his mom was waiting for him. She was a tiny thing, with greys already forming in her dark hair. He sighed softly. "A friend of mine had to knock some sense into me." He said. "I'm sorry Mom." He ran a hand through his blonde hair.

His mom shook her head and he saw her shoulders slump. "I'm sorry Ryuji, I'm sorry for-"

"Mom, no." Ryuji said, stepping up. She looked surprised. "You ain't got nothin' to apologize about. I've been… I haven't been my best. I can't promise it'll be immediate, but I'm gonna try to be better. Don't ever apologize about tryin' your best for me. And don't ever apologize for my dad walkin' out. He walked out on you too." His mom was quiet, and Ryuji glanced away a moment. "I'm… I'm gonna try and study a little bit. Call me for dinner?" he asked.

"Sure." She said softly, as though she wasn't certain what to do.

Ryuji sighed and headed for his bedroom. He suddenly understood what it meant to be the man of the house. It wasn't about providing or anything like that. It was about taking responsibility. And Ryuji had been putting a lot of undue stress on his mom. He looked at the table he had for studying and went over, sitting down at it.

After a moment, he pulled his phone out and brought up the messaging app. He started a new conversation, just with Ann. For a while, he didn't type. He just stared at it. Finally, he began to tap the keys. ' **Hey, think you can help me with English?'** Good at only one subject was better than being bad at all of them.

 _Take Your Time_

Yusuke Kitagawa stood proudly by his piece that he had presented to the art gallery. While by no means a masterpiece to rival the _Sayuri_ , it was without a doubt an impressive piece at the psychology of the human brain. His _Desire_ was going to be quite the piece to be talked about. He was certain of it. After all, it had been drawn from inspiration found in the depths of the human subconscious of desire.

But as time went on, and he listened to people comment upon _Desire,_ deriding it as emotionless, or worse forcing his own concepts upon people, Yusuke felt a burning sensation building in his stomach.

"Yusuke." Akira's voice broke him from his revelry.

"Ah, Akira. Tell me, what are your thoughts on _Desire?"_ He asked, hoping that the leader would have an eye for it. Surely he would be of a similar mindset. Yusuke watched Akira look at it a bit more critically than the passing glances of the patrons.

"Uhh… It's unique?" Akira said. "Sorry, I'm not exactly a student of the fine arts." He truly did sound apologetic and Yusuke felt his shoulders slump ever so slightly.

"No, it was rude of me putting you on the spot like that." Yusuke said. "But I have listened to the commoners uneducated in the art world talk about it for some time now, having no refined taste. It would not have been accepted if it had been painted on a mere whim." He knew his tone had turned particularly venomous at that. The couple had no reason to say that. Even some of the curators had given it nothing more than a passing glance.

It was…. Frustratingly bothersome. The passion that went into the piece was not born of some whimsical fantasy but as a way to show the world the ugly truth of desire! The ugliness that existed inside of everyone!

"What was painted on a mere whim?" The voice of Yu Narukami broke his thoughts out the darkness they had been going to. " _Desire_ huh?" Yu stood beside Naoto, both looking over the piece. "Naoto-kun, what do you think?"

The sleuth, dressed as a man, tilted her hat down a moment. "I can see the passion put into it." She said, masking her voice as more masculine. "But it is lacking something."

Yusuke felt his heart clench at the words. Could no one see the truth of his piece?!

Yu nodded his head. "Yes, that was my original thought. I'm not an artist, but… even I can tell that it just feels… incomplete." Yu turned to face Yusuke. "You already know that though, don't you?"

Yusuke felt his heart clench tighter as he looked upon _Desire_ again. He sighed but nodded his head. "Yes." He couldn't lie to himself anymore. "It… it lacks a certain… Je ne sais quoi." Yusuke felt the French statement of 'I don't know what' would help adequately describe it. "It feels complete. But it feels missing something. And I am struggling to find what it could possibly be missing. It is truly maddening"

Yu tapped his hand on the side of his pants. "Well, again, I'm not really an artist… But I do have an idea if you're willing to listen to a bit of philosophy." The silver haired adult said.

Yusuke nodded and inhaled. He could be critical of his own work, and while he wanted to get worked up about it, he knew it wasn't the time or the place.

Yu reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He then snapped his hand out in a toss. Yusuke caught the metal object, feeling it in his palm. " _Desire_ is the five hundred on that." he said. "You're smart enough to figure out the rest. Keep it, get yourself something to eat and mull it over. You look like you haven't had a filling meal in a bit."

Yusuke opened his hand to look at the five hundred yen coin. He flipped it over slowly. Indeed, the analogy and philosophy behind it was rather simple to understand.

Naoto nodded her head. "That's a good thought. Yes, that was what I was feeling when I looked at this piece as well." she said.

Akira was looking over Yusuke's shoulder at the coin, even as the couple moved away to look at the rest of the exhibit, no doubt using the event as an excuse to spend time together. "Okay… I think I get it." he said. "Maybe not entirely in what Yu was meaning, but I think I get it."

Yusuke nodded his head. "Indeed, it is a rather simple concept. Desire is only one side of the coin that is the human heart. That the painting only shows desire means it is incomplete and devoid of its true meaning." Yusuke flipped the coin over to the back, looking at it. "But what continues to elude me is this… What is the other side meant to be?" He questioned.

Akira looked to be thoughtful for a moment. The Leader of the Phantom Thieves was an Artist in his own right when it came to the same things that Yu was, the ability to talk and get people to talk, it was something impressive to behold, and no matter how many times Yusuke saw it, he saw the look of thoughtfulness a beautiful thing.

It was not a matter of attraction, but merely an appreciation for such a look.

"You said you were working on another project." Akira said. "It might not be the duality that Yu was going for, but you seemed just as passionate about this project as the other one. Maybe… Maybe you need to look at them both at the same time?" He offered.

Yusuke immediately pulled his sketch book from his bag. He flipped through the pages towards the simpler, more humble picture detailing a sketch between Naoto and Yu. He had, to the side, a half dozen sketches of ways he had thought he wanted to interpret the faces, trial and error after all, but had been unable to choose one to pick from. He wanted it to be perfect.

"Desire and… love?" Yusuke asked, muttering under his breath. No, the concepts were as old as art itself. They lacked a certain individuality that would truly make his work shine and stand out. He glanced at the picture of Yu, easier to imagine as it was. Not love. Yu held something more in his facial features than just simple love. It almost reminded him of the _Sayuri_ in a way, not that his mere sketching was comparable to the masterpiece that his mother had painted.

He closed the sketchbook and tucked it back into his bag, frowning momentarily. He glanced at _Desire_ and stepped towards it. The rolling brushstrokes had been masterfully done as he intended. He could feel the questions it evoked, feel the clenching ugliness that it invoked. So why was he not satisfied? It had to be more than just the incompleteness of it. But it was difficult to grasp. All the investment into it was not trivial...

And like that Yusuke had his answer. His painting was done out of desire. As ugly as the truth he had tried to portray, Yusuke had tried to paint desire. An intangible thing that was difficult to get a grasp on, but he didn't understand the flip side of the coin.

He couldn't help but chuckle and even smile. He flipped the coin between his fingers. "Such a simple answer, a simple philosophy to understand, yet maddeningly difficult to grasp the solution. What could be the reverse of desire I wonder." It was a riddle that he was being entrusted to figure out the answer to. He couldn't but think Yu truly was a master artist of the mind. He had said only a handful of words and already, Yusuke felt himself on a better path at hand.

It was up to him to figure it out and then to paint it. He had to, for his own peace of mind. He would have to look upon some of his favorite pieces in order to gain some insight and inspiration. But _Desire_ would be finished in due time.

 _Take Your Time_

Makoto grabbed her bag as she finished her classes on Saturday. She quickly slung it over one shoulder, getting up from her desk and heading out of the classroom. She then promptly headed down the stairs to the second year classrooms and stood by the stairs, waiting. While she had been tempted to try Akira's method of using a lawbook to hide behind, she ultimately discarded it. Besides, there were already rumors going about about her and Akira. No one asked her, no one even approached her about it. It was partly why she was going to see if he would accompany her today.

He might have better insight about how to connect with her peers.

Seeing him come out with Morgana wiggling in his bag, Makoto moved from the wall and stepped towards the black haired boy. "Akira, could I ask for your help this afternoon with something?"

She noticed the look of surprise flash behind his glasses. Really, a Third Year Honor Student asking a Second Year Student for help would surprise anyone. Even if Akira sat firmly at the top of his classes. "Sure Prez, what can I help with?" The almost casual use of her title would have annoyed her had it been anyone else to use it.

Makoto began to walk down the second flight of stairs and Akira followed her. "So, I've been wanting to reconnect with, or perhaps connect with, my peers. I've determined that I just… I've been so focused on good grades and finding a good college, that somewhere along the way I've found myself surrounded by people I don't know the first thing about how to relate with."

Akira nodded his head. "Alright, I might have a good place to start with then."

Makoto blinked slightly, stopping and causing Akira to go past her two steps. "Just like that?" Makoto asked.

"Just like that." Akira said, turning and continuing down the stairs. "Come on, I'll show you. It'll be fun."

A bit apprehensive about Akira's concept of fun, he was the leader of the Phantom Thieves after all, she followed him nonetheless. They got on the train to take them over to Central Street. Akira headed on up the stairs and paused, letting Morgana out of the bag after a quick glance around. Ultimately, the pair of high schoolers headed towards the arcade.

Makoto looked around in amazement at the flashing lights and the variety of sounds. She knew what an Arcade was, sure, but had never been to one. And it seemed crowded. Akira stepped towards a machine and slotted in a thousand yen, getting a card back in return. He also put another thousand on another card that he pulled from his wallet. He then headed over to her.

"Alright, take this." He handed the new card to her, which she accepted. "And follow me." He took them to a pair of large cabinets that were side by side, plastic guns slotted into the center with a metal pedal on the ground. It seemed to be some kind of horror game based on the theme on the outside of the cabinet, showing shambling zombies and gore. "This one's a bit older, but is a good start." Akira said.

Makoto held the card up a moment, she understood the basic concept of it just by reading the instructions. "So… all we're going to be doing is playing video games?" she asked. Why had it never occurred to her to simply try it? Then again, if it had, she wouldn't be asking Akira.

"Uh huh. First rule of thumb is just… relax." Akira said as he swiped his card and let the reticle of the gun hang over the co-op mode. Makoto decided to follow his example and swiped her card, setting it on the machine as Akira did. "We're not trying to beat it, but we probably could with how much I put on these cards. Each enemy has a different movement pattern they follow, the starters sort of just shamble at you, but after a while they'll start coming faster and faster. You have to press down on the pedal to be out of cover, and you have to be out of cover to shoot, but you have to be in cover to reload. Cover only protects you from ranged attacks if you don't have the bullets to handle it." They pulled the trigger at the same time and it asked them to give a name.

Makoto was about to put in her name when she saw Akira put 'Joker' into the name field. After only a moment's hesitation she put in 'Queen' and confirmed.

What came next was a study in differences. Akira moved with skill and proficiency. He held the gun in one hand and barely let up on the pedal to reload. His gun barely moved off screen before he was pointing it back at the screen and firing off the next clip of ammunition. He called out when he was reloading, half asking her to cover for him, half checking to make sure that she was good on ammo for the brief second he was having to reload.

Makoto on the other hand was having difficulty. She fired the gun with both hands, sometimes more pulling the trigger than squeezing it, making her aim jerk off. She applied too little pressure at times, causing her character to duck into cover at inopportune moments, or not enough pressure and causing Akira to lose health because she wasn't there to support him when he needed her to take care of approaching melee opponents.

But by the end of the third boss, some five swipes of her card later, she was getting into the flow of things. She applied more confident pressure to the pedal, letting her move in and out of cover as needed. She swapped her hands, wiping the sweat from them on her skirt as she needed to, and she wasn't quite pointing off the screen as far when she needed to reload. Her aim, by the end of the fourth boss had gone from about a fifty percent to about sixty five percent. She was taking a bit more time with her shots to line them up.

It still wasn't the ninety percent that Akira consistently held.

"Don't go left!" Akira shouted at her, even as she already chose it. "Damn, Mini-boss! I'll take the chainsaws, you aim for his weakness!"

"Right!" Makoto barely glimpsed at the game showing the weakness of the boss to be the well protected heart that only opened up in the middle of an attack. It slung chainsaws at the screen, with more always appearing. She didn't have time to comment on how unrealistic it was, but her heart was pounding with excitement.

But Akira's shots were clear and concise. Taking each of the chainsaws out. "Loading!" Already he was moving and Makoto took that moment to follow. When she came up, the screen was already looking up as the boss went for a leap attack.

Both Akira and her emptied their clips into the boss as he was descending.

They managed to beat the game just inside of an hour, and Makoto was surprised when she saw Queen appear in the top ten of the high score. She thought she had done horrible, but then she did suppose that they had managed to beat the game.

Akira's 'Joker' was still at the top on both cabinets however. Even as his new score flashed at eighth. "Akira, how often do you play?" she asked as they gathered the cards with the money on them.

"Often enough." He said.

"Is that Niijima-senpai with the transfer student?" Someone whispered.

"Sure looks like it."

"Man, did you see how they were dominating?"

"Please, Kurusu did the work. Niijima was just holding him back."

Makoto winced a bit, closing one eye. It may have been just a game, but she didn't like to think that Akira was being held back because of her. Akira must of been able to sense her apprehension. "Come on, there's another game I like that's fun." He began to lead her away from the other Shujin academy students.

She blinked at the stage that he led her to. "DDR?" she asked. Even she wasn't that ignorant of video games to not know about Dance Dance Revolution.

"Well come on Makoto. Unless your feet don't have rhythm." Akira said, even as he got onto the stage, putting his bag down.

Did… Did he just call her out? Makoto rarely felt she could be considered the competitive sort. But Akira Kurusu was calling her out. Any apprehension she felt about going against him rather than working with him went out the window as she stepped up. "Oh you're on." She said. She dropped her bag as well and swiped the card again.

The apprehension returned when, like with the last game, Makoto saw the name Joker holding some of the top spots on some of the songs. And already, she could see Joker heading for a difficult song and bumping the difficulty up. Makoto however refused to back down, not yet. She went to the same song and bumped the difficulty up as well.

Calling DDR dancing was an insult to dancing. However, it was just as difficult as dancing in some ways as well. The song started out hard, with beats coming flying down the screen usually in pairs followed by another pair. It required precise timing and a good knowledge of how to move. But Makoto didn't give up, even as she was inexperienced at it. Her time in martial arts, especially with Aikido which was about taking an opponent down without actually hurting them, helped with the being able to move and the timing.

Even still, she could see that Akira was holding himself back. To everyone else, it might look like he was having an off day, but she could see the way his feet with twitch, as though they knew the exact placement to get to to give him the best chance for the next beat. But he didn't always take that positioning advantage.

Makoto frowned, even as the song came to an end. Her performance netted her a high score, nothing anywhere close to the top ten, but she did managed to get in the top fifty players. She put in Queen again.

"Damn him." Akira grumbled a bit as he input his Joker.

"What's wrong?" she asked curiously. But then she saw it as the leaderboard shifted towards the top again.

Rank 2 - Joker.

Rank 1 - Yu.

Makoto couldn't suppress the smile on her face. Akira had been dethroned from his position at the top by someone they knew. "What's wrong?" she asked feeling a little more playful, even as she grabbed her bag. "Can't handle a little competition? Careful, I'll be coming for that spot as well, I saw the way you were holding back."

Akira rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah… you noticed that huh?" he asked, even as they stepped down from the stage, Akira grabbing his bag.

"Thanks though." Makoto said. "I had fun. I might get you to help me with this again." The pair walked to the train station, talking about other things they could do and how to get better at the video games. They parted at the train, with Akira boarding his for Yongen-Jaya and Makoto boarding hers to go home.

She really did have fun.

 _Take Your Time_

Yu had been in a number of interesting positions in his life. Most were by choice, most were even his fault. Some were positions of pain, some were positions of laughter and humiliation.

Naoto straddling his lap, her hand in his hair, kissing him on the lips? That was an interesting position of pleasure that Yu would do a lot to keep it happening as often as he could. Especially with one hand on her rear, lightly massaging, the other on her breast as she held it there. Her top was open, her breast binder carelessly discarded from them.

Yu took his sweet time, kissing her more and lightly groping her. He felt her tongue against his own, the makeout session hot and heavy, especially as she shifted slightly to one of his thighs. He really, really didn't know what brought this on. But he wasn't going to complain. He drew back from the kiss with a hiss as she brushed her thigh against a particular piece of anatomy.

"Careful." he whispered. His lithe girlfriend almost kneed him in the groin.

"O-Oh. Sorry… " Naoto blushed as she looked between them. "Is that…"

"I'm very much male Naoto, and I keep telling you, you are very beautiful to me. More than that, if I was to be a bit crass, you're sexy." Yu said. He didn't bother trying to lie about what her leg was against. "And need I remind you, we've been kissing and making out for the past ten minutes, with my hand very firmly against your breast."

"But my breasts are…"

"Beautiful and a size I quite enjoy." Yu said. He reached up to lightly tap Naoto's nose with his finger. "You need to stop comparing yourself to Rise and Yukiko." He followed that with another gentle kiss. "Sure they're beautiful, but I give them like a seven compared to your ten." He said. Maybe a bit over the top and exaggerating, but nonetheless true. Naoto to him was perfect. He didn't want Yukiko and Rise. He didn't fantasize about them the way that he did Naoto.

Naoto smiled and leaned in a bit, kissing him in return. "Mm, I like hearing that." she admitted a bit selfishly. Her leaning forward caused her thigh to brush against his groin again. She glanced between them a bit. Her face was flushed, and Yu, not for the first time, wished he could read the sleuth's mind.

"What's on your mind Nao-chan?" he asked her. If he couldn't read her mind, he would try to see if he could get her to tell him what was on it,

Naoto flushed a bit, but looked up carefully. She bit her lip a moment. "Could… May I… Oh goodness… this is so embarrassing." she said.

"Nao-chan, it's okay." Yu said.

Naoto nodded her head a moment. "I blame you Yu-kun." she said softly. She leaned in and kissed him again. "You've been getting me to explore what it means to be a woman. And now I have these desires first to be kissed by you, then to be touched… now..." She put her hand on his chest and slid it towards his abdomen. "Could I touch, please?" Her voice was small and quiet, a tone she took when she was worried about his reaction

Yu was taken back by the request. But ultimately, he knew the answer to it. "Naoto." He leaned in and kissed her. "I'm a guy, and you are my very attractive, very beautiful girlfriend that I love very much. I'm very much wired to tell you, yes you may touch and feel that part of my anatomy. I will like it, I promise." He leaned back from her some. "On the other hand, as your very loving boyfriend that doesn't want to rush things and screw them up with you, I want you to know that while I do want you to touch and feel, you shouldn't feel obligated to."

There, that should be a good enough answer. Yu was truthful, but respectful. Yes, he did want her to touch him like that. What guy wouldn't want his girlfriend to touch him like that? But at the same hand, he didn't want her feeling obligated to. Yes, he got to enjoy touching her. His hand had still been on her rear the entire conversation, but that was beside the point. She would be touching something a bit more intimate than his rear.

Naoto blushed but moved her hand further south along his body. She hesitated as her fingertips brushed his belt before she moved lower. Yu decided to look up at the ceiling as her hand moved over the front of his pants. While he did indeed want Naoto to touch, it was still a little embarrassing and he didn't want to embarrass Naoto either.

"It's…" Naoto started a bit weak of tone. "Big. Bigger than I anticipated."

"I am taller than the average Japanese male, and you are shorter than the average Japanese woman. It's going to seem that way." Yu said. Granted, it wasn't much in either direction, but even Yu's almost ten centimeters taller than the average man of his country made him bigger. He wasn't unnaturally large, but Yu knew that comparable to average, it was going to seem bigger.

"Right." Naoto said softly. Lightly her fingers moved further and cupped him lightly. Yu gave a small sound in his throat. How could he not when his girlfriend was squeezing him. It might have been through jeans and boxers, but it was still there. "Oh! D-did I hurt you?" Her hand came away quickly.

"No, it feels good Naoto." he said. Yu turned his head down to look at his girlfriend. He kissed her on the lips. He felt her return the kiss before he watched her head turn downwards to continue looking at his groin. Tentatively, he felt her hand return to lightly feeling him.

"I did this?" she asked, more herself than Yu.

"Yeah, you've been doing this since… Oh… The Hot Spring trip." Yu admitted. Even if she wasn't his girlfriend at the time, he was allowed to dream, and Naoto made for a very cute girl, even when dressed as a boy.

Naoto looked up at him then. "That long?" she asked almost shocked. "But… but… what about Rise? Yukiko? Even Marie?"

Yu inhaled. His girlfriend still had security issues with her body. He reached out and cupped Naoto's cheek, tilting her head up. He leaned in and kissed her lips. "I didn't connect with any of them like I did you." he said. "I recognize that each of them are good looking women, I do, even Chie. But you were just the one I couldn't get out of my head. The one I couldn't stop thinking about. I longed for the texts you sent, I longed to hear your voice. It's why I told everyone to leave the hot spring. I was greedy, I didn't want anyone else to see you like that. And I didn't want to upset you with seeing you like that, especially knowing you still had trouble coming to terms with your gender."

Yu gently kissed Naoto. The sleuth could be so hard on herself some times. "So yes, you've been fueling this for a long time. Christmas, New Years, the ski trip, Valentine's Day, White Day…" He kissed her again. "You, everything about you, that's what I want. I think you're beautiful, even dressed in full Naoto Shirogane Detective Prince mode with the double breasted custom coat that you wear. And I know I wasn't the best boyfriend, but let me be the best I can be." He said. "If that means letting you touch and see me more intimately than any girl, that's what it'll take. I love you Naoto."

Naoto blushed prettily and leaned in. She rested her head on his chest. "You are the best boyfriend Yu." she said softly. "And you know I hate being called that."

"Maybe, but it is your title." Yu told her. He smiled a little bit. "So do you want to continue feeling?"

Naoto smiled and shook her head, putting her hand on Yu's stomach. "It's fine." she said. "Later maybe."

Yu smiled a little bit and he looked at Naoto a moment. "What _did_ bring this on?" he asked a bit curiously. One moment he had been getting ready to do something unimportant, the next he had been pinned beneath his girlfriend with her checking his tonsils.

Not that he was complaining.

Naoto blushed and hung her head a bit. "I was a bit snappish last night. I had to deal with Akechi yesterday afternoon again. I wanted to make it up to you."

Yu chuckled a little bit and he gently used one hand to button the front of Naoto's top, only doing two so that her breasts weren't quite so on display. None of the Phantom Thieves were about to come barging into his home, but even still he wanted to make sure his girlfriend was adequately covered. "Just don't feel like you have to be making it up to me to have fun like that." he said softly.

Naoto nodded her head gently. "I'll keep that in mind." She kissed him on the cheek gently. "You're still having problems accepting your actions for the past few months. I've told you, I've forgiven you." she said.

"And you're having problems accepting that I want you, that you are beautiful to me, so we're even." Yu said. He kissed his girlfriend on the lips. But ultimately, he sighed. "Yeah, I suppose I am. I missed your birthday even. What sort of boyfriend misses his girlfriend's birthday?"

"You still got me a fantastic present Yu-kun." She argued. "I love that watch. The fact you had it sent to me completely taken apart told me you know me. You know I love working on things like that. And that wasn't a cheap watch either."

Yu shrugged his shoulders a little bit. "I still love these ones." He showed the watch that he never took off if he had to. "Sure, it's a bit of a child's watch, but it's still great knowing your close."

"I have been meaning to look into trying to upgrade it." Naoto said. "There's a number of things that, as an adult, you can probably get that I wouldn't be able to as a minor. Plus, I can probably redo them so that they look more like adult watches."

"What would the new range be?" Yu asked curiously.

"Still not far I'm afraid." Naoto admitted. "A hundred meters maybe. In order to do more than that, I'd have to do some serious tinkering with much more specialized equipment, and the watches wouldn't be much of watches anymore. They would have to be able to bounce signals off of each other, likely using cellphone towers or satellites, both of which would be tricky to even do, not to mention illicit without permission, and the sort of equipment to be able to do all that wouldn't be so easily condensed down to a watch." She said.

Yu smiled and leaned in, kissing her. "I could hear you talk about it all day." he whispered softly. He really could, it might as well be talking sexy to his ears.

 _Take Your Time_

"Got that project you wanted done kid." Iwai's gruff voice came from the back as he came forward. "Don't want to know what you wanted it for, but you got it. Remember, you owe me." he said, sliding a paper bag forward. Akira grabbed the bag and looked inside at the revolver. "Colt Diamondback replica, cylinder is made to look like it can hold six rounds. Nickel plated, damn close to the actual weight too. Went with a medium length barrel, measuring in at ten point sixteen centimeters exactly, just as the diamondback was."

"Thanks Iwai." Akira said and carefully stuffed it into his bag. Makoto needed a solid piece when they were in the Metaverse. Naoto recommended a revolver for its stopping power. And Makoto had been quite the crack shot when they were at the arcade yesterday.

"How's the shop been?" Iwai's tone suggested he knew Akira wasn't a gun nut like he had claimed, but Akira had been slowly coming along in that regard. He was having to deal with guns a lot and was getting to be quite interested.

"Slow going." Akira said with a shrug. "Did some straightening up, dusted, you know, the stuff you have me usually do when there are no customers. Like usual."

"Ha. No respect." Iwai said, which was a hilarious thing coming from the former Yakuza member.

Akira frowned a bit and leaned against the counter slightly. He was careful not to press his hands on the glass as he had just cleaned it and didn't want to smudge it. "Can I ask a favor?" he asked.

"You mean aside from the discounted models?" Iwai asked a bit drolly.

"Yes, aside from those. I need a bit of information." According to Ryuji, there had been no headway on Junya Kaneshiro. Nothing to be found, even though they were on a break, it didn't mean some research couldn't be done. And so Iwai, criminal element that he once had been, was Akira's last bet.

"Alright… What do you need some information on?" Iwai asked, crossing his arms.

"Junya Kaneshiro." Akira said, dropping the crime boss' name.

Iwai's jaw went slack and his eyes widened. "Shit." he said before he chewed on the toothpick he usually had in his mouth a bit more vigorously. "Where'd you hear that name kid? You in trouble with him?"

"Nothing of the sort." Akira said, holding his hands up. "A friend of mine is though." He lied. "I had difficulty enough getting a name."

"Fuck." Iwai pulled his hat down some. "You want my advice? Your friend is dead to you. Don't talk to them again. Don't bother with heroics. And I hear my work has been used to try and threaten Kaneshiro, our deal is done. I don't care what help you might be." Iwai looked at Akira and crossed his arm. "But you're not about to take my advice, are you kid?"

"Not if I can help in some way." Akira said. "I won't do anything stupid, but…"

Iwai shook his head. "You're already doing stupid stuff kid." He said. He sighed a moment. "Kaneshiro is a new player." he said. "New, clever, and well backed. The families try to stay out of each others shit, and Kaneshiro is careful. There's been talk, yeah, that he might have been doing some shit that would definitely get him in trouble with his backers. Fat fuck is about money though, plain and simple, and sends his backers enough to keep them happy. I don't know dick about his operations though. Whatever you do, don't give your friend money."

Akira nodded his head softly and thought about it for a little bit. "Thanks Iwai."

"Don't thank me kid. You screw up trying to help, you might as well be dead. And don't you dare drag my name into it." Iwai was serious about it. "I got enough shit going on without the families breathing down my neck, demanding explanations as to why I was helping a kid disrupt their work. These guys got the real guns, and have no problem putting a bullet in you to keep you quiet. No matter how well my work is made, they're just replicas."

Akira didn't say anything. With what he had in mind, no one would get word that Junya Kaneshiro was being threatened by him, his friends, or with Iwai's work. He grabbed his bag and swung it up onto his back, stepping out of Untouchables. Iwai's help would definitely be appreciated.

He pulled out his phone and drew up the chat with the Phantom Thieves. He had a feeling Futaba was monitoring their progress. Probably was scouring the internet for what she could, trying to figure things out. He knew it was risky, having the gifted computer genius monitor their work, but he hadn't heard anything one way or another about it being good or bad. ' **We should meet up tomorrow. I got some more information on the target.'**

' **Break time over already?'** Ryuji texted.

' **It was bound to happen eventually.'** Yusuke said.

' **This week has been really refreshing though.'** Ann put in.

' **I'm working on something for summer. Don't make too many plans for around August 20th.'** Yu sent across. It was the first that Akira was hearing about it, but he thought it could be interesting.

He moved from the general chat to just his chat with Yu. ' **Plans?'** He sent across.

' **Yes, don't worry about the cost either, I've got it covered. But I think we could all use a break from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya, and frankly speaking, if we succeed with the next part, I'm concerned about the requests that will come in.'**

Akira frowned a moment as he looked at his phone. But he supposed Yu was right. If they did end up getting Kaneshiro, their popularity would shoot through the roof and they would likely end up getting more and more serious requests from people via Mishima's website.

Worse, he wouldn't be able to deny them either.

Still, there was something he wanted to take care of. ' **Let me know about the total cost of things. I'd rather be able to help out with the cost. I'm not taking No for an answer either.'**

' **Relax Akira, I make more money than you do with my night job than you do with any two of your jobs. If I need your help with something, I'll let you know. Just… are you willing to make curry for everyone?'**

Make Sojiro's curry for everyone? Yeah. Akira could do that. He'd have to practice a little bit more, but he could definitely make curry for everyone. ' **Let me at least pay for supplies.'**

' **Fine. I'll let you pay for supplies.'**

Akira shook his head and wondered what Yu Narukami had planned, but he would find out as August 20th came closer. He picked Morgana up from their designated meeting spot and he headed for the subway to head on home. It was late and he was getting tired.

They would have a busy day tomorrow.

Chapter End

 **A/N: I'm not apologizing. Not for this one. 16k word chapter. I'm not apologizing for it being late. Not when it's the size of two chapters.**

 **Ugh… A lot went on this chapter. I was so… soo tempted to cut it off at Ryuji's bit and cut it into two. But I couldn't do two chapters of filler. While it was mostly filler, this chapter progresses things a bit, and further deviates from the events of Persona 5. After all, Junya Kaneshiro has no fucking clue what's about to hit him.**

 **I also hope to work with Ryuji's character a bit more. Right now, he's in this tumultuous position of trying to change. I hated Ryuji's character in the game. It was like there was a split between Phantom Thief Ryuji and Confidant Ryuji, like they were to be two separate characters and they ended up mashed together. Thief Ryuji was this brash hothead that seemed more interested in gaining fame. Confidant Ryuji was more like someone trying to help someone out for no benefit of his own. So I hope it'll make things interesting.**

 **Yu and Naoto's scenes… Shameless fluff. I happen to enjoy looking up videos of the Dancing series of games for Persona. Rhythm games and I don't get along well either. I have stupid fingers. I type 80 words a minute by chicken pecking the keyboard.**

 **I also decided to change the rather abrupt 'Scene Break' to the 'Take Your Time' found in certain loading screens of Persona 5.**

 **1- At the time this story is written in, the voting age for Japanese citizens was 20. This was later changed to 18 in 2016.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy. I'm going to rest up, play some Monster Hunter World for like 4 hours, and then get to work on the next chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12: Sacrifice

Chapter 12: Sacrifice

"Junya Kaneshiro, mob boss. Take it away Akira, what do you have?" Yu's voice from the kitchen brought the group to order and got everyone settled in to listen to what Akira had to say about their current target.

"According to Iwai, Kaneshiro is a new player in the game." Akira said, remembering what the former Yakuza member said. "And he likes money. Likes money a lot. Makes enough that he can make some moves against some of the other businesses of the families without getting his backers to pull their support."

"So what? We think that's his distortion?" Ryuji asked from the couch.

"How would we go about that? I mean, for Kamoshida it was that he thought the school was a Castle." Ann said a bit concerned.

"Perhaps one of his businesses that brings in money?" Yusuke offered as a thought.

"There's too many to begin trying to guess." Naoto said. "When you've worked enough crime cases, you hear about all manner of crimes and ways criminals make money. Gambling is mostly illegal, so criminal elements will instead have you win prizes that you can then go next door to turn in for actual money."

Makoto frowned a moment. "Should… should we maybe try and go find one of these recruiters?" she asked.

"Absolutely not." Akira said quickly. "I don't want us anywhere near Kaneshiro. He's not going to be against making a kid disappear to put a message out to everyone else. And you, Makoto, and Naoto would be prime merchandise for him to make his own if he could." Akira wanted to stomp that idea out as hard as he could.

Yu came from the kitchen with a tray of coffee. "You're all thinking too complicated." he said. He took his spot beside Naoto and took a cup of coffee, drinking a little bit of it. It had become a sort of ritual, to get some coffee into their systems after school and before they went into the Metaverse.

"How do you mean?" Ryuji asked, sitting forward a bit to add cream and sugar to his own.

Yu drank a bit more coffee. "A bank." The phone on the center of the table beeped, the distortion field getting filled out for the Metanav.

"A bank?" Ann asked. "But… isn't he a criminal?"

Yu shrugged his shoulders a bit. "One could argue that a bank is one of history's greatest scams of all time." He said. He pulled out another yen coin and tossed it over to Ryuji. "I've loaned you some money. I now expect it back, plus interest at a rate that could inflate the amount you owe to almost twice as much over the lifetime of the loan. Oh, and given the size of the loan, you'll be indebted to me for most of your adult life."

Akira winced at the rather blunt assessment that Yu gave. Ryuji tossed the coin back as though it burned him. "Okay, I can see why a crime boss would have the distortion of a bank. Plus, there's a lot of money flowing into a bank, not so much flowing out."

"That's right. And if he's greedy, he's going to want the most money flowing in. And a good businessman knows that some money has to flow out in order for even more to flow in." Yu said.

Makoto gave a wince then. "I have heard some of the students saying they found this nice paying job, but then things take a turn. I haven't been able to get anything concrete though."

"Well, then let's go change his heart. Where would his Palace be? Should we hit the streets, find his location?" Ryuji asked.

"For the last time, absolutely not!" Akira said loudly. "We need to play this smarter!"

Ryuji winced. "Sorry, my bad." At least he sounded contrite about it.

"Again, you're complicating things Ryuji." Yu said. "What area does a bank usually operate in?"

Naoto smiled. "Of course." she said. "Nothing would satisfy his twisted desires but the entire city." The information filled in on the Metanav and everyone was looking it over.

"Wait, the entire city is his palace?" Ann asked loudly. "How are we ever going to find it?"

Akira was of a similar mindset. "We'll just have to put the work in. In the Metaverse we actually have armor and can fight back, out here we take a bullet to the chest that's pretty much it. I'm more comfortable taking the fight to the bastard in the Metaverse rather than out here."

"So are we prepared then?" Yusuke asked.

"Just two other things." Akira said. He grabbed his bag and pulled it forward. From it, he produced the brown paper bag and slid them over to Makoto. "Your gear. Welcome to the Phantom Thieves."

"Oh yeah?" Ryuji asked excited. "Whatcha get?"

"This guy always seems to know what to get." Ann said, motioning over to Akira.

From the bag, Makoto pulled out the replica of the Colt Diamondback and held it out. "It's heavy." she said. "But… it's reassuring." She looked in the bag again and pulled out a pair of brass knuckles as well. "Huh… Guess all that Aikido training won't really work in the Metaverse, but these should do nicely. What else is there to discuss Akira?"

Akira inhaled a moment and closed his eyes. He hated breaking his promises. Especially one to Sojiro who had done nothing but good for him. But, he thought it might save a girl's life. He exhaled slowly. "I found another Palace owner." he said.

"Really? Who?" Ryuji asked sounding excited.

Akira had to stomp on that. "This isn't like the last two or this one!" he snapped a bit.

Ryuji recoiled slightly from the statement. "Sorry." he said contrite.

Akira sighed. "Her name is Futaba Sakura, and her Palace is a tomb. My understanding is she probably blames herself for her mother's death."

"Wakaba Isshiki." Naoto said from her spot at the table.

"Yeah. Boss said she's his adoptive daughter and that Futaba was present when some people came in and read Wakaba's suicide note." Akira didn't like the idea of having two Palace operations going at the same time, but they needed to be informed, especially if they could save Futaba.

"You're concerned about what she views her Palace as." Yu said.

"I don't know how old she is, but she can't be that old if she was still living with her mom two years ago." Akira said.

"Fourteen." Naoto said. The surprise on Akira's face must of shown. "I am a detective, and quite the skilled one at that." She said none too humbly for a moment. "Once you gave me a name to work with, it was relatively easy to look into details. Especially since it was considered a closed case. The crime scene pictures were…" Naoto grimaced. "Unpleasant."

Akira could only imagine. Sojiro had said the woman had jumped into traffic, not where or in front of what. Even imagine just a broken, mangled body wasn't pleasant to think about. If she was hit by something with a bit more mass, going a bit faster… Unpleasant wouldn't even begin to describe it.

"So should we split up?" Ann asked.

"No," Yu said firmly. "Splitting the group would do us no favors. Palaces are dangerous enough as is." He said. "We're already stretching the issue by splitting into three groups. More people will help as we'll be able to watch each others' backs, but if a healer goes down and no one is there to help them because they are in another Palace, people can and will get hurt more."

Akira nodded his head. "He's right. Even though we have two backup healers now, and I can heal too, I'd rather us not get split apart. Futaba's Palace will come next. I've been in contact with her though, she's a gifted person when it comes to electronics, so it was going to be a matter of time before she contacted us."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Yusuke asked cautiously. "You have been taking a number of risks Akira."

"I'm taking calculated risks, yes." Akira admitted. "But they're to try and handle problems before they pop up. Do we need to cover anything else?" he asked. He didn't really think it was the time to be going over his methods. The others might disagree, but there was work to be done. "Right then, let's get going." Akira said and stood up. The others did as well and went to grab their things, Yu let them store them at his house for a while, but everyone understood the fact that if they needed to they would have to take their gear home with them.

Akira was the one to activate the app with Kaneshiro's information, and after the world distorted around them, he was surprised to see everyone already decked out in their Phantom Thief attire. It would seem that Kaneshiro put some stock into the rumors of them going around, and they were already deemed a threat.

"Woah…" Ryuji said, taking in Makoto's form.

"It would seem Queen was an apt codename." Yusuke said, also taking in the visage of their newest member.

Akira gave a whistle. "Focus. Save the commentary for when we're in Mementos. I don't know how big of a break we're going to get while we're here. Fool's home seems like a safe house, but that we're already in our outfits means we're already being considered threats. Let's go outside and see what there is to see."

The group headed outside, Naoto and Yu bringing up the rear as they tended to do. Akira took point, with most the group regarding him as the official leader. Only Naoto and Yu didn't, but they knew their job as being backup was just as important.

"Hey… look at the people…" Ann said softly.

All the people, walking ATM machines. It disgusted Akira. But honestly, he wasn't that surprised. Worse, he could see some that were very clearly broken apart in the alleyways. Victims that had died? Akira didn't know but it was pissing him off.

"Where do you think we can find this bank?" Makoto asked, stepping up in line with him. "It'd have to be something everyone in this distorted world would recognize right?"

"Yeah… about that." Yu said from the back. "How's that for recognizable?" He pointed his sword towards… Akira and the others turned to follow the sword and even Akira couldn't help but gape at the incredulity of what he was seeing.

Between Kamoshida's and Madarame's Palaces, he should have been better prepared. But Akira couldn't but stare. It was a flying bank like building, acting like a giant vacuum and drawing something in. After a moment, he was able to determine it was money, it even pulled from one of the ATM machine people.

"Mona, is there anything you can do? Some special transformation or gadget?" Ryuji asked.

"I can turn into a bus, not a rocket!" Morgana snapped a bit. Like the comment made any sense in a normal way.

Akira saw Yu scanning the buildings, glancing around. "Thoughts Fool?" he asked.

"I can use a few of the Persona with wings to glide for a brief distance, but… There's nothing high enough to use." Akira was afraid of that. "But I might have figured out an alternative. I just don't like it." If Yu didn't like it, Akira didn't.

Anything that bothered Yu and Naoto who were the more experienced of their group and the backup bothered Akira.

"What's the plan Senpai?" Naoto asked.

Akira watched Yu grimace. "Well… a bank needs customers right? And we're new to the area the bank operates in? So we make him come to us, as customers."

Akira figured out what it was that Yu didn't like. If they did this the way that Yu was talking about, it would tip security off and there was no telling what they were going to run across when they came into Kaneshiro's Palace in a heightened state of security. "Do it." Akira said, resigning himself to a difficult Palace.

Yu stepped forward away from the group and inhaled. "I need a loan." He said loudly and firmly.

It was like a switch was flipped on the floating bank in the sky. It had been mostly meandering about the place, but then it began to drift towards them. It stopped some distance away before a long ramp was extended out to land on the concrete. The entire group stood back from Yu, staring up at the bank.

"Joker, do you mind if I take over as lead?" Yu asked.

Akira nodded his head. "I'll follow your lead." The other Phantom Thieves nodded their heads, quickly determining that they too would follow Yu's lead.

"Mona, turn into a bus. We're not walking this ramp up. Scientist, you're up front with me. Queen, Joker take the left and right sides of the middle seat, wind the windows down and have your guns ready. Fox, you're standing in the middle, pop the top hatch and be ready. Skull, Panther, sorry but you're sitting in the back. Your guns aren't really meant for range or accuracy." Yu's orders came quick and concise. No doubt the older teen was thinking of a number of scenarios and not liking a single one of them.

Akira wasn't liking a single one himself.

But by taking Morgana up, they would at least all be going up at once instead of Yu starting to go up and the rest of them getting stranded.

Morgana quickly turned into a bus and everyone followed Yu's words. Ryuji and Ann slipped into the backseat, though Ryuji notably got his shotgun ready, checking the shells he had in it. Naoto took the front seat and wound the window down, pulling her revolver out. Yusuke had the most precarious of positions, having to stand on the middle of the seat, though he put one foot on the back of the front seat as well to help stabilize himself as he scanned the area with the assault rifle.

Yu started Morgana up as soon as everyone was in, Morgana giving a purr sound. "Hey, you're really good at that. Nice and gentle." The levity of the situation was brought up a bit as everyone chuckled at Morgana's statement. Even Yu chuckled a bit but started to drive the bus up the ramp, shifting gears with a smoothness that Akira was slightly envious of.

"Where'd you learn to drive a stick so well?" Akira asked. He couldn't help it. If Morgana had been an automatic, he likely wouldn't have had such difficulty learning.

"My dad's car is a stick." Yu said. "It's a good skill to have. If it wasn't more dangerous, I'd have you guys learn how to ride a motorcycle as well in Mementos. But…" Yu grimaced. "Even being careful I skidded on the asphalt twice while learning how to ride."

Akira grimaced at that. "I'd like to learn, but I'm not sure I want to learn that badly." he said.

"Mementos might be the best place to do so Senpai, what with us being able to use the Dia line of spells." Naoto said. There were a few groans at the idea, but then again, it was another useful skill to have. "Was it really that difficult from a scooter?" she asked.

"Our scooters were built with some semblance of balance in mind." Yu said. "Not for speed. They're built for stability and have a limit to how fast they can go. While a motorcycle does have a built in chip limiting their top speed, it is still factors higher than how fast a scooter can go."

Akira decided to pipe up then. "Scooters?" he asked, a bit amused.

"You don't need to take more than a written test at the age of sixteen to get a license for a 50cc scooter." Yu said. "And they helped us get around during our time in Inaba, including a beach trip, which sad to say Scientist did not accompany us on. But they made going to the Amagi Inn easier quite a few times."

Naoto tilted her cap down slightly. "You and I did make a number of trips to the hotsprings and talked through the wall, didn't we Senpai?"

The trip up to the bank was thankfully uneventful and they all maneuvered out of the bus. Morgana transformed back once they were all out and stretched himself out a little bit. Akira looked to Yu a moment, wondering if he still wanted to take the lead.

"I can keep taking lead if you'd like." Yu said offered, apparently reading Akira's look.

"It's not a problem with me." Akira said. In fact, it could be a welcomed break, taking orders from someone else. While they both acknowledged that they were among the best for giving orders for their respective teams, they both hadn't asked for leadership and just had it thrust on them.

That wasn't to say that Akira didn't think Makoto and Yusuke couldn't take lead if something happened to him. It was the same with Yu and having Yosuke and Naoto to trust to take the reins if something happened.

Yu nodded his head. "Pass me two thermos of coffee." He said. Akira dug into his pack and passed them over. Yu passed one over to Naoto. They usually only had six to work with, so having Yu ask for two definitely cut into their reserves. Akira watched Yu reach into his pack and pull out some ripe, tiny tomatoes in a plastic baggy. He passed it over to Naoto.

The sleuth raised an eyebrow. "Are we planning an assault Senpai? I didn't even realize you had tiny soul tomatoes." She said.

"Been growing them in the window sill." Yu said. He stepped up in front of everyone. "Right then, we don't know if we'll be able to get back up a second time, so the infiltration has to be done in one go." That surprised Akira. "As with when we usually send out calling cards, I'm sure the ruler of this Palace will leave the ramp down for the infiltration as we're directly challenging him. But claiming to be a customer won't work a second time."

"Can we do an entire infiltration in one go?" Makoto asked.

"We've never tried." Morgana said. "I have two cans of soda."

Everyone began to open their packs, listing off what they had. In total, they had sixteen cans of various drinks, four thermos of coffee, and one container of curry. They were going to be run ragged in Akira's opinion. Especially since Yu and Naoto had taken two thermos of coffee.

Yu however wasn't done. "I know we haven't done this before, and it's rather unorthodox. But Scientist and I will take point. All of you are the emergency team in case things go sour. Make no mistake, things will be dangerous. We're going in loud, and we're blowing through every Shadow that gets in our path. Stay about a room behind us in the shadows. Security is going to go through the roof near immediately."

"This isn't what being a Phantom Thief is about." Morgana grimaced. Akira didn't necessarily blame him. So far, they had worked on the prospect of stealth. This entire plan was throwing that out the window.

"Perhaps not." Yu agreed. "But the fact of the matter is we need to do it. None of us can fly, Joker and I can't summon Persona capable of carrying everyone at once, and it'd be foolish to split up. We have no idea how fast this bank is, or what other defenses it has. So we need to make the Infiltration in one go, and Scientist and I are the best suited for it. We're the strongest here, our Persona re-energize us."

Logically, it all made sense. But Akira still didn't like it. He removed his mask and rubbed his face before putting the mask back on. "You'll be careful right?" he asked. He couldn't exactly stop Yu from doing it either.

"Of course. It's why I asked for some of the coffee." Yu said. The older teen looked to Naoto. "You up for this?" he asked.

She checked her revolver, making sure everything was correct. She then nodded her head. "I've got your back, always." she said.

Yu looked over to Akira. "Think you can find us a way inside that's not the front door?"

Akira nodded and inhaled, slowly exhaling. He made his way around the area before he came to the statue. He bent down and began to push, the statue slowly grinding backwards. Ryuji, Yu, and Yusuke scrambled over to help move it back easier. "How's this?" he asked.

Yu nodded his head. "It'll do."

 _Take Your Time_

Yu slid to his knees, sliding along the tiled floor as he brought his sword out and cut the Shadow's legs out from under it. The fireball that had sailed over his head passed too close for comfort. Naoto's revolver boomed out a retort scattering the Shadow before it had the chance to fall completely from having its legs cut out.

Perhaps charging into the bank and saying that he and Naoto would be infiltrating the entire thing by themselves was a bit of a hasty plan, but it had to be done. Yu had not been wrong in saying that they were the best ones suited to doing it. He had not been wrong in saying they had no idea the defenses that Shadow Kaneshiro would have in place upon their return if they decided to leave. There were just too many variables with a flying Palace to take into account.

They got in once, they had to make it count. In truth, Yu didn't even know if when they sent the calling card if it would be possible for them to get back in either. But they had to take the chance. They had come too far not to.

Now if only the Shadows weren't so damned resistant to physical damage.

"How you doing?" Yu asked as Naoto came up from her spot.

"A little winded and could use a breather at the next safe room." She said. She checked her rounds. "Also, running low on speed loaders. Hoping your idea will work."

Yu nodded his head. "Can't hurt to try." His idea was that if the cognition never saw Naoto run out of speed loaders, then they couldn't tell how much ammo she had. It was why she was putting them back into the pouch she usually carried the full ones in.

They began to move at a more sedate pace, Yu letting Naoto catch her breath a little bit. He knew it was dangerous, but it would be more dangerous if she couldn't breathe.

"Why did you push a bit harder to be the lead for this?" Naoto asked as she reached into her pack. Yu watched as she popped a tiny tomato into her mouth and started chewing.

Yu felt a little amused embarrassment at the truth. It would figure that Naoto would see that his reasons hadn't been entirely honest. Oh, he wasn't wrong in his assement, but it hadn't been everything. Really, he had been hoping for an excuse. "Can I confide in you a bit?" he asked.

"Always." Naoto said, as though he asked if the sky was blue. It was just a simple fact, that Yu could always confide in Naoto and she wouldn't judge him for it.

Yu pushed the button on the elevator and waited for it a moment. "If there was one crime I wanted to commit, it was rob a bank." he said. He smiled in amusement at the shocked look on Naoto's face. And it was easy to see why she was shocked. He was dating, and madly in love with, a detective and he was related to another detective. He was usually an upstanding guy, quite straight laced. He tried to help people.

And he just admitted that he wanted to rob a bank.

"C-come again?" Naoto asked, blinking a bit.

"I've always wanted to rob a bank." Yu admitted and shrugged his shoulders. "It would never happen, I don't have the sort of connections to make it go off without a hitch, plus, I'd be more worried about keeping people alive. But it was just a little… morally dark fantasy." He said. "Perfect bank heist, just hitting the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group… Just millions of yen for the taking. Done quietly, quickly, wouldn't have to work another day in my life."

Naoto shook her head. "You do realize they have state of the art security." she said.

"I know." Yu did. "But come on, what about you?" He asked as he stepped into the elevator. The rest of the Phantom Thieves would take it back down once they were downstairs. "Ever have a crime you wanted to commit? Just something to fantasize about but know it'd never come to fruition?" A little daydreaming was hardly anything bad after all.

Naoto tilted her capt down as she blushed. "There were two things." she mumbled.

"What were they? I won't judge." Yu wouldn't. His girlfriend could say she wanted to kill someone and he wouldn't judge. Everyone had those days. Hell, before King Moron's death, he had been practically fantasizing about it. It was meant to be that, just a little fantasy.

Not necessarily innocent, but it was there.

King Moron's death had seriously put a damper on it. Yu spent some time feeling bad about fantasizing about it. Even an asshole like Kinshiro Morooka didn't deserve that.

Naoto smiled a bit. "Counterfeiting." she said. "Much safer than bank robbing. Could even argue it is easier. A more high brow crime if you will."

Yu chuckled a little bit. Figures that his girlfriend, coming from a prestigious name, would go for a higher brow crime.

"Of course, I also know all the laws against counterfeiting, the penalties involved. And like you, I don't have any of the resources and my own morals would never allow it." Naoto shook her head. "My parents would be so ashamed, my grandfather's heart might not be able to take it if I were to be a criminal in that regard, being so selfish like that."

"Nothing wrong with being a little selfish." Yu said. "But you're right, bank robbing and counterfeiting. Neither one of us could handle the shame that it would bring. And neither one of us would ever do it. Our morals are too on the side of the law." He paused a moment, hitting the up button as he stepped out of the elevator. "What was the other one?" he asked.

"Piracy." Naoto said. "As in Golden Age Piracy."

Yu couldn't suppress the amused snort. He pictured Naoto with one of those giant, over the top, ostentatious for the sake of being ostentatious pirate hats. "You'd make a fine captain."

"Except I don't know the first thing about ships or navigating the seas." Naoto said. "It's not been a skill I've needed, so I haven't had to pick it up. It's much like skiing in that regard, except skiing…"

Yu frowned a moment, remembering the ski trip and the closeness they had shared in that supply shed. He almost punched Yosuke in the mouth for insinuating that they were making up the blizzard. After all they had been through, and they really thought they were going to go do something like that? Even still… "I still owe you a ski trip where it's just the two of us." he said softly.

Naoto blushed a bit, even as they moved along. "Yes." she said softly. "Yes you do. I'm surprised you still want to." she admitted.

"Why wouldn't I want to?" Yu asked, turning to look at Naoto.

"Well…" Naoto shifted a bit. "I really didn't have any ability in skiing when you worked with me the second day, then there was the whole incident saving Marie."

Yu shifted his sword into his left hand a moment and he reached out to take Naoto's hand. He gave it a squeeze, watching her blush. "I told you before, I love spending time with you. It doesn't matter what we do. We could go skiing and I can help you learn, we can stay at your apartment snuggled up under a kotatsu, or we could be shopping for watch parts while you're talking about the technicals of them. I love spending time with you."

" **Get them!"**

Yu growled in frustration and turned. He slapped himself with a Heat Riser and Mind Charge without even waiting on Naoto and dashed forward, cutting through the Shadow to summon up some physically resistant ones. "I was having a moment!" he snarled before dropping a Megidolaon onto the shadows.

And like that his problem was solved.

Naoto shook her head and walked up calmly. "We had best continue on Senpai. We can handle everything else later. And thank you." she said. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

Together the pair continued to make their way through the Palace. They had to back track at one point to a security booth in the main bank area, and then head back down to deal with the Shadow in the room they had just gotten one to vacate from. Then they had to find the pieces of a journal to find the solution to a logic based puzzle that moved a room that was shaped like a giant lock. It was quite the long shot of an infiltration, but between the two of them they managed to pull it off without to much of a hitch.

With their infiltration route secure, they all headed out of the bank and began to make their way down to ground level. They'd head to Yu's house and be back in the real world in just a few moments. And good thing too, everyone was tired. It was less being physically or mentally tired for Yu who had Izanagi-no-Okami working him through the fatigue, it was just more of a sense of tiredness. He was still alert, but he felt his mind drifting a bit.

The hitch came however, as they were getting out of Morgana. Naoto's Shadow appeared and pressed her back to Naoto's. " _Reflection incoming! Yamato is in pain!"_ If Yamato was in pain, then there could only mean Naoto's Reflection was coming, and by splitting up, they saved their Persona from that pain.

They all went into an alert state, Yu tightening his hold on his blade. A snap of the fingers was all he heard before the explosion rocked them. He slammed into the concrete and scrambled up to his feet. The powerful Megidolaon spell had slammed into the middle of them, forcing them to split up. Makoto, still getting her bearings of combat, slammed hard into a parked car, slumping forward with a groan.

"Found you Senpai~." The sing song feminine voice sounded out and Yu turned to look.

Coming from where his house was… It was almost like a parody of who Naoto was. Her blue hair was long and straight, coming down to her waist. It was no longer the messy locks hidden up under a cap. The Reflection wore Naoto's face. But it held touches of makeup that Naoto would never wear. Her lips, painted a flattering red, were curled into a smile. And further deviating her from his Naoto was the outfit. It was a light blue dress with a short and swishy skirt. Her top was lower cut, showing a tasteful amount of cleavage, as though to emphasize the fact she had breasts. And she had on heels to give her a few more centimeters of height. There was a small bag on her back that seemed to go with the dress to some extent.

But more importantly was the revolver she held in her hand that was pointed towards Yu's Naoto.

"I'll be done in just a second, then we can get going. Okay?" She asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him. The sweet, almost innocent look on her face twisted to something ugly as she turned to look at the more boyish Naoto. She didn't hesitate, and pulled the trigger.

Naoto moved the bullet slamming into the concrete. It was so quick and sudden and unexpected, but everyone was quick to try and spring into readiness. Akira drew his gun and took two shots at the Reflection, moving to get into better cover. Not that it matter, the Reflection danced out of the way and turned, her shot clipping Akira in the shoulder, sending him down behind a car.

"Joker!" Yusuke shouted before he grabbed his katana and dashed forward. "I will put you to the sword!"

"Fox, no!" Yu shouted as he grabbed at his sword and got up.

The reflection smiled at Yusuke, as though his actions were amusing. She stepped back with a grace that shouldn't have been possible in her heels, but came with practiced ease nonetheless. The tri-colored swirl of light told Yu that she cast a Heat Riser upon herself. Yusuke's blade swung out in a manner that Yu had seen time and time again. But Naoto's reflection reached along her thigh, exposing flesh to Yu as she pulled out a stiletto dagger and parried the katana to the side.

And then plunged the blade into Yusuke's stomach.

The artist coughed with the force of the impact. Yu grabbed his own katana tighter and moved forward, even as the others moved to regroup. The Reflection grabbed Yusuke's arm and pulled him towards her while her foot came out and pushed against his leg, sending him tumbling past her. She began to move forward, ignoring the bleeding artist with the knife buried in his stomach.

Yu moved to intercept her, even as she ignored him and headed for Naoto who was trying to line up a clean shot. He ran through his mind about what he knew about Yamato. Curse and Holy skills would be reflected, and Fire spells would end up doing minimal damage. He swiped his hand out, feeling the surge of strength that came with Yoshitsune. He crossed the distance between them and brought his sword up.

And froze.

He… he couldn't. The reflection looked up to him with wide eyes, the same eyes he looked into every night before bed. Wide and frightened. And she gave the softest of sounds. "Senpai?" She sounded… scared. Yu could remember the way Naoto's Shadow had sounded, had sounded so broken at Naoto wanting to leave. He couldn't strike her.

And then she stepped into his range and grabbed his arm. It was twisted up and behind him as she moved around a stop sign. There was jingle of chains before a clicking sound as something was slapped to his wrist, and then she was doing the same to the other one. Yu jerked as she danced back, a smile on her face, the handcuffs securing his arms behind him because of the pole and being unable to move his arms up over his head. Damn it!

"I've missed you Senpai." Naoto's Reflection said sweetly and in a feminine tone. Not the one that she used with the Phantom Thieves or the rest of the Investigation Team, but the much higher one that Yu had only heard since Christmas when Naoto decided to trust him with her feminine side. She leaned in and touched his chest, kissing his chin in an oh so familiar manner.

"Get the hell away from him!" Naoto said, coming running forward.

That sweet, happy visage turned ugly once more as she frowned and turned to look at Yu's Naoto. She moved after her, bringing the revolver up and firing off another round at the sleuth. Naoto went into a roll, bringing her booted foot out to trip her Reflection, even as she moved to spring to her feet. The Reflection jumped over with a slight hop, and moved to fire at almost point blank range, but Naoto managed to grab the top of the gun, stopping the hammer from slamming into the round. The Detective Prince forced the gun skyward and let her hand slip so that the round fired harmlessly into the air. She then drove her fist into her Reflection's stomach.

The Reflection stumbled back, pulling a second knife from a second thigh holster. She barely looked, her revolver swinging out and catching Ryuji in the thigh as he made to race over to Akira, sending the sprinter sprawling to the ground, yelling in pain as he clutched his leg. She turned and slashed out with the knife at Naoto's Shadow, slicing the hand that was holding Naoto's revolver before she kicked the gun spinning away to the other side of the street.

And Yu was helpless to do anything. He jerked at the handcuffs again, tried to even bring his sword up to maybe do something, but he couldn't find the leverage.

The Reflection couldn't use her revolver with the proximity of Naoto and her Shadow, but she still had a second stiletto in her hand. She moved between the two, Naoto and her Shadow. While the stiletto was primarily made for stabbing, it was still adequate for slashing and she put it to use, slashing at Naoto. She even caught the Detective on the cheek, a line of crimson forming that began to spill down to Naoto's chin.

Naoto and her Shadow of course fought like they were the man they emulated for so long. Naoto threw punches that would have made a boxer proud. And they even connected with the Reflection, but with the Heat Riser still in effect, the effects of it was less than ideal. Naoto's Shadow came in with a hard kick that was dodged before the Reflection stepped in and plunged the second stiletto into the Shadow's leg. She cried out but clapped her hands onto the Reflection's wrist before giving a hard crack of her head. Her forehead busted into the forehead of the Reflection, with both recoiling, the Shadow limping from the stiletto in her leg.

Naoto moved in to tackle the recoiling Reflection and try to wrestle the revolver away, but the Reflection went down onto her back and rolled with Naoto putting her in an optimal position above the sleuth, the revolver coming up under Naoto's chin, with the hammer cocked back.

"Checkmate… I win~." The Reflection said in that same sing song way. Her finger began to squeeze down on the trigger. The Shadow had pulled the stiletto out of her leg and seemed ready to throw it, but paused at the predicament Naoto was in.

"Wait!" Yu shouted. Damn it. Morgana had gone to Akira and was too far away, the fight had been too close quarters for most of it, or else someone might have been able to get a spell off on the Reflection. Ann had gone to check on Yusuke who was critically injured.

Naoto's Reflection looked up at him with those eyes, quizzical and almost innocent again. "What is it Senpai?" she asked.

"Don't. Don't shoot. Please." Yu said softly, begging even. "Please don't shoot her." The gun never wavered. Yu licked his lips and managed to maneuver his arms enough to grab his cell phone, unlocking it. The last screen he was on was a message with Naoto. "It's not her you want, is it?" he asked. He began to type out another message, looking between the Reflection and his phone. "It's me. You could have slipped a knife in my ribs, but you didn't. You don't want her. Let her go and I'll come quietly."

"Senpai, no!" Naoto said loudly.

"Shut up!" The Reflection said harshly, digging the barrel of the gun into Naoto's jaw. At that range, with that caliber, there was no way Naoto would survive. She looked back up to Yu. "But if I eliminate her now, I'll still have you and we'll never have to worry about her interfering, Souji-kun." She said sweetly.

Souji? Yu had no idea who Souji was, but he knew if he didn't think of something, Naoto was going to die. "You kill her, I bite my tongue off." He said. He was even prepared to do it. He watched the smile wipe from her face. "You'll still lose. You may kill all of the others before they can escape, but you still lose."

"Damn it, why can't I be happy?!" Naoto's Reflection screamed at him. "All I want is your love!"

Yu swallowed hard. Sometimes a sacrifice had to be made, and for Naoto he was prepared to sacrifice a lot, even his life if she went before him. He sent the message before he brought up the Metanav. The message wouldn't send until he left the Metaverse, but it was fine. "Let her go, and I'll come peacefully. I can even take us out of this world and into the real world." It would kill him to see Naoto die. And he didn't know if he could kill the Reflection, not when it wore the face of the woman he loved.

The revolver never waved from under Naoto's chin. "I know you're playing me." she said, almost angrily. The Reflection turned her head to look towards Akira who was holding his shoulder. She pulled her bag around without moving the gun. Naoto must have realized how close they were to losing each other because she didn't move in the slightest, even though it would have been the best possible time. She tossed something towards Akira. "Frizzy hair. Take Senpai's vest off."

Akira glanced towards the keyring on the ground and then over to Yu. Yu gave a nod. "Do it." he said.

Akira scowled but grabbed the keys and continued nursing his shoulder while he made his way over to Yu. There wasn't much distance between them, but Naoto's Reflection held the winning hand at the moment. Yu was trying to play a different game though. Yu rubbed his wrists when Akira let him go. He then took the vest off, making him much more vulnerable.

"Back away from him." The Reflection said. Akira obeyed and the Reflection looked to Yu. "Come to me Souji-kun." She said sweetly.

Yu's thoughts were on Naoto and only her. He saw her trying to quietly plead with him, to find any other solution. But he walked towards the pair and stood there. The Reflection swung the revolver from Naoto's chin to point at Yu's chest. There'd be no missing from that distance, and there was too big of a chance for a misfire to go off if Naoto tried something. Yu was staring down the barrel of a gun without any of his usual protections.

The Reflection got up and moved her bag to one shoulder, letting it hang almost like a purse before she tucked the gun inside, though it was obvious the gun was still pointed at Yu. She stepped in and cuddled his arm against her breasts, though he felt the hardness of the gun through the bag pressing into his ribs a little. "Let's go Souji-kun." she said, pressing her cheek to his bicep. "I promise, I'll have your love this time."

This time? Yu really didn't want to know why she was mistaking him for this Souji, but if it kept Naoto alive, he'd go with it. He led Naoto's Reflection over towards an alleyway and activated the Metanav to return them to the real world.

Thankfully they weren't seen returning, and he was about to put his plan to action and do something about the Reflection when she jabbed his side with the revolver again through the bag. "It's Adachi's. Please don't make me actually shoot you Senpai." Naoto's Reflection said sweetly.

Well shit. She had an actual gun. An actual gun with actual bullets. There went that idea. He inhaled a bit. He just had to hope. Hope and pray then. Naoto and the others wouldn't let him down. He swallowed thickly and forced himself to not go with his immediate instinct of trying to fight her. He didn't want to try his luck against a gun, not if Naoto could try and save him.

"Your cell phone please." She said, holding her hand out.

Souji looked to the dainty hand. It held none of the callouses that Naoto's had. The nails were even done, filed and trimmed nicely. He put his locked phone in her hand and watched her throw it against the ground hard, breaking it. She snuggled into his arm again. "It's just going to be us this time." She said happily and began to make him move forward.

Mindful of the revolver, Yu Narukami couldn't help but wonder what he had gotten himself into with his sacrifice.

Chapter End

 **A/N: I'm not happy with that fight scene. It wasn't my best work, but I can't figure out what I could do to make it better. But I wanted it to be hectic and violent, and more things than I can start to claim.**

 **Naoto's Reflection. First, I want to thank Mrhawkprime. It was their idea that Naoto's Reflection was a sort of Femme Fatale type, and while I might not have showed that to the best of my abilities this chapter, I'm hoping it will be more clear in another chapter. Maybe. Second, I took the idea of the very innocent but real love between Naoto and Yu and perverted it. I don't think I need to explain the concept of a Yandere. Naoto's Reflection is psychotically obsessed with Yu, mistaking him for her world's Yu, or in that case Souji.**

 **What happened to the Reflection's Souji is going to be depressing to write, but damned will I do it.**

 **The difference in this was that Yu's Reflection was a braggart and an asshole. He didn't take the fight as serious as he should have. Naoto's Reflection came into the fight prepared, and she didn't dick about with things. She had a goal in mind, and was willing to do anything and go through anyone to get it done.**

 **So… Naoto and the Phantom Thieves have no way to track Yu and Naoto's Reflection. Yu is a hostage of his own trap. Oh, and Yusuke took a knife to the gut.**


	13. Chapter 13: The Resolve of a Sleuth

Chapter 13: The Resolve of a Sleuth

Naoto could only stare at where Yu and her Reflection had disappeared. Almost as soon as she had been able to, she had gotten onto her knees. She replayed the fight in her mind, going over everything. Where had she gone wrong? Had she truly been weak enough to be overtaken like that? A chill ran down her spine.

Had… Had Yu picked her more feminine Reflection?

No. She had to banish those thoughts. She got to her feet, pushing them away. She couldn't think like that. Not when there were things to do. The first thing she did was go over to her Shadow, bleeding from her thigh and holding the stiletto knife. Naoto took it from her and looked to her Shadow.

" _He's gone."_ She whispered softly, tears flowing freely down from her Shadow's yellow eyes.

"Not for long." Naoto said, trying to sound determined. But that little seedling of an idea kept coming back. Had Yu… No. She had to focus. "Regroup with me. Yamato should be okay now, and I don't want to know what would happen if a Shadow bleeds out." she said. Her Shadow gave a nod and faded away once more. Naoto felt the sharp pain in her thigh, as though she had been stabbed. She grit her teeth to keep from crying out, but started to limp over to Ryuji.

"Damn. I'm sorry." Ryuji said, clutching his leg still, his teeth gritted in pain as he bled.

Naoto grabbed him under the armpits and began to drag him over towards Yusuke. "There's nothing to be sorry for." she said. "It doesn't matter how much training you have, sometimes someone comes along and throws everything out the window." She spoke from experience of course.

Akira walked with Makoto who seemed a little out of it. She kept holding her head even as they regrouped around Yusuke. They were all injured in some way or another. Naoto glanced up to Makoto. "Can someone do something for her?"

"I can try." Morgana offered. "I don't really know how much it will help." He admitted.

"A Patra should clear up any dizziness she's experiencing." Naoto said. Concussions hadn't been all that uncommon for the Investigation Team and they figured out that a Patra would be able to clear up some of the effects, a follow up Dia would then cure the rest of the problems, leaving only a minor headache.

"Patra." Morgana said, waving his paw. The light collaced around Makoto and Naoto was glad to see her eyes starting to regain focus. Unfortunately, Yamato was ill suited for supporting role. It was more of a heavy hitting offensive type.

Makoto winced a bit. "Ow. I'm sorry." she said.

Akira shook his head, the motion causing him to wince as his arm was still bleeding. "Don't be." He said

Naoto put her hand on Yusuke's stomach. "Fox, you still alive?" she asked rhetorically. She could of course see his chest rising and falling.

"Yes, for the moment." Yusuke said with a grimace.

Naoto nodded and she touched the area around the wound. She then touched the black stilleto. "This needs to come out before we attempt to heal you. Mona, Panther, Queen, gather around. When I pull it out, hit him with a healing spell. Single targets only."

Yusuke grit his teeth and nodded his head. He closed his eyes a moment. "I understand."

Ann moved her hand to be closer to the wound, and Morgana moved to stand by Ann. Makoto, holding her head still, slowly kneeled beside Naoto and put her hand out. ""On three." Naoto said. "One." She yanked the knife out.

"Guh!" Yusuke's eyes went wide as it came out unexpectedly.

"Diarama!" Came from the three powerful healers at almost the same time. The wound closed up nice and neat, and a little bit of color returned to Yusuke's pale face.

He reached down and gently touched at the wound. It was a natural reaction, after all it had just been sealed up like it had not existed in the first place. "My thanks." He said, breathing a bit easier, resting his head on the ground.

Naoto nodded and stood up. "We'll work on Skull next." she said and moved over towards the blonde. "Joker, your knife." she said.

The leader of the Phantom Thieves wordlessly offered the knife by the blade. Naoto took it by the handle and looked at Ryuji who's eyes were wide. "Relax." she said.

"The hell?!" Ryuji asked. "W-what are you going to do?"

Naoto worked the tip of the knife under the pants leg. Akira's knife was better for slicing than either of the stiletto daggers. So she sliced the pants leg up to expose the bullet wound. The thigh was covered in blood of course.

Naoto dug into her pack for the small first aid kit she had. It was, in the Metaverse and the TV World, generally useless. There was just no getting around the fact that a Dia spell could heal far more than some bandages far faster. But they couldn't just slap a Dia on Ryuji and call him fine, the bullet was still lodged in his leg. That was where her first aid kit came in. Naoto opened it up and pulled out the first pair of disposable gloves and put them on.

Preventive measures still had to be taken.

"We have to remove the bullet from the wound before we can heal either you or Joker." Naoto said in as professional of a tone as she could manage. "I'm the only one here with First Aid training. While my training was more oriented towards CPR and other common first aid techniques, I am capable of removing a bullet." she said. She took out a pair of tongs and a cotton ball. She doused the cotton ball with some sterile water and used it to clean up the area around the wound. "If we were to simply heal your wound around the bullet, it would cause problems and could even end up with having to result in amputation."

A bit extreme, but Naoto wanted to get her point across.

"Get it out." Ryuji's face was pale, even as he quickly offered his opinion on the matter.

Naoto took a moment to offer Ryuji a bit of leather to bite on. "I have no anesthesia, and I need you to hold still. Queen, please hold his leg for me."

Makoto came over, grimacing but she grabbed Ryuji's leg on either side of the wound. Ryuji took the leather and bit into it. Naoto then dove into the wound. A pair of tongs to keep the wound spread just a bit more before a pair of tweezers to try for the bullet. Ryuji gave a groan into the leather, but in moments, Naoto was pulling out the round, letting it drop to the pavement.

"Diarama." Ann was quick to cast the healing spell on Ryuji, twice even just to make sure that the wound would heal.

Ryuji patted his leg a little carefully before he rose up onto the leg. "Whew… Thank you." He said, patting it a bit more. "A little sore, but functional again."

Naoto nodded. She then turned to Akira. "Can you remove your jacket and top?" she asked.

Akira grunted and rotated the shoulder. "With some help." he said.

Makoto moved over and began to help Akira remove his jacket from the injured side. While they did that, Naoto sterilized her equipment as best she could. She didn't have new tongs or tweezers, so she used a cotton ball and wiped them down with rubbing alcohol until the blood was off. Her instructor in First Aid would have failed her in an instant for it, but she didn't have the time to be picky.

She was already losing time to find Yu.

She stamped down hard on her emotions. She couldn't begin trailing that path while she needed her hands to be as steady as they could be. She began to repeat the process with Akira, cleaning the wound before she dove in for the bullet. He grunted, gritting his teeth but had ultimately forwent having something put into his mouth. She pulled the bullet out and dropped it to the ground and Makoto cast a Diarama, following Ann's lead of doing it twice even.

Naoto put everything away and gathered it all up once more. She then took Yu's vest. She heard the jingle of his keys and pulled them out. She inhaled a bit shakily before she turned. "Joker." She tossed her keys over to the Phantom Thief leader who caught them. "Head back the usual way, I need to try and find Fool." she said. The pain in her voice was tangible, even to her. It was taking everything she could to remember to use the codenames.

Akira took a step forward. "We should go with you." he said.

Naoto shook her head, even as she tucked the two stilettos into the bag. "No, we need to maintain secrecy still. As much as…" She swallowed hard. "I need to go alone." She finished and headed towards the alley. She limped, but still moved as quickly as her leg allowed. She pulled her phone out and quickly activated the Metanav.

Naoto wasn't seen when she came out of the Metaverse to the real World. She looked around, moving to the outside of the alleway. She stood on tiptoes, hoping against hope she might catch sight of her silver haired boyfriend. How quickly could they have really gone?

She swore as she didn't see anything. She tried to call his phone. She… she could get him to answer it, and she could follow him. He'd be smart enough, to give her signs, to tell her where they were heading. But after a single ring, it went straight to voicemail. She tucked her phone back into her pocket as dread began to fill her. The familiar sensation began to creep up her spine. That she wasn't…

No. She had to keep a tight rein on her emotions. She never felt her phone buzz, even as she went back to the alleyway, looking around with a bit more of a trained eye. They couldn't go to the police, much as it pained her to say as much. How was she to even begin explaining that she had kidnapped her boyfriend?

There.

She half ran over to the spot on the ground and bent down, picking up Yu's phone. Her stomach clenched at the broken state of it. Had… Had Yu thrown it down? Had he abandoned it? Had he abandoned her? She felt the hot, familiar sting of tears threatening to spill down her face. She wiped angrily at them. No. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't throw a temper tantrum. No matter how much it hurt, she pocketed the broken phone and began to head to Yu's house.

Akira and the others were coming out just as she walked up. Akira looked to her and stepped a bit closer. "Did you find them? Anything that can help?" he asked worriedly.

Naoto shook her head sadly. She still couldn't quite shake the feel of those doubts, doubts that she wasn't good enough. That Yu had finally got tired of her. "I'd like to be alone. I need time to think." she whispered softly, fighting to keep the pain from her voice.

Akira nodded and he walked past her, gently patting her shoulder. Naoto stepped past the rest of the Phantom Thieves and went inside, closing and locking the door. She leaned her back against it and choked back a sob. It hurt. It hurt to not have Yu there, smiling. Was he smiling with her Reflection? Her stomach twisted into knots as she pulled the phones from her pocket and took Yu's keys from her pocket as well. She still held his vest in her arms.

She glanced at her phone, seeing that she had a new message finally. She bit her lip, seeing that it was from Yu. Was she about to read a message of breakup? That he wasn't going to put up with her anymore? Did she dare read it? Could her heart take it?

Swallowing thickly, Naoto knew that she had to.

She unlocked her phone and hesitated a moment before she tapped the message. It was not in the usual manner that Yu typed in, using proper grammar and capitalization. Instead, it was rushed. ' **ging2tkeherout/ifcntneedu2sveme/luvu.'** Naoto took a moment, trying to decipher the message without the spaces or capitalization. He had also typed in a rough almost short handed version. But she didn't need much to figure out the last statement.

Yu still loved her.

Naoto couldn't stop the sob that came from her lips this time. Yu still loved her. She wasn't abandoned by him. Instead, he had thrown himself headlong into danger once more to save her. She had seen the manic look on her own face, the determination that mania could bring. Her Reflection would have stopped at nothing, not even slaughtering all of them, just to have Yu. And Yu… Her noble bastard of a boyfriend had stepped in to save her once more. It was just like the time with Yakushiji.

The independent woman that just wanted to be respected wondered if Yu thought she couldn't take care of herself.

The emotional part of her that loved Yu Narukami couldn't help but weep at her inability to protect herself enough. That she had to put Yu into danger.

The rational part of her mind recognized that had Yu not done what he had done, she would have died. She could still feel the gun pressed up under her chin.

Naoto sat down on the couch and drew Yu's vest to her. She caught the faint hint of aftershave that he used, the slight scent of his conditioner. A number of scents that made up the scent of Yu. It was nothing repugnant, nothing potent, but it was a scent that she had long since come to associate with Yu. And with that, she started to sob, curling up on herself and the vest, crying.

She was a failure, and her boyfriend was missing. The man she loved was in the hands of a maniac, and there was no way to tell if he would survive. She had no leads, nothing to begin trying to find Yu. The watches she made only had a ten meter limit.

And there, on the couch, without leads to chase down, Naoto Shirogane broke down and cried. And exhaustion hit her all at once as she cried herself to sleep. For the first time in weeks, Naoto slept alone. She hated the feeling.

When she woke, it was late into the next day already. She stared at the phone and opened it again, looking at the text message that was sent. She replayed the entire fight in her mind. She should have been better, she should have done more. Naoto had no one else to blame for Yu's disappearance but herself. The tears threatened to spill down her eyes again. She didn't have clues except for a broken phone that, in her emotional state, she had already moved from its place at the crime scene.

She headed for the bathroom. Her face felt sticky from all the crying. She took a moment to wash her face. The day called for an actual shower, but for the life of her, she couldn't bring the energy to actually take one. Yu deserved better than her. She had been incapable of protecting herself. Chie would have been able to. Yukiko as well likely.

But her… the supposed 'Detective Prince' had been incapable of protecting herself to save her boyfriend.

Naoto rinsed her face again and scrubbed at her face, wiping at her eyes so that she could stop the tears from coming. Her head came up to look at her reflection in her mirror.

Reflection.

Naoto's fingers curled into a fist. She could practically see the sultry smile, the smug look in her eyes. The way her long hair was neat and cared for. Before she could stop herself, Naoto reacted violently. Not even the full draw of her arm away, she punched the mirror and shattered it. Red hot pain lanced through her arm as crimson splattered into the porcelain white sink.

No. Naoto wasn't to blame for this either. Yu would be disappointed had he known she was wallowing in misery, blaming herself instead of putting the blame to the actual culprit. The culprit was her Reflection, and by taking Yu, Naoto's Reflection had declared war. She was to be blamed, and Naoto was going to lace up her boots and march to that war.

But first, she needed a plan.

To make a plan, she had to go over the facts. The first major fact was that Yu was in her Reflection's custody. How? Yu held thirty centimeters over both of them, and probably closing on twenty to forty kilos. Once in the real world, he should have been able to over power the Reflection easily unless she held some form of leverage over Yu. Then there was the broken phone. Yu wouldn't have broken it, not when he knew it could be used to trace them or follow them. So that meant the Reflection had broken it. Why did Yu give it over?

"The gun." Naoto whispered to herself. It was the only thing that made sense. She turned and ran downstairs to her bag. From it, she produced the stiletto daggers and tested the points on both. They were sharp in a way a fake wouldn't be. They were even heavy like they were real. So the gun was real. Yu had been held at gunpoint.

Naoto licked her lips. Her boyfriend put himself in greater danger for herself. Naoto closed her eyes, thinking for a moment. What could she learn about the gun? How did her Reflection get it? Japanese gun laws were incredibly strict. It didn't matter what sort of title she had, as a minor she was incapable of receiving an actual firearm, despite her work with the Police Prefectures. They had to return her mother and father's guns when they had passed, and her grandfather only had a shotgun and rifle for sport weaponry that he had to continuously submit paperwork for.

Even then, he had to return the empty cartridges if he ever wanted more ammo for the weapons as well.

Her grandfather also had his revolver, but there was no way that her Reflection had used it. Naoto didn't even know where her grandfather kept his issued revolver. She never bothered to ask, and he certainly never bothered to tell her.

The revolver she took into the Metaverse was one she found in the chest with the Reaper when everyone found new weapons. It might have been capable of functioning as an actual revolver, but finding .44 caliber rounds would be incredibly difficult as a minor.

Naoto closed her eyes, imagining the revolver in her mind. She counted the shots. One at her. One at Akira. A second at her. One at Ryuji. Her Reflection had stopped at four shots. Why not take another shot? Naoto imagined the fight again, trying to picture the revolver as best she could. Naoto's Reflection wouldn't have been able to reload. Not as close as Naoto and her Shadow had been. Then it had to be a five shot cylinder.

Naoto had experienced one like that before. She frowned, trying to remember all the details. Her eyes snapped open. "Ruger SP101, .38 Special revolver. Carried by one Tohru Adachi." She had the revolver then. If her Reflection had instead kept Adachi's revolver instead of turning it in as was required…

But what would bring her to do so? They had no need for a revolver, didn't they?

Speculations could be held off for later. For now she had to look at the facts more. Her Reflection had a legitimate revolver. Yu was being held in custody because of this fact and couldn't take care of her Reflection. Money had to be limited. Naoto's Reflection could not let Yu out of her sights for long unrestrained, and the Reflection herself couldn't obtain a job so easily. Ammunition had to be limited as well. Adachi did have a number of speed loaders on his person, and he hadn't taken to firing his gun nearly as much as he could have. Instead, he had used Magatsu Izanagi more.

Naoto suspected maybe… ten speed loaders worth in total. A bit of overkill, but the entire reason Adachi had become a Detective was to carry a gun legally. He would have likely carried as much ammunition as possible as well. Fifty shots seemed unlikely, so Naoto cut it down more. Six seemed reasonable and safer. Five likely now after the trip to the Metaverse. It was still an extreme, but Naoto decided to go with it. Better to think in extremes at the moment.

Naoto's Reflection would have come with some money. How much was impossible to appropriately determine. Naoto's grandfather allocated approximately seventy five thousand yen a month to her. A majority of that came from Naoto's own fees from working with the Police Prefecture, with her grandfather making up the rest. And approximately thirty five thousand yen of that went to her apartment in Inaba still, keeping her current on rent. This was all speculation on what Naoto herself had. Even assuming that her Reflection was particularly frugal with her money, Naoto suspected no more than... One hundred and fifty thousand yen, approximately two months worth from her grandfather.

More than plenty to hole up for a while. Time that she couldn't afford to give to her Reflection.

Naoto went to gather her things, putting them in Yu's back since it was larger. It also held his sword, which would need to be returned to him. Determined, Naoto headed to the door, grabbing Yu's keys for luck. She locked the door and pulled out her cellphone. It was late enough that Akira should be out of school.

She gave the Phantom Thief leader a call.

" _Naoto?"_ Came his voice as he answered the phone call. " _Is everything okay?"_

"I'm going to need your help Akira." Naoto said as she waited a moment. "We can't rest on our laurels while Yu-kun is being held by that woman. Can I get you to call a meeting over at Le Blanc?" she asked.

" _Sure of course. Do you have a plan? A way to find Yu?"_ He sounded surprised, but Naoto didn't blame him. When he had last seen her, she had been devastated by the loss and inability to save her boyfriend. But Naoto was good at compartmentalizing and for this, she needed to put personal feelings of pain and grief aside. She needed to be her absolute best at compartmentalizing.

Anger worked, but she had to keep it focused.

"You let me worry about finding Yu." Naoto said. No, she didn't have any real ideas. "It is after all my job as a Detective to find Missing Persons from time to time, even without any clues. Just get everyone together, I'll be over to Le Blanc as soon as I am able." She then hung up the phone.

Yu was counting on her to save him, and she'd never forgive herself if something happened to him.

"Perhaps I might be of assistance in that regard." Naoto turned to the voice, her eyes widening.

"You're-"

 _Take Your Time_

Yu jerked slightly at his restraints. Not that they were worth pulling on. Still, the jingles continued to remind him of his predicament. How the hell was he going to get out of this? He sat in a… moderately comfortable chair. Comfortable enough for an hour or so, but pushing the… twenty-ish hours, it was definitely not good.

He said twenty ish because night had since fallen and the sun rose once more.

Naoto's Reflection had been up most of the night with the revolver in hand. She was beyond paranoid. It was like she kept expecting someone to show up. She constantly looked out the window and drank from the coffee supplied by room service. They were in some sort of hotel, some cheap shady thing within Shinjuku.

Yu simply glanced out the window. All he could do for the time being was wait it out. He had to hope the others could get to him. If he needed to, he would do something drastic, but he wanted to save his strength for such a thing. The wooden chair he was in wouldn't be easy to break. Especially with both wrists handcuffed to the chair as well as both ankles.

It was almost like the Reflection was used to putting him in such a position. That was a bit of a terrifying thought.

Yu took stock of his situation. His phone was gone, Naoto wouldn't be able to track him via that. The landline was across the room, making it impossible for Yu to get to it in his current predicament. The bottom of the chair was tied to the bed. His limbs were handcuffed to the wooden chair. It would be difficult to break, but possible with the right force or leverage. The Reflection had taken his wrist watch and broke that. It pissed him off that she did that, but she knew about the tracking mechanism. Not something he wanted to thing about with this deranged Reflection. It made that an impossibility to track him by.

Shouting and yelling was still an option. But only as an absolute last resort. Naoto's Reflection essentially had her name, her appearance, and very likely her DNA and fingerprints. If he started yelling about a deranged woman with a gun, then there was a chance Naoto could get in a lot of trouble. He wouldn't do that to his girlfriend. Not if he could help it. Plus there was the fact they were in some hotel within the Red Light district.

Police patrolled, sure, but the chances of them hearing anything was slim.

He could take his chances with the window. If he could get out of the chair, he could jump out. His appearance would certainly raise some eyebrows. But they were three stories up. It wasn't a jump he wanted to make if he didn't have to. Plus the Reflection had taken his clothes, leaving him in just his boxers. While he appreciated it with the heat of the summer, he didn't appreciate her eyeing him like a piece of prime rib and she was starving.

He was allowed to go to the bathroom. Not that there was much of anything of use there. No window, and she escorted him to the door with the revolver aimed at him. He didn't think she'd take the shot, but then again her bag had held a number of syringes and bottles of drugs that Yu didn't want to begin guessing at.

He had a feeling she would shoot him, drug him, and then move him if she had to.

The door to the room opened, and the Reflection walked in with an armful of things. He doubted he would ever ask Naoto to wear a dress or grow her hair out. Not with this thing wearing Naoto's face and kidnapping him. For the life of him, Yu couldn't think of a way out of the situation. All he could do was not make it worse for himself or for Naoto.

Oh he would try to fight the best he could, but last thing he needed was for the Reflection of his girlfriend to take him back to Inaba or something. That was a terrifying thought. Being close to his friends who would gladly help him, but knowing they wouldn't know about him being there.

The reflection gave him the sweetest of smiles. "Just a second Souji-kun." There was the other thing. Naoto's Reflection was adamant about calling him Souji. Yu even tried to correct her. But she was so sure that his name was Souji Seta.

The room had even been put under the name of Naoto Seta.

She stepped into the bathroom and Yu heard the sound of her starting another pot of coffee. She used instant grounds which tasted awful, but she didn't seem to mind it. She came out after another moment and unzipped the dress, letting it fall off her shoulders.

Yu averted his eyes, suddenly finding the ceiling very, very interesting. Naoto's Reflection be damned, he wasn't looking. He quite preferred the intimacy he enjoyed with Naoto herself.

The Reflection came over and leaned over him with the sweetest of smiles. She kissed his lips, smiling even as he adamantly refused to kiss her back. Suddenly he found the slip of a woman straddling his legs and cuddling up to him. "Mm, it'll be better this time Souji-kun. I promise." She rested her head on his shoulder.

Yu felt her arms slip around his neck and she shifted so she was sitting in his lap with her legs dangling over one arm. Yu could feel the bare flesh of her legs on his forearm. And her arms came up to force him to look down. He flushed at the sight of the low cut, lacy blue bra held in the front by a mere bow. At least that was what it looked like. He knew Naoto was endowed, but this seemed to emphasize that fact.

' _Don't react. Don't react. Don't react. Don't react.'_ Yu mentally told himself over and over again. He didn't want to give the Reflection hope. He grit his teeth and kept his eyes at her silver eyes.

"Mmm. Souji-kun, I want you to look." She said with that sweet smile. "I bought it specially for you. After Christmas when you showed me how… manly you could be." She gave a dreamy sigh, one hand coming down to rub his chest. "I know you hesitated, but I was so happy when you said we could be together as one." Yu really didn't need the mental image. Not with a practically naked Naoto in his lap.

Yu glanced away from her eyes. Thigh holsters, he noted. With an additional two stilettos. And if he missed his guess, she also had a large knife down along her spine, the handle being covered by her hair. It'd be more akin to a short sword, but it told him. She had come for him armed to the teeth.

She smacked him and pulled away, that ugly look on her face returning. "God! You're an insensitive pig Souji Seta!" she cried out. And there was the other issue. Yu felt the stinging lines along his cheek where her nails had dug in. Naoto's Reflection was… dangerously jealous. "I bet you're thinking about that blue haired bitch!" She grabbed at her long hair. "Or worse Rise again." Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Rise? Again?

"What does Rise have to do with anything?" He asked.

"Oh God. It was Rise!" she half wailed, collapsing on herself. Where in the hell was this coming from? She reached out and put her hands on his thighs, fingernails dug into him. "What is it Souji-kun? What does she do that I don't?" She rose towards him desperate. "What does she have that I don't have? Why? Why? Why do you keep going to Rise?!" She pulled away and tugged at her hair again. "I killed her. Forced the little backstabbing, man stealing whore into the TV, why does he keep thinking about her?"

It was dizzying trying to keep up with her logic. One moment she was sweet as candy, clinging to him like a lifeline, the next she went full psychotic and couldn't be bothered to listen to what he had to say.

She turned to look at him then to the phone. "Souji-kun… This… this new world… Rise's still alive…" Her voice was dangerous. She took two steps towards the landline. "Rise is probably moaning Souji-kun's name. That whore… didn't she learn her lesson the first time? The Idol gig is all an act… it's her coming to sleep with my man." Her hand reached out to the phone. "Call her here and I can take care of her."

Yu's mind went at a faster pace. Rise's life was on the line. What did he have to do? What more could he sacrifice to keep this Naoto happy for a few more hours? At what point would she stop listening to him? Her hand touched the receiver. He gave a sharp whistle. "Naoto!" he said sharply.

She jerked and turned to look at him with doe eyes. Like she hadn't just been plotting to murder Yu's friend again. Yu swallowed hard as he looked at her. "The thigh holsters were chafing my leg. The sheath on your back doing the same to the other side. I wasn't thinking about anyone else sweetie." Yu even managed to plaster that half cocked smile he had worn for the beginning times of Inaba, where he was still learning what it meant to have real friends. It was fake as hell. Naoto would have seen through it in an instant.

The little psychopath looked surprised on the other hand, glancing down to her thighs. "Oh!" Both her hands went to her face. "Oh my! I'm so embarrassed. I wasn't thinking about you Souji-kun." She quickly relieved herself of the thigh holsters as well as the spinal sheath. She then walked back over and settled herself back into his lap. "I'm sorry Love." She leaned in and kissed him.

Yu cautiously, and chastely, kissed her back. He also released his tight self control and allowed himself to think, briefly, of Naoto in a similar situation. A skimpy bra and panties for his little sleuth. Not that it was likely ever to happen, but he could dream. And it would keep the psychopath in his lap a little happier, especially as he felt her rear wiggling against the erection that was growing.

' _Rise… I hope Naoto forgives me.'_ But then, his Naoto was good friends with Rise. And Rise's confession to him when he was leaving Inaba had meant nothing to Naoto. She understood that Rise saw him as a big brother at that point. Naoto would probably thank him for keeping Rise safe.

 _Take Your Time_

Walking into Le Blanc with three others was a bit of an interesting thing for Akira. Sojiro had almost immediately questioned what they were doing, the older man's eyes turning sharp as he watched them. Thankfully however, Akira was adept at coming up with stuff on the fly thanks to Yu. "We're studying Boss." Akira said. "Ryuji and Ann don't have the best of grades, Makoto-senpai is the President of the Student Council. Yusuke's in our grade, just at a different school, and will be along shortly. Naoto-Senpai will be along shortly and has shown himself to be quite capable of getting top grades."

"You expect me to believe that five kids are going to be sitting around studying?" Sojiro asked, taking a drag of his cigarette. Thankfully there were no patrons in Le Blanc at the moment.

Akira held his hands up. "Believe what you want. You know my grades." Top spot was something Akira felt he could brag a little bit about, it did take a lot of dedication and hard work. "But would it really be so strange that I want my friends to pass their midterms so that they didn't have to go to summer school? We'd like to be able to hang out together."

"I'm really only good at English." Ann said with a slight wince, rubbing the back of her neck.

Ryuji's shoulders slumped as he gave a sigh. "And I ain't even good at that much."

Makoto stepped up a little bit. "Akira is right." she said. She brushed a stray lock behind one ear. "Between myself, Akira, and Naoto, we should be able to help Ryuji and Ann. Yusuke-kun claims his grades are acceptable for Kosei High, but a little extra study can be a welcome refresher."

Sojiro cut his eyes towards Makoto, but Akira was impressed to note she didn't even flinch, merely stood with one hand on the strap to her bag, giving a benign smile. Finally the proprietor of Le Blanc sighed. He ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, alright. Go on then." he said. "Geez."

Just then, Yusuke walked in with his bag over one shoulder. "I'm sorry if I am late." he said.

"Not at all, we're just about to get started studying." Akira said.

Yusuke was clever enough to pick up on the ruse and roll with it. Akira was usually impressed with how calm and collected the artist was, but this was entirely new. "Ah, excellent. Shall we head up stairs? I'm a fine hand at literature myself, but some of my other subjects have been lacking as of late. I would rather them be better."

Akira looked at Sojiro a little longer before he led everyone upstairs to his room. Seats were found where they could be. Makoto and Ann took the couch he had, Ryuji took the chair. Yosuke leaned against one wall and Akira grabbed a folding table to put somewhere in the center of them. Ryuji pulled his chair forward to sit a little closer at the table.

Akira took out some of his school books. "Make it look legitimate." he said. "Boss's going to be curious as is, and I wouldn't put it past him to come up." he added. With that, everyone began to take their school books out as well as notebooks. They opened the notebooks to pages of notes.

It was the first time that he saw everyone's handwriting and he had to say it tended to fit the person in general. Ryuji's was sloppy, minimal, and large. Ann's was more feminine, and the curves tended to be more exaggerated than strictly necessary. Yusuke's held certain quirks of writing, as though he had taken a character and added a flourish. Makoto's was the closest to his, tight, small, and precise.

Akira looked to the others for a moment. Absentmindedly, he began to spin a pen around in his fingers. "We need a plan." He said after a moment, starting to pace while he spun the pen around. "We'll need to take the fight to the Metaverse again. This will keep people who shouldn't know about the situation from knowing."

"Can we not just go to the cops?" Ann asked. "I mean, Naoto-kun is always getting on us about these sorts of things."

Akira shook his head. "Naoto-senpai's reputation would be destroyed at best, at worst looking at jail time." He said. And that was if someone even took their claims seriously. "The Reflection is Naoto Shirogane. To what extent, I don't know. But this is two we've seen now. We can't claim that they're not very similar in appearance."

Yusuke nodded his head. "I may not have been there for the first one, but having experienced the second." He touched his stomach and grimaced. "I say if it were not for Yu's sacrifice and Naoto's calm thinking as the situation ended, I would not be here."

Akira cut a look over to Yusuke. "Everything okay?"

"Certainly. No aches or pains this morning, but the phantom sensation will not be so quick to vanish." Yusuke said.

Morgana looked up from the bed. "What's going to be different this time?" The cat asked. It was a little pessimistic sounding, so Akira looked over to Morgana. "I don't mean to sound like it won't work, but frankly, last time sucked. Last time sucked so badly. I want to save Yu as much as everyone here, but… we won't save him if we're dead."

Akira nodded. He understood what the cat was saying. "We're going in fresh." Akira said. "That's number one. Everyone was running on fumes by the time she attacked. That won't happen this time. I get why Yu had us tackle Kaneshiro's Palace in one go. It just had a bad layout, it happens. We made the best of a bad situation, and the situation got worse. Two, we're prepared for her. She blindsided us. So far we've been slinking in the shadows, ambushing the Shadows when it was our chance. Yeah, we've been blindsided before, but this… we weren't expecting a Persona User to do so."

Akira took his phone out and texted Naoto, telling her the ruse that they had used for Sojiro. It occurred to him that she didn't know and he didn't want to get the older man's ire.

He looked over the rest of the group. "So, we need to make a plan. Naoto-senpai is looking for Yu as we speak and will be along shortly. And let's be honest, if anyone can get a lead on Yu, it's Naoto-senpai."

Ryuji scratched his head with both hands. "Damn, I'm not much of a brain for this!" he said. "We don't even know the layout of what we're lookin' at." Ryuji made an excellent point, and Akira slowly noted everyone turning to look at the blonde. The usually brash boy blinked as he realized all attention was on him. "What?"

"That's… a very valid point." Makoto said. "It'll be difficult to make any sort of plan without knowing the layout of the building we'll be infiltrating. Isn't that why we dove into Kaneshiro's Palace, to find his treasure and to have the best route down?"

Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I've jus' been thinkin' about this like a Phantom Thief." He glanced over to Akira. "Yu's her treasure, and her desires are distorted enough. It's jus' doin' the steps in reverse."

Huh. Akira glanced to the phone in his hand. Could that would? Could entering the Metaverse for Naoto's Palace work? Yu had said it'd be a lab. But then again, he also said he wasn't entirely certain if it would constitute as a Palace. "No." He spoke aloud.

"Akira?" Makoto asked.

"Sorry, just spoke my thoughts aloud. I was wondering if we could enter her Palace, or if she had a Palace. I know Persona users aren't supposed to have Palaces, but Naoto-senpai's name gets a hit in the MetaNav. Yu recommended against trying to go there." Akira grimaced. "Plus we wouldn't know if it's here in Shibuya or out in Inaba."

"There is also the fact that we wouldn't know if we would be going to Naoto's Palace or the Reflection's Palace." Yusuke included. "Somehow, with as twisted as the Reflection seemed, I doubt that she would continue to call herself Naoto Shirogane. Not with the obsession she contained for Yu. Truly a hideous thing."

Akira didn't comment on it. Yusuke had an artist's perspective, and so things tended to fall under that spectrum of things. But it made it difficult to make a plan, not having Naoto or a layout of the building the Reflection and Yu were in. He tapped his foot. "Makoto… I think you and I will go with Naoto-senpai." He said carefully. Makoto was capable of healing them. "We'll act as a distraction to pull the Reflection away from Yu. Yusuke, Ann, Ryuji, Morgana, you'll go retrieve Yu. We'll be pulling them into Mementos, so take your equipment to be on the safe side. Once you've secured him, get him somewhere safe and travel out of Mementos. I don't know what to expect though."

"You should have a full four man team." Morgana said. "I'll go with you guys." he said. "You have the more dangerous job."

Akira shook his head. "You guys have an important job, just as important. You have to get Yu out of there. We lose Yu, we lose Naoto." It was just speculation, but Akira had seen how devastated the girl had been the day before. "Promise me, promise me you guys will get Yu out of there."

Morgana looked at Akira and lowered his head. "Alright, I promise." he said.

"Akira, you fail to realize just how important you are." Yusuke said. "While none of us wishes ill on Yu, and we will get him out of there, should you fail to get out as well… It is not something we should dwell on. At least reconsider having a secondary healer."

Akira saw the looks everyone else was giving him. It was quite possible that he was downplaying his own importance. He inhaled a bit and nodded his head. "Alright. I'll stick to support and conserve my energy. I know Naoto-senpai can't use Yamato with the Reflection around making us down some strength, but we've broken through difficult enemies before without our Persona' Magic abilities."

They waited another few minutes, some in silence, others with Ryuji trying to figure out the homework in front of him and asking for some help. He got it, but everyone's mind was on the plan, on what they could do to plan.

"Would it perhaps not be more prudent to catch her in the real world?" Yusuke asked after a moment.

Akira shook his head. "Wherever she has Yu, it would gain a lot of attention if six teenagers went up to it, asking about someone that looks eerily like the twin of Naoto-senpai. Plus, there's to consider the reason why Yu hasn't been able to over power her. I'm not sure why he wouldn't, but he should have been able to."

"Are we certain that Naoto-kun will even be able to find information on where Yu-senpai is?" Ann asked. It was a good question. But Akira couldn't answer it as well as he wanted to.

"Naoto-senpai did seem confident." Akira said, though his voice was filled with obvious hesitation.

Makoto gave a worried look. "Naoto-kun wasn't at school today either. Who knows how long she's been looking."

Akira heard the jingle of the door downstairs and leaned over the banister slightly, letting his ear try to catch what he could.

"Ah, Shirogane-san. The others are upstairs waiting on you." Akira heard Sojiro, and he was thankful for that. If Naoto was there, then it meant that they could start the planning in earnest. "Who's this with you?" He heard Sojiro asked. Naoto had brought someone with?

"A friend of mine and Yu-senpai that has offered to help us." Akira was grateful to hear the deeper, feigned masculine voice of Naoto. But it still begged the question of who was with Naoto. A friend? From their time in Inaba perhaps?

The only one Akira could think of who it might be would be Rise. The rest had obligations in Inaba, and Rise would be travelling for her Idol Career. He moved away from the banister, turning as he heard the heavy footsteps and hard soled boots touch and scrape along the wood. Naoto was soon seen, the fake smile coming away to show a hard determination that almost scared Akira.

The bag she had on her shoulder told Akira that she was prepped to do the plan tonight.

"Did you find him?" Akira asked.

"No. But I know someone that can." Naoto stepped further in, making space for the person following her.

From the stairwell, Akira could only stare as a tall adult woman with fair skin came up. She was dressed in a blue closed collared, long sleeve dress with black stockings and blue heels. She had a blue hair band in her platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes that Akira was all too familiar with. "Greetings, I am Margaret, an attendant of the Velvet Room. What has my precious Fool gotten himself into this time?"

Chapter End

 **Bonus: The Death of Souji Seta**

Souji came awake from the rough shaking he was receiving, courtesy of Yosuke. He'd recognize that mop of brown hair anywhere. The haze that filled his mind was still there and he locked at his lips. He tried to move his hands, but as every other time he tried there was no give. "Y-yosuke?" Was it a fever dream? Was he dying? Had Naoto screwed up the dosage? Would he be free of her twisted designs?

"Yeah Partner. Give me just a second. Chie, get his feet." Yosuke handed a knife over towards the tomboy. Souji glanced towards her a moment, his head lolling. "Fuck. How did this happen?" Yosuke asked rhetorically. He went behind Souji and cut at the ropes holding his hands together.

Souji slumped forward slightly once his hands were free. The drugs in his system kept him groggy and disoriented "You... Run. Naoto..." He slurred the words out

"Yukiko's stalling her." Chie said a bit grimly, as though she had resigned herself to her friend's inevitable fate. She got his legs free.

A gunshot echoed around the area. Souji came to be a little more alert, his body sluggishly trying to produce adrenaline. "She'll come."

Just outside Souji's blurry vision, a larger figure moved over to a chair. A harsh kick snapped the leg off which was picked up. "Yosuke, I'll go buy some time." Kanji's deeper voice sounded grim and determined. "You and Chie get Senpai out of here. I saw a fire escape around back." The younger man moved out of the room, heading to his death.

Chie swore and wiped at her eyes. She grabbed Souji and hauled him up. "Damn it Yosuke, he's lost a lot of weight. People are going to ask questions if we take him out like this."

"Let them." Yosuke said grabbing one of Souji's arms over his shoulders. "The sooner we stop that psychopath the better." The pair moved to get Souji out of the room. Two more gunshots sounded off as they kept moving, heading for the fire escape that Kanji had mentioned.

Chie grimaced. "She'll be coming faster. First Yukiko and now Kanji." She said. She stepped away from Souji. "Get him to safety." She said and began to stretch her legs.

"What? No! I'm not leaving you Chie!" Yosuke said. Souji's weight had gotten low enough that Yosuke didn't have a problem carrying it.

"We can't let her get her hands back on him!" Chie shouted. "Go! You're taller than I am and can handle Souji better."

Yosuke swore. He hated it when Chie was right like that. "You come back, you understand me?" He asked.

"Let him go!" Naoto came around the corner, revolver already raised. Chie moved and pushed Yosuke down the steps some. Pain exploded in his shoulder and he cried out, but he kept going, even as blood seeped down his back and soaked his shirt. Chie probably saved his life. Rapid footfalls told Yosuke Chie was running at Naoto to get into range to kick her.

Yosuke moved with Souji faster, trying to get to the outside. "Come on partner, could use your help in running."

"Trying. Can't move... My legs." Souji said. Yosuke glanced down to see the scars along Souji's knees and thighs. "Naoto... After... Trying to escape."

Yosuke grimaced a bit, and got Souji down another two flights of stairs before the silver haired cripple pushed himself off Yosuke and collapsed to the floor. He dragged himself to a sitting position against the wall. "It's pointless Yosuke." He managed to get out

"Damn it, no it's not!" Yosuke shouted. "Come on Partner." He grabbed Souji's wrist again, about to haul him up when Souji dragged him down to face level.

"Yosuke. You take me with, you're dead." Souji tried to think through the drugs in his body. "She will never stop hunting you. And even if you leave me here, she will never stop hunting you for even daring to take me. Promise me when you encounter her, you won't hesitate."

Yosuke grit his teeth. "Damn it, how did this happen?! We were family!"

Souji swallowed. "Rise... When she declared her love for me on the train platform. Naoto got it in her head I was cheating on her with Rise. Rise was Naoto's first victim." He gave a raspy sound. "I don't even know how long it's been... Last thing I clearly remember was Rise's funeral."

Yosuke grimaced. "She's had you for a year then partner." He said. A full fucking year they had been running around blind. And they had thought Rise's death had been someone reenacting Adachi's work. They had found her hanging over her grandmother's shop, dead.

It had been Naoto.

A gunshot sounded up the stairs. Souji grabbed Yosuke's shoulder. "Partner, I need to ask you the most difficult thing you have ever done. Please... End my suffering. Please. Don't let me become a lifeless husk." Souji begged his friend.

Yosuke paled as he realized what Souji was asking. He shook his head. "No, no. We'll get out of here together."

Souji shook his head. "She won't stop. Yosuke. Please. I'm begging you. I'd have already taken your knife, but I can barely grip anything."

Yosuke grit his teeth and felt the tears falling from his eyes. "Damn it!" He pulled the knife from its sheath again. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry everyone!" He put the knife to the space between Souji's ribs.

Souji smiled anyways. "I'll tell Chie you'll be along shortly Partner."

Yosuke felt the tears streaming down his face and he nodded his head. "Yeah, thanks. Thanks man." He took a shaky inhale of breath. "Fuck!" He grabbed Souji and pulled him into a hug, plunging the knife in and upwards.

Souji grunted jerking slightly. Limply, he threw an arm around Yosuke's shoulder. "Thank you, my brother, for giving me freedom." He closed his eyes, just letting his lifeblood spill. He coughed some. "Do... Do you think I'll see my Naoto-chan again?"

"Yeah. Yeah Partner, I think you will." Yosuke pulled the knife out and stood, crying out in frustration. Damn it, he could do nothing.

"I'd... Like... That." Yosuke didn't need to look to know Souji Seta was dead.

"No!" Naoto screamed. "What have you done?!"

Yosuke turned to the blue haired bitch and pulled the other knife out. "Set him free. Everyone wanted you two to get together! Everyone saw the love he had for you! But because Rise loved him like a brother, you went full psycho bitch!" Yosuke went to charge with both knives.

Naoto brought the revolver up and pulled the trigger. Once, twice, five times. She emptied it into Yosuke and kept pulling the trigger, even as it clicked. Yosuke fell to the ground, his last thoughts of his beloved Chie, and the brother he had just killed. He would be seeing them soon.

But for Naoto, she just went to Souji, staining her knees as she tried, futilely to staunch the blood flow. It was too late by a long shot. "No. No. No. Why? Why Souji-kun?" She sobbed. "I love you Souji Seta. I love you! Please. Please. Open your eyes!"

She didn't know how long she sat there, shaking him. She sobbed as she buried her face at his chest. She wanted her Souji back. She needed her Souji back. She brought her gun up and loaded it. She couldn't afford a misfire, not even one. She put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

Click. Click, Click. Clickclickclick.

She kept sobbing, kept pulling the trigger. Why? What force was keeping her from being with her Souji?

" **Poor, poor Naoto.** " A gravelly voice whispered. She spun with the gun, looking for the source. " **This game has been needlessly cruel to you. Was the knowledge of the truth truly worth the price?** "

No. No it wasn't.

But she didn't care. All she wanted was her Souji. Why? Why couldn't she have him? Why couldn't he love her anymore?

" **What if I told you that there is a way to have Souji Seta again?** " The voice asked. Naoto felt her heart freeze. " **All you would have to do is forsake the pursuit of the truth. Live a happy life with your precious, be the faithful wife he needs. As the God of a new world, I can grant you the desires you so wish.** "

"Then give me my Souji back." Naoto practically begged. If it was a God, then it should have the power to give her Souji back to her,

" **I cannot do that. Once the departed have departed, they cannot be brought back.** " The voice said. " **But I can send you to a new world, with a Souji still alive. Behold.** " In the glass pane, Naoto could see Souji sitting on a couch. It looked like her that he was holding, only she had cut her hair. She touched her long locks. Did she do that for Souji?

Maybe she was trying something new. Souji had said he loved her long hair. He had played with it on countless dates.

" **You can have him. Love him. Gain his love in turn. All you need to do is accept my offer, accept and I will send you to a new world with your precious Souji waiting on you.** "

Naoto didn't even think about it. "Let me get my things." She said. She kissed Souji's lips one last time. "I love you Souji-kun. I promise, this time will be better." She stood up to go back to their room and gather her things.

When the cops arrived, all they found were the bodies of five dead teenagers without a gun to be put between them.

 **End**

 **A/N: There you go. I told the story about what happened, about how Naoto's Reflection came to Yu and Naoto's world. I almost cried manly tears when I was imagining Yosuke driving the knife into Souji's ribs. Originally, I was going to have it be Kanji, but Yosuke worked better for having a knife, and really, Yosuke just worked better.**

 **And Margaret is back! That'll be fun to write.**

 **I hope I showed Naoto as still being an insecure teenager about certain things. Every teenager has those insecurities. But this, this is going to be the thing that pushes her past her insecurities and helps her become a confident young woman, even when it comes to her femininity and her relationship with Yu. She's accepted her femininity, but she's not confident in it. But… well… you'll see.**

 **EDIT: Went back and changed Yu's text to Naoto so that it would show on Fanfiction.**


	14. Chapter 14: Audentes Fortuna Adiuvat

Chapter 14: Audentes Fortuna Adiuvat

Margaret looked at the assembled group before her, her eyes flitting between them carefully. She noted the black haired teen was of the Wild Card, much like her precious Fool. He was undoubtedly the one that her Master was aiding at the moment. She noted the young man of the Chariot. Much like his arcana, he was proving himself to be a man of determination and willpower, overcoming the reversed position his life might have started at. The woman of the Lovers, someone that valued her friendships. The man of the Emperor, he was a good solid base for the group to rely on. The Priestess, a girl of mystery and intuition. And lastly… The Magician. Margaret could sense he was touched upon by her Master. Resourcefulness indeed.

"Woah…" The Chariot was looking her over. She was used to such looks since her time walking among man. She had come to know of her beauty. But it was sinful to act upon such things, and her heart had been stolen by a most cruel man already. Truly, Yu Narukami was cruel to take her heart when he belonged to another.

"Wait… 'An attendant?'" The Lovers asked. "Are there more than one of you?" she asked.

Margaret offered a benign smile. "Of course." she said. "And our Master has called us back for a pressing matter. I am uncertain if Elizabeth will return, but I would not ignore the call. Especially not when he told me my Fool had returned to the Velvet Room. I wonder how Lavenza is doing."

She watched the Fool give a slight wince. "Uh, from what I remember Igor saying, Lavenza was split into two when Yaldabaoth tried to take over the Velvet Room."

That was most surprising. That the entity known as Yaldabaoth had been capable of taking over the Velvet Room even slightly was… concerning. And Margaret was glad that she had decided to wander, to follow in Elizabeth's footsteps to discern for herself what her younger sister had done. Had she been there… Would she have been merely split into two or would worse have happened?

"But Justine and Caroline are safe. A little overbearing at times, and demanding." The Fool said a bit more.

"Good." Margaret said dismissively. "Should your journey not have unreasonable demands put on you, how are you to grow? But I digress, and I still have not been told what my Fool has gotten himself into."

Naoto, the Wheel of Fortune that her Fool so dearly loved, stepped up. "Reflections of ourselves have begun to invade our world." She said. Margaret frowned at that. She had only barely heard of Reflections, a passing enquiry from one of their guests that her Master had answered. "Yu-kun's was… A twisted coward with perverse notions. Mine was... " Naoto inhaled a moment, steeling herself. "Mine was obsessed with her world's Yu-kun. I think he died, why else would she come here? But she has Yu-kun because he had to save me. The revolver she had was very much a real one, and that was just one weapon."

Margaret frowned more and tapped her chin. That indeed sounded like her Fool. Brave, albeit foolish. But it was that foolishness that made him all the more endearing. That he had risked so much to go after Marie, even after learning that she was wanted to go and die. To Margaret, her Fool was the finest man there was. And actions spoke a thousand times louder than words. He saved his Wheel of Fortune, and now the girl was ready to return the favor.

"I assume then that you had to recover from the attack, or else you would not have lost sight of Yu." she said.

She noticed the Emperor wince and her eyes snapped to him. "I was a bit rash in my attack and received a knife to the stomach for it." he said guiltily. She noticed the Chariot and the Fool also looking a bit guilty.

Margaret didn't bother to admonish them. That they felt guilt told her they were innocent. She closed her eyes a moment and let a soft smile grace her lips. "Then I too shall help. It may go against the rules of my Master to interfere so blatantly, but… you will need all the help you can get."

"You said that you could find him." Naoto said. She sounded a bit impatient, not that Margaret blamed the girl. The worry she had to feel… it must match the pounding Margaret felt in her chest. A sense of worry that was usually not there. The last time she felt it…

Her Fool had left to go find the final moment of the Truth.

Margaret looked to Naoto and held her hand out. "His Key if you wouldn't mind." There was a moment's hesitation from Naoto before she pulled Yu's key ring out and handed it over. Margaret slid the keys to the side until she came to the key for the Velvet Room.

"How will his key help?" The Fool asked.

"All keys to the Velvet Room are invariably tied to their owner." Margaret said. "They are as much a part of their owner as the owners' Persona. It is why my Master will always tell you to keep your key. It is why you must always receive a key when visiting the Velvet Room. And to an Attendant such as I…" Margaret leaned in and blew softly on the key. She then held the key flat in her hand and began to turn slowly until the key glowed. "He is in that direction." she said, even as she faced the wall. "The glow will become more pronounced the closer we get."

"Alright, we have a way to track him." The Magician said, standing up on the bed. "Now let's get down to business. We need a plan. And with Naoto here, we can get a better idea of what we need to do."

Margaret went over to the Magician and tilted her head. "Might… Might I pet you?" He just looked so fuzzy and adorable. And she had Yu bring her that Gdon so that she could ride, but it was simply too hot for that.

"Margaret, I do not think it's the time for that." Naoto said a bit carefully.

Margaret blinked a moment. "Oh, of course. I forgot myself for a moment." She was slightly embarrassed. She turned to face the others. "One last thing regarding Reflections. They are capable of calling Shadows to them en mass." She saw everyone look a bit worried. "And given the strength of Naoto and the closeness of her bond to my precious Fool, it stands to reason her Reflection will be of similar strength. And so the Shadows she summons will be of similar strength." The number of expletives were quite surprising. Margaret was quite uncertain of the meaning of some of the obscenities.

Naoto looked over to her. "They're not as strong as Yu-kun and I." she said.

Margaret frowned. Then it would be suicidal to bring them. Unless… She was already breaking a number of rules, her Master would certainly have to punish her when she finally did return to the Velvet room, but Margaret had to save her Fool first. Truly, love was a cruel sin. "There is something I can do then." she said. "I can strengthen your Persona and empowering them up to a level that they might be on par with Naoto and Yu." She saw the hopeful and surprised looks in the teens and felt she had to dash that hope quickly. "It is only temporary, and it is merely the Persona that is strengthened. I can do nothing about your current physical and mental conditioning. Should you begin throwing out the 'Madyne' spells, you will quickly exhaust your current abilities and you will be a liability."

The Fool grimaced as though he began to understand, and she was pleased to see the others catch up quickly. He looked to the rest, getting minute nodes from each of them. He stepped towards her. "I'll take you up on that offer." He said. "And I think I speak for the rest that they will too. We'll accept the risks."

Margaret nodded her head. She thought that they would. Truly, her Fool made some wonderful friends. They were not as close to him as his companions from searching for the truth, but it would only be a matter of time. "Then I shall bestow each of you with new power when we arrive to save Yu." she said.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'we?' As in you're coming with us?" The Priestess asked.

Margaret smiled and held up the book that she always carried with her person. "You will find that I am a Persona User of no small ability. Though I fulfill the role of the Empress Arcana for my precious Fool, I too am bestowed with the power of the Wild Card trait. As one who rules over Power, it is only befitting that I have the power to back it up. A poor reflection of the woman he loves has captured my precious Fool, this I cannot allow."

Margaret noticed everyone looking over towards Naoto. The Wheel of Fortune nodded her head. "Then let's get my boyfriend back." she said. Margaret smiled a bit more broadly at the statement and the possessiveness behind it.

 _Take Your Time_

Something in the pit of her stomach settled. Naoto had abandoned her spot in Souji's lap to once again dress and pace. She was missing two of her daggers, but it was fine. She still had two more and the larger one at her spine. It had been difficult to dig that one up, but she had managed. She checked the revolver, counting the rounds she had on hand. A grand total of sixteen bullets.

No one would keep her from her Souji.

She glanced out the window. She half expected the rest of the Investigation Team to come for them. She didn't know how they found out originally. It didn't matter. Souji would understand. He'd understand that he only needed her. Sixteen bullets. Kanji had taken two last time. Nine bullets then. She bit her lip.

She couldn't let them take Souji again. She stepped away from the window and took a drink of water. She couldn't keep going on coffee. Eventually she would need to sleep. But not yet, not until she knew they were safe. Not until she knew they would be left alone.

The fake version of her… She would definitely have to go. As well as each of those other people that tried to stop her. Those she wouldn't feel bad about. Three girls, three boys and the cat Shadow. Two bullets left. Not a promising number really.

She could remember Souji admonishing her, telling her that she was being paranoid, that no he wasn't cheating on her with Rise. Her heart clenched at the thought. But Rise… why would Rise say that? No, no. She had to stay focused. She went back towards the window and checked outside.

Her eyes went wide as her heart clenched. No. No. How? How did they find them so quickly? And as though the blue haired bitch knew she was being watched, she looked up at the building. Naoto wondered if the look of fury in her eyes matched. She clenched the gun in her hand, bringing it up to aim at the bitch. She cocked the hammer back. She'd have to escape with Souji, but she'd be able to manage.

Then she felt something twist in her stomach, something jerk. It was the same sensation as when Souji had dragged her out of that twisted place to appear in the real world. She turned and grabbed at her bag, stumbling as she jerked it along with.

She saw Souji struggling, fingers reaching up. No. No, no, no. She had lost too much to lose her second chance. She pulled a syringe from the bag and undid the cap. "I'm sorry Souji-kun." she told her beloved before she jabbed his thigh, despite his struggles. The fast acting sedative would put him down for a few hours, less if he had access to his Persona.

Naoto stood up and grabbed the belt for the revolver from her bag. She slipped it on and buckled it. She bent down and kissed Souji on the lips. She wished he could kiss her back, to hold her like he used to and tell her that everything would be okay. Someday, someday he would understand why she did what she did.

Something inside of her welled up with rage and fear. It bubbled forth and she grabbed at her hair, yanking at it. Why? Why couldn't they leave her and Souji alone? Couldn't they see how madly in love with each other they were? That feeling inside continued to well up, bigger and bigger and bigger. "RAAAHHHG!" Her scream was one of unarticulated rage. Something snapped inside, like having her foot stuck in mud and being able to force it out after tugging and pulling.

Naoto breathed heavily, her eyes wide as she licked her lips. She could feel the sweat on her brow matting her hair. Souji was hers. If that bitch wanted him, she was welcome to come for him. But Naoto wasn't giving him up without a fight.

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto had endured the train ride in silence. In fact, most of them had been quiet while they rode from Yongen-Jaya. They followed the key and Margaret's instruction towards Shinjuku. They made for quite the sight naturally, but they continued following Margaret's directions until they came to a seedy hotel. Naoto glanced up at it, wondering which of the rooms Yu was in. She pulled her phone out and activated the Meta-Nav, sending them into Mementos.

She had it set so that it would only pull in Persona Users within one hundred meters.

Her Shadow split off from her almost as soon as Naoto was finished transitioning. Naoto adjusted her cap and pulled it down tighter. She took one step when there was an unarticulated sound of rage and pain. It was inhuman and ghastly. Windows shattered outwards, glass raining down in front of the group.

Naoto felt a cold hand grip her stomach when she heard the chains rattle. The sounds of approaching Shadows got the group to turn behind them. And Naoto saw, within the ranks of the Shadows was the Reaper itself. Its shoulders heaved as it seemed to breathe like an animal.

Margaret opened her book and tarot cards flowed from them, going to each of the Phantom Thieves. "Remember what I told you. I can strengthen your Persona, but I cannot do anything for your physical and spiritual conditioning! I will handle the Reaper." Eight Tarot cards spun around her as she snapped the book shut.

Akira swore under his breath. "Change of plans everyone! Skull, Mona, go! Find Fool and get him out. Queen, Fox, Panther, you're with me. We're going to have to hold the line here with Margaret or else Skull and Mona won't be able to find Fool." He grimaced at the plan falling to pieces. "Scientist…"

Naoto had already turned and was walking away, drawing the revolver from its holster. "I'm already ahead of you Joker." she said. Her job was to take care of her Reflection.

Naoto and her Shadow stepped inside the hotel and began to walk to the stairs, heading up. Her Shadow began to roll up the sleeves to her lab coat, almost up to the elbows. " _She has our boyfriend."_ Her Shadow said.

"Not for long." Naoto said calmly. From her pack, she pulled out the stilettos she retrieved from their initial encounter and gave them to her Shadow. At least she'd be armed.

" _I might vanish after this."_ Her Shadow said seriously. " _You're no longer suppressing as much."_

Naoto nodded her head. She knew that she had been questioning herself, suppressing things. She accepted them, but it was still difficult to express them. Yu was helping in that regard. And this incident, for better or for worse, Naoto had found a resolve she never knew she needed. She loved Yu, there was no doubt in question about that. But she felt like she could finally stop comparing herself to Rise, comparing herself to Yukiko.

Yu hadn't abandoned her for her more feminine Reflection. He wouldn't abandon her for one of their friends.

She could stop picking at things, stop over examining them. Yu was her lover. Even calling him her boyfriend didn't seem to be enough. What she felt was far more than some childish crush.

"I think I will miss you." Naoto said honestly. Her childish Shadow was a part of her, and while it meant she was able to accept and show that side of her, Naoto had still come to admire that other side of her. "I think Yu-kun will as well. I will try to get him to do more frivolous things with me."

" _I will like that."_ Her Shadow said smiling. " _Of course, I was never angry at you suppressing things."_

"I am Thou, Thou art I." Naoto quoted. How could she be angry with herself? They had accepted the other side of themselves. They were not that inexperienced little girl that had showed up at Inaba, acting like a man. They were blossoming into a confident young woman.

" _It's only speculation on my part that I will be vanishing."_ the Shadow said. They were up from the ground floor. " _But it stands to logic. Why else do I still manifest when the others do not? You do not allow yourself to express the things that you have accepted. Rise has conjoined both herself and the Risette together as one. Kanji-kun has accepted that he does not have to conform to society's norms of what it means to be a man. Chie has found a path that let's her become depended on. Yukiko has chosen her own path, even if that path was one she fought before. Yosuke has become wanted by those around him, he does not need to find something unique to him. Teddie knows who and what he is and won't be abandoned. We… I… wished that we would accept out femininity as well as our frivolous desires. We did not have a childhood as much as the others."_

Naoto nodded her head ever so slightly. "We have accepted them, but I have difficulty expressing them around others." She said. "I'm sorry." she told her Shadow. It seemed trivial to do, apologizing to her Self like that, but she truly was sorry.

Shadow Naoto shook her head a moment. " _It is nothing to really be concerned with. You did what you were comfortable with. Yamato and I were both content so long as you accepted yourself."_

They came to the second floor and Naoto pressed herself tight against a wall. Once again, they had the numbers advantage over her Reflection, but that would mean very little if she wasn't careful. Naoto's Shadow took a moment before she went ahead. She came to the first door and Naoto pressed her back to the wall beside it. A sharp kick broke the door open and the pair went into the hotel room, the Shadow in front with the knives. The proceeded like that, one by one, clearing the rooms.

They were just about to go to the next floor when Naoto's Shadow pushed her out of the way of a massive ball of fire. They were forced apart into two seperate rooms of the hallway.

"You're not taking Souji-kun again!" Came the furious voice of Naoto's Reflection. The Sleuth frowned a moment. Again? The more she heard, the more she was putting things together. She didn't know who Souji was, but it was possible the world her Reflection came from had a different name for Yu.

But her shouting gave Naoto a clue to where she was at. Top of the landing to the next floor. Naoto gripped her revolver in both hands, diving out of her cover. She slammed hard onto her hip as a blast of ice flew over her head. Two loud gunshots were her retort. Though she missed, the Reflection had to race up the stairs before Naoto got a third shot off.

Naoto rolled onto her feet and quickly ran for the stairs. She took them two at a time, moving a lot faster than her Reflection. Boots were better for running and stretching out her stride than heels were, no matter how skilled her Reflection was at wearing them. Naoto had to jump over the railing to land back on the previous floor when a single gunshot rang out from her Reflection.

Her Shadow came racing out and went up the stairs. Naoto raced up after the dagger weilding doppelganger, before their Reflection had a chance to get a bead, her Shadow threw one of the daggers. Knife throwing wasn't one of their more marketable skills, but it was still a blade coming at her Reflection that forced the thing to dodge, bringing her gun up to try and get a clear shot. Naoto's Shadow threw herself to the floor as a gunshot rang out. Naoto had thrown herself into a small alcove with the ice machine.

Naoto turned from the alcove, bringing the revolver up to take a shot at the exact moment her Shadow was getting shot at. Her round grazed the shoulder of her Reflection, with her Reflection's shot missing her Shadow by a bare amount. The Shadow rushed in, coming in with the acquired knife, coming low. Naoto walked forward, aiming the revolver again. Her Reflection took a page out of her Shadow's book and pulled a stiletto from a thigh holster, throwing it at Naoto to force her aim off, plaster exploding from a wall behind her Reflection. The Shadow took a shot to the right shoulder with a guttural cry, but she still came in with the knife.

The Reflection moved with fluid grace and rose her leg up. A harsh kick sent the knife spinning away. Naoto's Shadow sought to move in and punch the Reflection instead, Naoto didn't have a clear shot and she really didn't want to know what would happen if her Shadow were to die. The Reflection spun out of the way, gaining some distance. She reached behind her head with her free hand and pulled out a large knife that was almost as big as Naoto's forearm. She swiped at Naoto's Shadow twice, forcing the Shadow to back up.

Naoto took another shot, her Reflection managed to dive out of the way, taking another shot as she did so. Naoto's Shadow cried out, this time collapsing to the ground as her thigh was hit. Her Reflection scrambled backwards, bringing the revolver up as Naoto aimed hers.

Click.

Naoto stared at her Reflection wide and terrified eyes. "Ruger SP101 .38 Special. Five round cylinder." Naoto said calmly. "We've both fired five rounds." She added. "But mine is a model of a Colt Anaconda. .44 Magnum rounds, Six Round Cylinder." And at the range Naoto was at, less than five meters away, she wasn't about to miss. There was no trick that her Reflection could use. No way that she could roll on her back that would make Naoto miss her last shot.

Naoto squeezed the trigger, and at the last second pulled her shot up and to the right. Shooting into the floor beside her Reflection. She then grabbed the belt of speed with her pouch and revolver, yanking it off to drop onto the ground. "I'm not done making you pay for taking my boyfriend you bitch." She dropped the empty revolver as she crossed the distance in as few strides as possible.

 _Take Your Time_

Shadows had even swarmed the inside of the building, making it difficult for Ryuji and Morgana. Ryuji breathed heavily. Though Captain Kidd had been empowered, Ryuji definitely had not been prepared for the difference in the level of skill his Persona was capable of now. He originally had tried just to use his bat and the shotgun, but the level of the Shadows was beyond the level of his equipment. He'd have to bring it up with Akira, if they made it out of there.

"Ziodyne!" Ryuji shouted as he blasted another Shadow, thankful it was weakened by the lightning ability. Still, Ryuji's stamina was fading rapidly. He was definitely lagging. He saw the Shadow starting to rise and grit his teeth. He turned, picking Morgana up and running.

"Hey!" The Cat shouted.

"Shaddup!" Ryuji barked at the cat. "We can't let them swarm us."

"I know that, but I can keep up!" Morgana said defiantly.

"And I can run while you rest!" Ryuji snapped. He turned the corner and dropped Morgana down. He turned, snapping off another Ziodyne to finish off the pursuer. He half folded on himself, panting heavily as he slumped against the wall, pushing the skull mask to the top of his head.

"How are you supposed to run if you can't breathe?" Morgana asked snappishly.

Ryuji grit his teeth. It was a bitter pill to swallow. "Damn it Mona, shut up and listen for once!" Ryuji sat against the wall, breathing hard as he saw the cat recoil at his tone. Usually, Akira was there to play peacemaker. Ryuji licked his lips. "You need your strength. You can cure us of problems, heal our wounds, and give us buffs. Me? I'm a damned bruiser. I just hit things really hard. And Fox is better at that than I am." Having his Persona as strong as it was going to be, and knowing its skills, Ryuji was forced to face a harsh fact.

His Persona didn't heal. It didn't help people. Hell, even Makoto's had come in being useful for that.

"Joker downplayed his importance. Without him, the Phantom Thieves may as well be done. None of us have what he has. And without that, we might not make it through some fights. He can swap to somethin' new on the fly without even thinkin' about. But it's more than just the multiple Persona. Joker… he's… He's unflappable. Throw a wrench in his plans and he just makes a new one. Fox, Queen, both are strong and smart, but they don't have that spark that Joker has." Ryuji clenched his bat tightly. "But Fool, he's important too. He pushes Joker to learn, to be creative. Now, you and I… we were entrusted with getting Fool out of here. I can't patch him up if he's hurt. I can't do anything but make sure that our path is clear, and that out ass is covered." He grit his teeth. "Of us all, I'm the one that's most expendable."

What Ryuji wasn't expecting was a smack to his face, with full claws scratching down his cheek. He turned his head back to look at Morgana.

"Don't you dare feed me that B.S." Morgana said with a hiss. "Since day one, you and I have never seen eye to eye. Joker was the one I wanted, you just came along for your own selfish desires. You awoke a Persona, making you more useful to my own needs. But since that day in April, we have fought side by side and against each other. We have butt heads more than any other people on this team." Morgana said. "You're brash, stupid, ignorant, and too loud! But if you think for one second that you're expendable, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought!

"But you stuck to it." Morgana said. "You stuck to your guns, you grit your teeth, dug your heels in, and continued to do what you felt was right. So shut up, dig your feet in, grit your teeth, and stand back up!" Morgana slapped Ryuji with a Diarahan, despite how much it might exhaust Morgana. "You're no more expendable than anyone else is. I am determined to be human, and part of being human is not always getting along with everyone. So is Skull ready to hoist the flag of rebellion again? Or is Ryuji Sakamoto going to die with a whimper?"

The words resonated with Ryuji. He hadn't expected to hear them again.

"Now if Fool is in a position where he needs carried out, I am useless in that regard." Morgana said. "Joker entrusted both of us to this job. I need you with me, here and now, Skull."

Ryuji grit his teeth and grabbed the skull mask. He jammed it back down over his face and forced himself to his feet, despite the aches and pains in his legs. He planted both feet. "Do we have a bead on Fool?" he asked.

Morgana looked up. "Third floor, I'll be able to tell more then. Guess being a cat does come in handy sometimes."

Ryuji turned down the hallway a bit. He lifted a leg, pulling his heel back against his ass. He felt the familiar pull of his muscles. He did the same to the other leg. "Then we're gonna blow on through Mona!" He dropped to a sprinter's position before he took off, scooping Morgana up along the way. He raced up the stairs to the second floor to a group of Shadows that was currently looking to swarm the front.

Ryuji lowered his head, grit his teeth, dug deep and did what he did best. He bullheaded his way through his problems. Morgana scrambled his way up to Ryuji's shoulders and just as they were about to hit the first group of Shadows, he swung his sword, taking the thing's head clean off. Ryuji brought his bat up with both hands and held it in front of him, pushing through, even as they tried to attack him.

He took the next flight of stairs two at a time, even as he felt the healing magic Morgana was casting on him. Ryuji shunted all thoughts to focus on one thing. Get Morgana to Fool. Everything else could take care of itself later.

Ryuji sprinted down the hall, passing door by door. His legs burned, his lungs burned. His knee throbbed. He took the next set of stairs with an articulated sound of exertion, pushing past his current limits. The second he had recovered from his broken leg, he should have been getting back into shape. But even still, his body did remember the shape it had been in once.

"There!" Morgana pointed to a door.

"Kidd, Zio!" Ryuji roared out, even if he didn't have to name off his Persona. A bolt of lightning splintered the door and Ryuji barreled through it, tripping like he had in Kamoshida's Palace and spilling to the ground. "Ah… Shit." He moved to press his back to the wall, clutching his knee.

"Take five Skull, I got this." Morgana said as he recovered from the tumble. He then went over to the slumped over figure in the chair.

Ryuji winced at the state of Yu. The older teen was stripped to his boxers. His customary watch was gone. He was slumped forward slightly. Ryuji saw more than a few scars on him, small things that Ryuji had begun to note he was collecting himself. "S'He alive?" Ryuji asked.

"Yeah, chest is rising and falling." Morgana said. The cat picked up a needle. "And I bet one of these is the culprit. Let's see what I can do." Morgana discarded the needle before looking at Yu. He took out soda and popped it open before drinking deep of it. "I'll be spent after this Skull and I'll need a bit to recover."

Ryuji nodded and slowly pushed himself up to his feet. He limped over a bit. "Alright, I'll make sure to cover you." he said.

Morgana reached into his pack. "But first we're going to want to take care of these." The cat set to work on picking the locks.

Ryuji grabbed the bag on the bed and rifled through it a moment, pulling out a keyring and jingling the keys. "Your supposed to be the smart one." He tossed the keys.

Morgana caught them and unlocked the handcuffs. "Yeah, yeah. Let's do it Zorro, Salvation!" Ryuji felt the healing spell flow over him, it flowed out and looking out the window, he could see that their friends were even affected by it, Joker suddenly standing a little more alert and barking out orders. Yu Narukami gave a low groan from his chair. "I don't know how long it'll take." Morgana said. "I've never had to heal someone with drugs in their system."

Ryuji grabbed Yu and slung one of the teen's arms over his shoulders. Ryuji then wrapped his arm around Yu, lifting as he kept hold on one of the arms. "I'll carry him. Grab that bag. Who knows what's in it, and I'd rather it not be left lyin' in here." Ryuji said as he half walked, half dragged Yu forward.

They hit their first snag at the second floor, where a large group of Shadows had congregated. Ryuji swore. Morgana was right, Ryuji was the only one that could carry the Semi-Conscious Yu Narukami, Morgana was spent from casting as many healing spells as he did followed by Salvation. It meant that at the moment, they were both fucked.

"D… or… e…"

Ryuji saw Yu's hand coming up as though grasping at something. "Dude, what did you say?" If Yu had a suggestion, Ryuji was glad to hear it, even as the silver haired teen raised his head to stare at the group of Shadows.

"Die for me!" Yu roared out, clenching a blue card in his hand that shattered.

Ryuji could only stare in awe as a swarm of spear wielding cards and teddy bears swarmed out from behind them as a young blonde girl in a blue dress gave a curtsey. The cards and teddy bears swarmed over the enemies, splattering them in black ichor along the walls. Akira could eventually do that?

Yu's slumped weight caught Ryuji off guard and he had to quickly grab the older boy a bit more firmly. "Come on, stay with me," Ryuji said.

"I'm… here… Thanks Skull." Yu said. He seemed to be able to help them along now, at least enough to keep his feet from dragging. "Leave the small fry to me… I have some pent up aggression to work out." Yu managed to get out in a more coherent manner.

 _Take Your Time_

Margaret spun on the tip of her toe, planting her foot when it was in a better position before she gave a half stepping leap backwards. Just in time to avoid the Megidolaon that had come crashing down on the position she was just before. The eight tarot cards spinning around her left hand came to a pause on the one she wanted before she touched it and responded in kind to the Reaper attacking her.

Helel came up behind her, the six wings unfurling before it unleashed the massive blast of Almighty Damage. Margaret wasn't even ruffled by the up close use of Morning Star. The Reaper on the other hand and the Shadows that were attempting to get closer to her definitely suffered from it.

The eight cards spun once more before they landed on another one. She touched upon it and watched the spear wielding Cu Chulainn rush out. It shot towards her side, taking care of some of the Shadows that were attempting to flank her.

She began to walk with confidence back towards the Reaper, even as it raised its guns in the air and fired straight up. The cards spun and she touched another. Ardha appeared above her, bending over her to create a shield with its body. Arrows began to fall upon Ardha, but with its immunity to physical damages, it merely shrugged them off as though they didn't occur. Margaret continued her advance.

The Reaper gave another guttural sound of anger, Margaret could watch it charging up for its next attack, undoubtedly another Megidolaon as she continued to block everything else. Still, her advanced was unimpeded. Her cards rotated once more and she touched upon one. Oberon came out and a blast of lightning struck the ground off to her right, cutting the advance of some of the Shadows once more. She could see the Fool and his allies were flagging.

The dangers of giving them an increase to their Persona's abilities, but it had to be done.

A wave of magic emanated out from inside the building and the Fool and his allies caught a second wind. The Fool, Joker, began to give more concise orders. The small hint of distraction was all the Reaper had been waiting on before it dropped the Megidolaon. Unfortunately for the beast, Margaret was no stranger to combat and effortlessly side stepped it.

She summoned Yoshitsune and the Tower quickly set to work, blades flashing as it went through Hassou Tobi. The Reaper took the eight hits to its body before it finally slumped over. Margaret then turned towards the Shadows advancing on her position. Since the major threat was dealt with, she would help the others mop up the smaller threats.

"Hurry back my dearest Fool." Margaret whispered under her breath.

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto swore at herself as she moved along the hallway carefully. Make her Reflection pay, what was she thinking? She had been arrogant. Damn it. She came to the door that the Reflection had slipped into. Her Shadows was up stairs, nursing a ruined knee and shoulder, clutching their revolver to defend herself, Naoto was down here moving after her Reflection.

Her Reflection that showed she still had their Persona when Naoto had to dodge a bolt of lightning. She barely slammed into the ground and managed to see the room where her Reflection had taken cover in.

Now here she was, without anything but her fists, trying to apprehend her Reflection who had that large dagger still, and her Persona. Naoto was bleeding from her thigh, her slacks cut and the skin split open because of her hubris.

But then, it wasn't difficult to determine where her head had been at when she had made the declaration. Her lover, the man she loved without anymore doubts in her mind, had been taken away from her. She had the person responsible, dead to rights. And while Naoto loathed the idea of killing her, she was pragmatic enough to know that it wasn't going to end unless she did so. They couldn't keep her around, they couldn't send her back to her own world, they couldn't hand her over to the police. Her Reflection was entire too much like her for the last one. And so Naoto was prepared to do as Yu had done before her, and kill her Reflection. But she hadn't worked through her aggression about Yu being taken away.

And now, now she had practically led herself right into a trap. She had to be careful. She didn't know if her Reflection was prepared with her Persona, ready to unleash a bolt of lightning, a ball of fire, or worse at Naoto.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She had been so stupid. Yu was going to scold her. And the worse part was, she couldn't find something to fault him for scolding her.

Mindful of her injured leg, Naoto snapped a harsh kick out and kicked the door open, turning back to land flat against the door. There was no blast of elemental energy that came rushing out of the door. Naoto turned and peered her head in. She didn't immediately spot her Reflection, so slowly came around, stepping inside.

The hotel room was neat and tidy with the exception of the windows having been broken out. Naoto took a moment and kicked open the bathroom door, causing the door to snap against the counter. She entered and made sure her Reflection wasn't there. She turned around and headed back into the main room. She couldn't see anything worth grabbing for a weapon. She would have to just rely on her self-defense training.

Naoto came to the foot of the bed and paused. She saw the heels of her Reflection by the curtains tucked up like she was trying to hide behind the curtain. Such a childish ploy. But damn it, Naoto couldn't afford to leave it be without examining it. She stepped towards the curtains, checking the other side of the bed. Nothing laying on the floor.

Naoto took a half step forward and lashed out with a kick that ripped the curtains down from the wall. As she expected, there wasn't anyone behind it.

As she was turning, she heard the movement and turned a bit faster. She was barely able to dodge the large knife from getting embedded in her stomach. She stepped in as her Reflection was withdrawing the knife and a hard elbow connected with her Reflection's temple, sending her reeling back. The dress wearing Naoto snarled.

"Why?! Why can't you all leave Souji-kun and I alone? He loves me!" The crazed woman came in, swiping the knife wildly. It took everything Naoto had to back step and not trip over the curtain still wrapped around her right foot. "First Rise, then Teddie, then the others! Now, now when I finally have Souji-kun again, you have to come in and try and take him away!" The Reflection spat the words at Naoto.

Naoto stepped in, taking a slice along the ribs, just below her breast, as she grabbed the arm and pinned it against her side. She then headbutted her Reflection. The blow dazed her, but Naoto shook it off and quickly punched the Reflection as well. She wanted to give a retort. To tell her that Yu was not her Reflection's.

Naoto got the Reflection to drop the knife, grabbing the wrist and being able to properly twist. The Reflection tried to fight dropping it, but even still, it was either drop it or have her wrist snapped. Naoto wasn't expecting the knee to the stomach and she stumbled back from her Reflection. Her Reflection made a dive for the knife and Naoto stepped forward, kicking it spinning away.

Her Reflection came up from the ground however and threw a heavy haymaker. Naoto blocked it against her forearm and stepped in to deliver a jab of her own. She took her Reflection in the ribs. But her Reflection came up with her own jab. The two delivered blow after blow, fist after fist until Naoto was forced back by a hard kick to the stomach from the bare foot of her Reflection. Naoto wiped at her bloodied lip where she had taken a hard punch.

"You're not taking Souji-kun from me." Her Reflection said, tearing the skirt of the dress to make it even shorter, and more to the point easier to move in.

Naoto pulled the tie off and wrapped it around her bleeding thigh, pulling the yellow cloth tight. "He's not yours. He's not even mine." Naoto said. Yu was his own man. Naoto was just lucky enough to call him the man she loved and the man that loved her.

Her Reflection came back in. Her kicks were crisper, stronger. Naoto had difficulty just blocking a few of them before her arms started to ache. She wasn't expecting that her Reflection might have trained in some form of martial arts. And based on how the kicks were coming now, her Reflection probably went with one that used heavy use of the legs.

Naoto brought her arms up and hunched a bit, using his forearms to block as much of her chest as she could as well as her head. She took a particularly hard kick that definitely hurt her wrist. She then charged her Reflection, tackling her to the ground. Naoto was quick to get on top of her stomach. Her punches came hard and heavy, even as her Reflection tried to block.

Her Reflection's hand came out and Naoto felt screaming hot pain across her face, blood dripping down. She could see a length of blue hair having come loose. Her Reflection held a razor blade in her hand that had been tucked away in her hair. Naoto caught the hand when it came for another slice. She then used her other hand to keep laying punch after punch into her Reflection's face. She felt the nose break and she kept laying in with the punches.

Naoto breathed heavily as she slowly got up from straddling her Reflection's stomach. Her fist was covered in blood, and her Reflection's face was definitely bloodied. She stepped away going towards the door. She wanted to see Yu, and she was going to kiss him senseless, audience be damned.

She made it to the door when her Shadow came through with the Revolver, practically shoving Naoto up against the closet door. With one hand, the Reflection fired off the revolver three times into the Reflection that had gotten up. Her body jerked as each round took her in the chest.

The Reflection fell to her knees, stumbling. She had the large knife in her hand, had been planning to plunge it into Naoto. "Why?" she cried freely. "Why can't I have my Souji-kun?" She sobbed. "I love him so much."

Naoto's Shadow held the revolver up a bit more. " _Because… This is_ our _Yu Narukami."_ A final shot took the Reflection in the head, splattering blood and gore backwards before she shattered and fell to pieces that didn't quite hit the floor.

Naoto went and caught her Shadow who was about to collapse. "You shouldn't be trying to move on that knee."

" _Thought you could use some backup."_ The Shadow Retorted, panting a bit. " _Yu-senpai is going to be pissed at us."_

Naoto supported her Shadow and together they began to limp out of the hotel, slowly and carefully. "I know." she said. "We definitely could have handled this situation better. How much should we tell him though?" Naoto asked, frowning slightly.

" _Remember our curse from New Years."_ the Shadow reminded. " _Best we tell him the whole thing and sit through the scolding."_

Naoto winced but nodded her head. Her Shadow was right, of course. "He better be safe." Naoto said.

" _He'll be safe."_ The Shadow said. They both knew it wasn't an accurate statement. There was an innumerable number of things that could go wrong with Yu, but they had to have hope.

Naoto looked to her Shadow. "I think we should hold off on you combining back with me until we get patched up." Naoto knew she had a nasty cut across her cheek. Her left leg had a bad cut. Her Shadow had a blown out shoulder and a blown out knee. How the Shadow had limped to Naoto in time, she didn't know, but the sleuth would be thankful.

" _Agreed. Just don't drop me in your haste to kiss Yu-senpai."_ Was… Was her Shadow teasing her? " _Maybe he'll kiss me if I tell him I kept you safe."_ Yes, Naoto believed her Shadow was teasing her.

"Humph. If I let you." Naoto said in retaliation. "Did you grab my belt?" she asked.

" _Naturally. Really, you shouldn't throw things away so carelessly."_ Naoto felt a twitch above her eye starting. " _I'm scared."_ The Shadow said softly as they continued walking. " _I've… I've made peace that I might vanish… But it scares me. It scares me to know I might disappear. I've always felt like I'm more than just a part of Yamato Sumeragi, more than a half that makes up his sum."_

Naoto supposed that could contribute to her Shadow being a bit more… childish than usual. She was scared. Scared of being forgotten, of disappearing. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Naoto said. "You're not going anywhere. Besides, Yu-senpai owes you at the very least the biggest hug you can give him."

" _Not a kiss?"_ Her Shadow asked.

Naoto felt a bit of jealousy flare up. "You know, we just got done dealing with one person wanting to take Yu-senpai."

" _But I am you. Not a Reflection."_ Her Shadow argued.

"Since when are human emotions so easy to categorize?" Naoto asked rhetorically. She knew that her Shadow would understand her jealousy. "Let's just wait and see... " she said. Her eyes cut over to Yu who was standing by Akira, helping finish off the last of the Shadows.

" _Go."_ Her Shadow urged, taking her own weight away, lightly pushing Naoto. She slumped a bit against the side of the building.

Naoto didn't need anymore urging than that really. She ran towards Yu. "Senpai!" she said loudly, catching his attention. She crashed into him, knocking him over and kissing him hard. She cupped both his cheeks with her gloved hands, pressing herself to him as tightly as she could. Everything else was drowned out as she just kissed Yu. She swiped her tongue against his lips a bit.

She felt Yu's arms wrap around him and he kissed her in return. It was almost as though he was grateful for the chance to kiss her. For Naoto, it was one of the best kisses he had ever given her. Naoto would always savor their kisses, but this one felt like it was more than usual. But after having thought him lost, having doubted him, the kiss just reaffirmed what she had finally been able to convince herself of. That Yu Narukami wanted Naoto Shirogane. It was the sweetest kiss she had in a long time.

They didn't break for a long time until Margaret cleared her throat. "I do believe that is enough." She said, sounding amused.

Naoto pulled back, still laying on Yu's chest. She glanced up to the unphased blonde woman. She didn't even look like she had been in a major battle. Her hair was still in its usual style, her dress wasn't even dusty. It was almost unfair. Reluctantly, she got off of Yu and slowly got up, helping him up.

"We were discussing how best to get me home." Yu explained, looking a bit flush from the kiss. Naoto took stock of the fact that her boyfriend was in nothing but boxers.

"Woah…" Ryuji spoke from behind Yu. "Did… did the Reflection do that?"

Naoto realized that with Yu's state of undress, it showed the harsh scarring that Izanami had left him with to the rest of the Phantom Thieves. She could see the walls closing up in Yu's eyes. A little less of that passion from before showing. Naoto spoke up. "That's a story for another time." She said. "And not a pleasant one." Judging by the look Yu sent her, he had not been planning to tell it unless absolutely necessary. But she would be with him to tell it. She took his hand in hers and squeezed gently. "My Shadow needs healing before she can combine with me. She took some dangerous shots that I'd rather not feel the phantom pains of."

" _Can… Can I stay out? Just a bit longer? Please?"_ Naoto's Shadow asked. Only the tone didn't match the earlier worries. Naoto turned to look at her Shadow a moment. Her Shadow was blushing a nice healthy red and biting her lower lip, her eyes cutting to… Naoto glanced at her boyfriend clad only in boxers and blushed a bit, stepping back. " _The view is… something else."_

"Scientist, your Shadow is staring." Yu said a bit flatly.

Naoto glanced along her boyfriend's abdomen and then to the pectorals. She moved her gaze along his biceps. Yu always had some nice lines of definition. And he was just in his boxers. Naoto felt her own face heating up. She grabbed her hat a moment, tilting it down and turning away. "Heal her please." She said. Yu standing in his boxers with his hip cocked a bit would be forever branded in her mind. Yu crushed a card in his hand and Naoto watched as her Shadow's wounds closed up. She took a moment to remember her Shadow's earlier worries. That she might disappear forever. Naoto would never forget her, but she still might disappear to be only part of Yamato Sumeragi. "Get your reward."

Naoto saw the surprise on her Shadow's face before seeing the confusion followed by surprise on Yu's face when the Shadow tackled him back to the floor with a searing kiss. Naoto was more amused than actually jealous, seeing her Shadow kissing Yu. It was certainly an interesting thing to ponder on. But she noted that Yu's wrists were barren of his watch. Discreetly, she pressed the button on her watch and frowned at the failure to find the matching watch..

She'd just have to make another then. Yu wouldn't have given that up easily, so it had to have been broken. It hurt to think that, but she knew he had been in no real position to argue.

Eventually, her Shadow got off of Yu and disappeared. Naoto closed her eyes, feeling Yamato Sumeragi inside again. She went over to Yu and helped him up to his feet. She leaned against him. "I love you Senpai." she said quietly. She didn't care if the Phantom Thieves saw or heard. Not this time.

She had Yu back. It was all she wanted.

End Chapter

 **A/N: So… yeah… This chapter fought me. It fought and fought and fought me. I'm not necessarily happy with it, but I have things I need to move onto.**

 **I'm planning another three chapters by the end of Sunday. I'm off this week for vacation and while I have Persona 3 FES to play, a Perfect Grade 1/60 Char's Zaku II custom to build, Chroma Prime to farm in Warframe, I'm determined to get those three chapters out.**

 **Next chapter will be significantly easier as… well… it's a chapter I've been excited for. Then it's finishing off Kaneshiro, then introductions to things… I have a few exciting things planned.**

 **Oh, and I also have to find the time to finish editing and re-uploading the previous chapters. This week is a busy one.**

 **Oh, and if you're wondering, the title of the Chapter translates, roughly, to Fortune Favors the Bold.**


	15. Chapter 15: Passion

Chapter 15: Passion

By that Saturday, the first of July, they had gotten back to their normal routine. Yu definitely had words for Naoto, especially as the pair replaced the mirror that she had broken. They weren't said in anger, but rather disappointment, and the blue haired sleuth knew that she had been in the wrong and deserved much more than just the mild rebuking that Yu gave her. Honestly, she half expected him to raise his voice at her.

But Yu didn't. He gave her a mild rebuke and then it was done. He also, rather quickly, ordered the parts she'd need to build them an updated version of their watches. It was something she was looking forward to working on if she was completely honest.

Naoto glanced at her phone a bit as she walked down Central Street. They had agreed to send out the calling card that night, Morgana would be going around taping up the calling card all over the place so that it inevitably got back to Junya Kaneshiro. And she had already told Yu that she would be going home quickly, that she had something to do and couldn't wait for him to arrive so they could ride the train together.

Honestly, she had been waiting for the day most the week. It couldn't come fast enough, and while Yu seemed worried about her desire for Saturday, Naoto had continued to brush it off. She wanted to surprise her lover.

Once she was home, she went right to her room and got out some of her more relaxed feminine clothes. It was just a sleeveless blouse with a pair of blue slacks. She had worn similar when Yu had come to visit the Investigation Team. She laid it all out before she went to the bathroom and stripped down to take a shower.

And as Naoto thought about her plans for that evening, under the hot water while she scrubbed herself clean, she couldn't help but feel a little excited. That night was going to be special. It was going to be a night she hoped they would remember fondly for a long, long time.

Naoto dried off and quickly got dressed. She didn't put on one of her chest binders, instead she put on a modest blue bra that matched the modest blue cotton panties. Yu had seen her wearing mixed undergarments before, but it was a night where she wanted him to see, and so she had decided on making sure that they matched. She felt a modest bit of anxiety, worried that Yu might not like what she had to wear or that he wouldn't agree to her plan. She thought about perhaps wearing something a little more girly, but she just couldn't bring herself to wear them. They were entirely too showy, and she was going to be modest and embarrassed enough as it was.

Her heart pounded in her chest at the thought, even as she finished getting dressed. There was no need for any perfume or styling her hair. She just left it as was. She even left her cap off, just as she had done almost a year ago. Just as she had done that Christmas so long ago.

Excitement and anxiety settled in Naoto's stomach as she made her way down to the kitchen, opening the fridge to start working on a chicken salad. They would need their energy, but for what she had planned, a heavier meal was simply out of the question. She set to work searing the chicken, adding some herbs and spices to it to give it a bit more flavor.

She was going to ask Yu to make love to her.

No, not to her. With her. She was going to ask Yu to make love with her. She knew that the next day, with Kaneshiro's Palace, would be an exhausting time, and that she shouldn't be over exerting her boyfriend. But the fact of the matter was Sundays were also days where they could rest, recuperate. Yu didn't have work or Kendo practice or school or any other of the multitude of responsibilities that he had.

Saturday night was literally the best night for it to happen, and Naoto didn't want to wait anymore.

Yu had been the perfect gentleman so far in their relationship. He took things in stride, never asking for more than she was ready to give him. And Naoto could admit to being afraid of giving him more. Some childish fear that one day he would go for someone else, someone more feminine. But she was prepared to bury that idea. More than prepared even. She had found her resolve because of her Reflection, saw what she could have been if she wanted to put more effort into it. That her Reflection had taken on a sort of Femme Fatale -esque resemblance had been irony that Naoto didn't fail to pick up on.

But Yu still wanted her! Naoto Shirogane, the Fifth in the line of Shirogane Detectives, the Detective Prince. Naoto couldn't even begin to explain why he wanted her, but he did. She loved him without question, and he loved her. And so she wanted to show him, to give him what she had been scared to for fear of someday not having him. But what they had, it wasn't some trifling attraction.

Just thinking about losing Yu again upset her, twisted her stomach into knots. They had spent a year apart and Yu was still the same man she fell in love with. He had changed, but had remained the same. He was sweet, caring, patient, and his love didn't feel like a frivolous infatuation.

She had once been afraid of saying her feeling, that they would all come spilling forth, and they had. Ever since confessing her love for Yu, she had felt… it felt like a damn had burst inside of her. First Christmas and trying to appear more feminine and then the Ski trip, and then Valentine's day. It was like Yu had found a crack in her defenses and proceeded to rip the whole thing down with a sledgehammer.

And she couldn't be happier for it.

She could almost understand the lengths that her Reflection had gone to. If Souji Seta had been anything like her Yu Narukami, then Naoto knew he would have made the other girl feel like she was on cloud nine at any given time. Naoto didn't agree with what her Reflection had done, but she could almost understand why. And Naoto most certainly didn't regret what had to be done.

Naoto would fight for Yu, that was all there was to it. And woe to someone that dared take him away.

And there was another facet that Naoto had never expected to come across. She was incredibly possessive of Yu. She hadn't ever expected to be possessive over anyone, and yet for Yu she didn't like the idea of him being with someone else. She was mature enough that she would step aside if it meant his happiness, it didn't mean she had to like it. And she blamed Yu for it as well.

Speak of the devil, the door was opening.

Naoto moved from the kitchen to the entryway. She leaned against the wall a bit as Yu took off his shoes, not quite looking up. She spoke up, her voice that much more feminine tone that she had during Christmas. The one she reserved for when Yu and her were alone. And she tried to let some of her intentions seep into it, hoping for a hint of sultriness. "Glad you're home, Yu-kun." she said warmly.

If Naoto was honest, she was pleased to see the slight surprise on Yu's face when he looked in her direction. She knew by wearing the bra she was, it was more abundant that she was endowed in the chest area. While she had her grievances about the skirt of the Yasogami High school Girls' Uniform, she couldn't deny the fact that the chest was usually thickly covered and she was able to better hide the fact of her endowment. Her sleeveless blouse did not offer that luxury. "You… look nice, Naoto." Yu said, looking her over, clearly not sure what to say. Naoto was pleased when she could have that effect.

Naoto smiled and blushed a bit. She could feel her face heating up. She wished she had her cap to lower down to her face. But she wanted to appear feminine for Yu. Not because it was what her Reflection had done, but so that night, he would be able to see her as a woman as well. "Dinner is just about done, I'm waiting for the chicken to finish cooking and then it will need to be cooled." Naoto turned and began to walk back into the kitchen to finish up dinner. She wished she could put a hint of a sway to her hips, but she never really learned how to do that, no matter how much Rise had tried to teach her.

Goodness, she was embarrassed. She felt so modest, yet at the same time she couldn't help the excitement either. She began to prepare the salad, washing the vegetables that would be going into it before starting to prepare them and toss them into a bowl.

"What's the occasion?" Yu asked her. It could come off as rude, that she couldn't want to just dress in a more feminine manner, but Naoto knew that wasn't Yu's intention. Besides he knew her better than most did. He had been living with her since practically Golden Week. She never just wanted to dress in a more feminine manner.

Naoto smiled at that. That Yu knew her, really knew her. "I'll tell you after dinner." she said and smiled. They were going to need their energy after all. That wasn't going to change. And she wanted Yu to be able to go as long as possible. She felt her cheeks flushing a bit more at that thought and distracted herself with preparing the salad.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Yu asked.

Naoto shook her head, not quite trusting her voice. She watched him reach into the fridge to grab a bottle of water and start drinking it. Naoto moved over to him and smiled. When the bottle came away from his lips, she stood up on tiptoes, pulling him in for a kiss. She was glad to feel it returned, even if it was a short and chaste peck.

More would come later.

The chicken was soon finished and Naoto let it cool before she cut it up and added it to the salad. She mixed the ingredients together before she put a helping on two plates. The rest she covered and put into the fridge. A snack for later perhaps. But she went to the low kotatsu and put the two plates on opposite sides. More for her benefit, she wanted to touch Yu, her hands practically burned with that desire.

"How was school?" Yu asked as he ate.

"Fine." Naoto shrugged her shoulders a moment. "With the exception of Makoto, many of my classmates are, bluntly, morons. Intelligent, yes, but it's my first year in Inaba all over again. I'm either being compared to Goro Akechi, and being told how he's going to take my title, or I have people fawning over me. It is quite annoying. Last year was at least, thankfully, quiet with the exception of the two cases I worked for Inaba."

"And now you're working on what, eight different cases?" Yu asked amused. "Careful there."

Naoto smiled and waved her hand. "Many of them are petty cases. I'm there basically as a pair of fresh eyes. Someone who hasn't looked over all the details and facts and that can look at the big picture to try and catch something the others missed. I'm working with the lead Investigator on maybe two cases, and I'll let them go make the arrests and interrogations. All I ask for is a copy of the interview so that I might review it in post."

Yu shook his head a bit. "You're amazing Nao-chan." he said softly.

Naoto blushed a bit. It felt good hearing Yu tell her that. She couldn't help the flush every time or the warmth that filled her. There were others in the past who had complimented her, but from Yu, it was… different. Not just sincere and genuine, she had others in the past that were either and both. But Yu held an extra hint of something that brought her satisfaction. Naoto ate a bit more. "How's your day at school?"

"Busy." Yu said. "Finals are coming up, so I have those to prep and study for, plus I have to work with my advisor to choose my classes for next term." he said.

Naoto smiled a bit more. "And have you decided on what you want to be as a career?" She asked. Yu had been working mostly core classes his first term of University. It was old ground for them. Yu didn't know what he necessarily wanted to do. She didn't blame him. All he'd tell her was that he wanted to be something that he could go back to Inaba with.

"I'm thinking about teaching." Yu said. "I just… I remember Morooka and then Kashiwagi. They were awful teachers, one being a vitriol filled bastard, the other being a slut of a woman that needed to grow up." Really, his goal was a noble one, and he didn't need to explain it to her. "I doubt I'll be like any of the others, Inaba needs a normal teacher I think."

Naoto nodded her head and smiled. "I think it's a worthy goal." she said. "And I'm certain you can apply for online University courses, if you wanted to return earlier." She said. A bit of a dour note to think on, but it had to be brought up. "I'm not entirely certain how welcome I'll be here once your parents return." she said. Especially not with what she was planning that night with their son, but then again Yu was a grown man. And if she was honest, she had thought about doing it Christmas, Valentine's Day, White Day, and when Yu had returned during the summer after his year in Inaba. It was only her own fears that held her back.

"You'll be welcome." Yu said confidently. Whether it was because he thought his parents would love her or something else, Naoto didn't know. But she appreciated the confidence, even if it might have been faked for her benefit. Really, there was a lot that could happen, but for the time being they still had a number of months where they didn't have to worry about that.

"Regardless, I'm happy you've started to think on your chosen goal in life." Naoto said. And she thought Yu would be a great teacher. She had heard about his time as a daycare assistant, and he had helped so many people in Inaba. Then there was the fact he had tutored one person already. He had the ability.

Yu shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't be the only one of the Investigation Team to not know what they want in life." he said. "I mean you're thinking about Forensics Medicine still, right?" he asked.

Naoto nodded her head. "That's right, though I do have a standing invitation from Dojima-san to join the Inaba Police Prefecture if I'd like. He even offered to take me under his wing." It was an incredibly generous invitation that she was seriously considering, at least for a bit. If she spent five years working with Dojima, just getting some more hands on experience, she could then go on to continue working just under the Shirogane name. Clients would be more sparse than she would like for a while, but Inaba was a sleepy town and quiet.

Sure, she had a lot of experience working on cases so far, but most of the time she tried to just give the Police in question credit. Most of the time, they were already covering a rather sizeable amount of money each month for her services. It'd be interesting to experience actually taking credit for a case rather than just passing it off to someone one the force.

"You have told me before." Yu said a bit teasingly. Naoto wasn't surprised. Sometimes she just got worked up about something that she might tell Yu something twice or even three times. But he didn't mind, he just let her speak. It was something she welcomed and cherished.

Conversation and food continued in a similar manner. It was a time to talk about nothing topics about their day that held no importance other than they liked to hear about the other. As they finished eating, Naoto stood up and collected the dishes. "Go get a shower and brush your teeth, Yu-kun. I'll meet you in your room." She then headed for the kitchen, noticing his look of bemusement out of the corner of her eye..

"Not going to tell me just yet what you have planned, are you?" Yu asked, even as he stood up to acquiesce to her request.

"It's a surprise. One I hope you'll like." Naoto said, glad her back was to him as she knew her blush was something powerful as she thought of her plan for the evening.. She heard his footsteps carry him upstairs to the bathroom. She quickly washed the dishes off, knowing Yu would be getting his clothes ready and putting his current clothes in the hamper. She managed to finish washing the dishes before the shower upstairs started.

Not that she had to worry about it. Yu's parents had put a tankless hot water heater in the upstairs for the bathroom. An expensive project if her basic research was to be believed, but then Yu never seemed to hurt for money either, it was possible his family was well off enough to cover such an expense.

Naoto looked at her hands a moment. She was trying to distract herself from what was coming. She inhaled a bit, clenching her hands. She had to stop. She had to believe in herself, in Yu. This was going to be a good night. One of passion and romance.

She went upstairs and retrieved the toiletries that she had in her room. While her usual brush and toothpaste were in the bathroom, she did keep some on hand in her bag on the off chance that she ended up staying at the Police Prefecture all night. It hadn't happened in a while, but she didn't want to take the chance. She just used the kitchen sink to brush her own teeth.

They were going to be doing a lot of kissing, Naoto didn't want her mouth tasting of chicken salad.

She heard the shower cut off and then Yu's footsteps as he walked out of the room and to his. Naoto took a deep breath in and grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge. She was so nervous, had she over-prepared? Would Yu want her? Had she forgotten something? She felt the anxiety build up before she exhaled.

It didn't matter if she over-prepared. Yu would want her, as he said before, he was male and she was his girlfriend. If anything, he'd be worried that it was something Naoto wanted. And she most certainly did want to be intimate with him. She let her anxiety fall off away from her like she was taking a coat off. She began to walk up the stairs to the bedroom. She knocked on the door. "Yu-kun?" she asked.

"Just a second." He called out. Inhaling, Naoto opened the door. He spun around, just in a pair of simple black boxers, surprised. She went and placed the two bottles of water on his desk. Naoto then went over to him and put a hand on his wet chest. "Naoto, is something-"

That was as far as Naoto let him go before she leaned up and kissed him on the lips, half pulling him down. The kiss was hot and fierce and she used her teeth to nip at his lips, her tongue brushing against his lips shortly after. She wanted it to hold all the passion that she felt for Yu at the moment. She broke the kiss and whispered against his lips. "Make love with me Yu-kun."

"Are… Are you sure?" Yu asked, whispering. He sounded so surprised. To Naoto, it was a sweet sound. It meant that she could surprise her boyfriend.

Naoto nodded her head and took Yu's hand. She brought it up to the front of her blouse and laid his hand on her breast. "Yes. My Reflection showed me a truth I've been needing to see for so long, and I'm sorry that I've even had doubts." She leaned in and kissed a droplet of water off Yu's chest. "I've been so scared that you'd tire of me and chose Yukiko or Rise, that I was too boyish. But… you saw my Reflection. She was the me that embraced our femininity, and you still wanted me, Naoto Shirogane. Her psychosis would have likely been easier to handle had you accepted her, embraced her. But you didn't accept and embrace my Reflection. I love you, Yu Narukami. I want you to make love with me tonight, make me feel like the woman that you love. Please." She hated the idea of begging, of pleading. She was ready to do both if it meant having Yu.

The kiss that came from Yu told her she didn't have to do either. It was scorching hot. His tongue swept over her lips before it pressed between them. She could feel the blush on her face, the excitement that swept through her as he felt his hands slowly undoing the buttons to her blouse. She reached up with both hands and grabbed his hair, tangling her fingers into it. Her tongue brushed up against Yu's and soon she felt the air on her skin. One of Yu's hands brushed over her stomach, moving downwards. Her stomach clenched a bit, but she wanted it. She wanted to feel him touching her.

The kiss broke between the two and Naoto took the chance to kiss at Yu's chest. She quickly shrugged off the sleeveless blouse, letting it fall to the floor. One of her hands came out to cup Yu through his boxers as gently as she could. Lightly she squeezed, pleased to feel him hardening up underneath her slender fingers. "I… I'm a bit nervous." she said. "I've never done anything like this before."

"Neither have I." Yu said, his voice a bit throatier than before. Naoto smile at that. Then her slacks were unbuttoned and he was easing them down her hips. She wiggled a little bit to help them down before stepping out of them, pressing her breasts into Yu's chest. She enjoyed the shudder that went through him.

Biting her lip, Naoto grabbed the waistband of Yu's boxers. There was the briefest hint of hesitation before she was easing them down. Her eyes widened a little bit at the sight of his length, hard and arching upwards. She reached down and cupped him, feeling his sac tighten up as her fingers brushed over the sensitive skin. She heard a murmur come from Yu. Her first thought was about how big he was. But Yu had already explained all that to her. Even still…

Naoto felt like she was the luckiest girl at that moment. She traced a finger up along bottom of the shaft to the tip. He was circumcised which was an understandable sentiment. But there was one thing she was curious about. "Yu-kun… do you shave down here?" she asked. It seemed like an odd thing for a man to do.

"It's more hygenic." Yu said, his tone a little tighter. "Easier to keep clean when showering."

Naoto nodded her head. That sounded like Yu. It was a practical practice then. Honestly, she did the same for similar reasons, but it was still different, seeing Yu bare like that down there. His legs had a fine dusting of hair, though people would rarely see it given he didn't really wear shorts unless it was for swimming.

Her thoughts on Yu's manhood went out the window when she felt her bra come loose. She felt Yu's hand stroking along her spine, having just undone the clasp. She slipped out of it, letting her breasts spill free. She quite enjoyed the hungry look that Yu was giving them. She felt her nipples tighten up into hard nubs. She was more than ready for her boyfriend's attention. His hands on her rear was pleasant, but then she was in the air, being spun about.

She landed, gently, on his futon and she couldn't help the giggle that came from her throat. Yu's fingers found the waistband to her panties, and he paused, his gray eyes coming up to look at her. Naoto offered a smile and a nod. She felt anxious and modest, but she wanted him to see. She lifted her hips as they started to come down, and she blushed a deep shade. Her face felt so hot.

Yu bent down and kissed her lips, a kiss she returned, even if she had difficulty looking him in the eyes. But then he began to kiss lower, kissing at her collarbone. She wiggled a little bit as his mouth took him to her breast. She could feel his tongue on her nipple, sucking gently and tonguing over the hard nub. Then his mouth was kissing down her stomach. Naoto's eyes widened as she sat up a bit on her elbows to watch what her boyfriend was planning. He wasn't really about to…

Oh… Oh yes he was based on the kiss above her mound. He spread her legs, putting on on his shoulder. He gave a tentative lick to her body that caused her to gasp. Naoto let her shoulder blades hit the futon again as Yu teased and licked at her. His mouth pressed against her entrance like he was trying to explore all that he could with his tongue. She never felt more aroused in her life.

Her hands grabbed at the futon, trying to find some sort of relief as Yu took the minor gasps and small sounds she made as indicators. She couldn't find anything to really grab though, and when Yu moved his tongue up a little higher to the bundle of nerves, her hand grabbed at the back of his head to hold him there while she moaned. "Yes!" She hissed out, even as he worked his fingers to help pleasure her. A single finger pressed inside of her as he worked his tongue against the bundle of nerves.

Naoto was in heaven. That was all she could think of as she felt the pleasure building inside her body. Her toes curled, and she put Yu's head between her legs a little more comfortably, squeezing the sides of his head with her thighs as she felt his shoulders against the back of her legs. She could barely breathe in between the moans that her lover coaxed out of her. Her heels dug into his back just a little bit. She moaned a bit more as Yu continued to lick, slowly gaining more confidence in what he was doing.

She felt something tightening in her stomach. Instinctually, she knew that it'd be a good thing. She licked her dry lips as she worked her hips against Yu's mouth. One of his hands moved to caress her thigh and cup her rear, squeezing there as well. Naoto continued giving little whimpers, squeezing Yu's head tighter as she felt that dexterous tongue finding spots she never even knew could feel good.

Her breathing started to come in faster pants. Naoto felt that tightening getting tighter and tighter. She bit her lip, trying to keep the moans from spilling out of her mouth more, but it was useless. Yu was teasing her body like he knew exactly what it wanted and how to give it to her perfectly. She felt her hand digging into something, gripping tighter. Everything was getting fuzzy, and then that tightness snapped and she screamed with a release.

Her hips bucked, and Naoto's vision swam. Her back arched as she gripped with her right hand. Her scream cut off from lack of hair and she collapsed, slumping against the futon. Her body slowly learned how to breathe again, her lungs burning for oxygen that she greedily gasped and panted for. She could barely feel her legs with how tightly she held Yu's head between them and it was only belatedly that she realized she was digging her grip into Yu's scalp, her fingers shakily coming open. Her entire body was racked with spasms.

Yu came up from between her thighs with a bemused look on his face. "Was it good for you?" he teased.

'I… I never… I've…." Naoto could barely formulate the words between her panting. She swallowed thickly, desperate to get the dryness out of her mouth. "Is it… Oh…"

She flushed when she heard the warm chuckle from Yu, but she couldn't bring herself to be angry at him. Not after what he just did. She could barely feel anything below her waist, and she was almost lightheaded. That was an addictive rush. She really hoped there was a repeat performance of that in the future. His tongue had been… She flushed more.

Then she saw Yu positioning himself over her, between her legs. He leaned down, hands on either side of her. She kissed him in return, unperturbed by the taste on his lips. She might have hesitated more, but she just wanted to kiss her lover. Besides, it wasn't bad. It was like tasting rain water. She wrapped her arms around his neck, just holding him.

Yu drew back from the kiss though. "Ready for more?" he asked her softly. Still getting her breath to come back to normal from the orgasm, Naoto simply nodded. "Do you have any condoms?" he asked. It made her mentally swear and she shook her head. "Neither do I." Yu sounded almost disappointed starting to pull away.

Naoto bit her lip and wrapped a leg around his waist. She knew it was a risk that she'd be taking. "Go without." She looked into his eyes as she said that. "Please, Yu, let me feel all of you tonight." She would have to look into protection another time. But she wanted her lover.

Yu silently nodded his head and shifted back over her. He reached between them and she looked down between their bodies, propping herself on her elbow as she watched Yu grasp his shaft. He then brushed it against her slick entrance. "It's going to hurt some." Yu said softly.

Naoto nodded her head. "Be gentle, but go as deep as you can, then let me adjust. And my hymen has already been broken, accident when I was a child." She told her lover. She expected some tearing of her inner walls as they would be forced to stretch and accommodate Yu's size.

"What kind of accident?" Yu asked her as she felt his bare tip rubbing against her entrance.

"Fell out of a tree and ah!" Naoto gasped some in pain as Yu pushed in. She appreciated that he tried to distract her from what was to come, but that still hadn't been enough. She was slick enough because of Yu's earlier efforts that he was able to bury much of himself inside of her. At least, it felt like a lot to her. But then he stilled over her, and just let her get used to the side.

"Fell out of a tree huh?" Yu asked her, almost teasing her.

"Ah… yes, my foot… wasn't as secure as I had hoped." Naoto admitted, wincing both in the minor pain she was experiencing in her lower body, as well as the memory of what had happened. "A tree limb slammed into my groin. It's a common occurrence for a girl to break their hymen outside of sex." She said. She breathed and focused on just relaxing the muscles lower down. "Grandpa practically rushed me to the hospital." She was embarrassed by thinking about it.

Yu nodded his head and he bent over her. He kissed at her breasts which brought tingles over Naoto's skin. Much better to think about her lover. She felt his tongue on her nipple again, flicking across it and Naoto moved her arms around Yu a bit more. She lightly clutched at his back. She wrapped her other leg around his body. "Please." She was ready.

Yu's movements were slow, and a bit awkward. And Naoto shivered slightly from the way he seemed to fill her. There was some discomfort still, and she tried to move to get herself some relief of that discomfort. It wasn't painful, but it could have very easily well been. And Yu was still hesitating over her. She could feel it in the muscles along his back, a pause every now and then like he wasn't sure if what he was doing was right.

But then he brushed against a sweet spot and Naoto squeezed him with her legs, arching her back and giving a moan. Her eyes fluttered closed, as though she could focus better on the sensations she was feeling. She rocked with Yu as he worked into her, trying to get him to hit that spot once more. But instead, it just found new spots and got little mewls to come from her mouth. She gripped at his back.

Yu lowered himself against her and Naoto clutched tighter to him. The way he rocked his hips came a bit more confident as time passed, as though he was starting to get that she wasn't going to break like glass. She moaned at the sensations that she was feeling. She could feel her orgasm, for that was undoubtedly what that tightness in her stomach was, building once more. Naoto opened her eyes and she kissed along Yu's shoulder, burying her mouth against the muscles there as though she could muffle her feminine gasps and moans.

"Naoto." Yu's moan was like sweet music to her ears. That her lover was finding the same pleasure with her that she was finding with him. "I'm getting close." he said. His voice was tight, like he was trying to keep himself from spilling over the edge.

Naoto pulled her lover in closer, legs wrapping tighter around him. It was a bigger risk, but she couldn't help but desire it. "Inside." she whispered in his ear. She wasn't going to leave her Lover without, and she wanted to feel his pleasure inside of her body. She rocked her hips a little faster, trying to help Yu out. She felt one of his hands come to her breasts, gently massaging. It got her to moan out more, her breathing coming in faster pants.

Really, the rough calluses on his hand against the soft sensitive flesh of her breast was exciting.

She began to pant a bit faster, her small sounds of pleasure coming faster. Her fingers gripped at Yu's back and her legs tightened up on his waist. Her hips rocked against him faster, especially as he hit a particularly pleasurable spot. That orgasm built a little more, a little tighter. Just a little…

She screamed against his shoulder as she released again. She practically bit into Yu's shoulder, trying to muffle herself. And her orgasm felt all the more intense as she felt Yu find his own release inside of her. She felt the warmth spread through her lower body.

Yu half collapsed on top of her and Naoto smiled, holding him close while she breathed heavily against his skin. "That… that was…" He was as speechless as she was. It wasn't often that Naoto got to see Yu like that, she kissed his shoulder in a sign of affection, especially since there was some angry looking teeth marks on said shoulder.

"Fantastic." Naoto whispered to her lover. It was fantastic, better than she could have ever dreamed about. And she had a few dreams certainly, Yu was a stunning example to have dreams about after all. But this, this was even better than she had anticipated. "Thank you."

"Me?" Yu asked, pulling out of her to roll onto his side. "Thank _you_ Naoto."

Naoto smiled and rolled onto her side, just to look at Yu up close. She couldn't help the blush still on her face. "How well can you move?" she asked a bit embarrassed.

"Well enough, why?" Yu asked, looking a bit curious.

Naoto glanced over her shoulder. "I left two bottles of water over on your desk, and… well… I can't feel my legs." Just a pleasant tenderness. Naoto hadn't felt this relaxed since Yu had given her a rub down while the Thieves were off taking Madarame's treasure.

Yu chuckled warmly and took the hint, he got up from the futon and went over to grab the bottles of water. Naoto watched of course, her Shadow had been right. The view really was something else, even better when Yu wasn't in boxers. He really had lines of definition that were impressive, but then they were always running around. He came back and passed her a bottle. Naoto managed to sit up to take a drink.

"You know… for a man that's never done that before, you certainly did good." Naoto said with a blush. She doubted she'd ever stop blushing. But Yu's tongue had certainly been something else. "How'd you learn to do that with your…" She blushed more.

Yu blushed as well. "I just… I kept following your cues." he said. "I knew you'd tell me if it didn't feel good. But it seemed to feel good and so I kept going. You've got a mean grip though, I feel like a headache is coming on."

Naoto had the courtesy to blush at that. She definitely hadn't intended to do that. Yu took his spot on the futon beside her, drinking from his own water. Naoto clutched at the blankets, still feeling a bit modest, even if Yu had seen everything before. Regardless, they had certainly had a very enjoyable evening.

But if Naoto was completely honest with herself, she wasn't done. She was still hungry for more. "We're sleeping in my bed tonight." She told Yu as she took another drink and put the cap back on the bottle of water.

"We are?" Yu asked a bit surprised.

"We are." Naoto pushed the blankets aside and then pushed her boyfriend onto his back. "This time, I'm on top." She reached between them to grasp his length, stroking him back to hardness. She was pleased when he responded to her quite well. "Why do you think I prepared such a light supper after all?"

 _Take Your Time_

Akira knew, the second he walked into Yu's home, that something had changed between the two more experienced members. Yu was in the kitchen, preparing some coffee humming. Akira had never heard Yu hum. And the humming was on repeat, like it was some little jingle that was just in his head. Naoto was sitting at the kotatsu, sipping at a cup of coffee. She was completely and utterly relaxed with the barest hint of a smile on her lips. She was dressed as prim and proper as usual, but there was still something about her that looked entirely too relaxed for the situation.

They were about to go steal the treasure of a mob boss, and the two were looking completely relaxed. As though it was just another day at work. For Akira, he really didn't know what to say about it. And when Yu came over to sit beside Naoto, there was even less space between them than usual. The pair looked like they were glowing almost. Akira took a moment to get a read on the room.

Yusuke was furiously sketching in his notepad, looking between the extremely happy couple before down at his sketchpad. "Such beauty." The artist muttered as he worked like a mad man. Akira could understand where he was coming from. It was certainly picturesque how comfortable and content they were.

Makoto was sitting on the couch, adamantly refusing to look at anywhere but the cup of coffee in her hands. And unless Akira missed his guess, Makoto was blushing just a hint. Then did she have an idea of what was going on between Yu and Naoto? Akira frowned. He didn't have a lot to reference from.

Ann was sitting closer to Naoto, also adamant in her refusal to look at the couple, though from time to time she would sneak a peek before blushing and looking away. It was odd, seeing the usually bubbly Ann far more reserved than she might usually be.

Ryuji was in his phone, so there was nothing to be gained there unfortunately.

"They had sex you dolt." Morgana said from his bag, popping Akira on the back of his head with a paw. "Geez, surely you're not that dense." The entire room went quiet. Yu's peaceful expression did not change in the slightest as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Morgana." Yu started. Something about that almost cheery tone sent a chill down Akira's spine. "I am in a really, really good mood. The origins of that good mood are not up for discussion at this current juncture or any juncture. If you ruin my good mood, my threat about taking you to a veterinarian to have you neutered remains. And I will stuff you into one of those self locking cages and take you in as a stray. Am I clear?" At no point in that entire statement, Yu's cheery tone never changed once. A pin dropping could have been heard in the silence afterwards.

"Crystal." Morgana squeaked out.

Yu continued sipping his coffee.

Oh… Akira felt real stupid. All the signs were certainly there. And judging by the slight bags under both Naoto and Yu's eyes, it had certainly been a long night for the both of them. Were they going to be okay to do the heist? He had pushed for everyone to do some training over the week, but this was still going to be a difficult task. That they had been up late they might not be able to cover their end.

Not that Akira was going to fault them. No sir, Yu looked completely relaxed and Naoto did as well. And what was he honestly going to say? That they couldn't spend their time however they so chose? Yu wouldn't even take him into the Metaverse to kick his ass.

"Dude you are-" Ryuji started.

"Ryuji, stop." Akira said sharply. If Yu was going to be like that about Morgana dropping that bomb, he was going to be even more… aggressive if Ryuji started in on his antics. He knew the blonde was a pervert, an unrepentant one at that. It wasn't overt and in everything he did, but the blonde was definitely a pervert.

"But-"

"Don't. Care." Akira said. "If you feel like going toe to toe against Yu, by all means. But I'd like to remind you, he doesn't have to take us into the Metaverse to kick our ass. In fact, in the Metaverse, he can kick our asses even longer when he heals us up. Your Persona is of lightning. Izanagi eats lightning for breakfast. Yoshitsune can cover any physical damage you might think of doing with Kidd. And he's a kendo practitioner. Very bluntly Ryuji. I am not stepping on that fucking landmine, and if you do, you're fighting him by yourself."

Yu sipped at his coffee. "Yukiko would be giggling."

"So would Rise, but for different reasons." Naoto said as she sipped her coffee.

Akira glanced over to the pair and he rubbed his face. He wasn't going to ask about their friends. He wasn't going to touch that topic with a set of stolen hands. He was just going to try and figure out what they should do about Kaneshiro. He looked over to the pair, saw the tiredness on their face. They had to be sore and fatigued like they had just come out of a Palace. "Are…" Akira could barely look at them like Makoto and Ann. "Are you two going to be okay for this?" He asked. "I can't look at you two right now."

Akira's experience in the carnal pleasures of flesh was a grand total of zero. He had some experience kissing a girl, but what Naoto and Yu did was so far beyond his realm of knowledge and confidence. He'd rather stick to the Phantom Thieving for the meeting until he had time to unpack the knowledge he had been bombed with.

Yu inhaled a moment and closed his eyes. He took a large drink of his coffee before he set it down. And suddenly, it was like he flipped a switch and he was focused as Fool once more. He looked at Akira. "So, what's there to cover?" he asked, his tone normal once more.

Akira was thankful for that. He could at least look at Yu. He didn't know how the man shunted his good mood off to the side, but it didn't matter. "Kaneshiro. I'll be honest. I don't think we're ready for the man." He motioned to the other Phantom Thieves. "I'm wondering if you might be willing to handle stealing his treasure. If he's anything like Madarame and Kamoshida, he's going to guard it as well."

Yu looked over to Naoto who had finished her coffee. Akira watched her stand up and go get a second cup. "What do you think?" Yu asked as she returned to quite intimately sit beside Yu once more.

Naoto sat there, looking relaxed and pensive. She had not recovered the way that Yu had done, so she still looked like she was enjoying the afterglow of their activities. It was still not something Akira wanted to think about with the two older teens. Was this going to become a common occurrence? He certainly hoped not.

Was he jealous of that idea? He supposed that yes, he was a little jealous, as Yu had a girlfriend and he did not.

Akira frowned a moment and pushed the thought to the side as Naoto spoke. "Whatever you'd like to do Yu-senpai." she said, taking a moment to make her voice at least sound neutral.

Yu nodded his head and turned his attention back to Akira. "I think Naoto and I will be robbing a bank then." he said.

Akira heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he thought his friends were incapable, but they hadn't been able to train nearly as much as he'd have liked to. Yu's thoughts of infiltrating the Palace in one go had left them with little enemies to fight, and then it hadn't been long since the trainwreck that had been Naoto's Reflection.

The girl had reminded him of a Femme Fatale almost mixed with a lot of crazy.

Still, he would have to push for everyone to get to work in Mementos. The incident with the Reflection had showed them all how far behind Yu and Naoto they were, and he wasn't always going to be able to rely on them. They would undoubtedly help, but Akira wanted to be able to stand on his own two feet.

Chapter End

 **A/N: I don't really think I need to say a damned thing about this chapter. A bit shorter, but it's been a highly anticipated one to write on my part. Sex is my wheelhouse to write. I will only be writing one other sex scene this entire story, and let me tell you now, it won't be staring Yu and Naoto. Enjoy that thought.**

 **Next chapter, I go into Futaba's arc. Hmm… Wonder how I should work on that.**


	16. Chapter 16: Of Plans and Persona

Chapter 16: Of Plans and Persona

Yu Narukami sat in his bedroom at his desk, looking a few things over on a spreadsheet. As the adult of the group, he had to take care of things that the others didn't have to. He'd be able to get help, certainly, but there were a few things that he just had to take care of himself. Some things, he'd even rather be able to take care of by himself. Naoto was already helping out a lot, but some things he wanted to surprise her with.

Renting a large enough car or bus was one of those things that he was better suited for handling. After all, he was the only one old enough to rent one. He rented it from the eighteenth of August to the twenty fourth. It would give them plenty of time to get where they were going and then have time to return.

Sure, they could take a train, but Yu wanted to be able to go around Inaba a little bit more, and while Dojima would likely lend him his scooter if Yu asked, the Phantom Thieves would not be able to use scooters, and they could use the vacation he was planning as well.

Yu rotated his neck a moment, checking the spreadsheet out, making sure that everything was going to workout financially. He would let Akira help pay for the ingredients for the curry, but ultimately Akira was likely to be making for upwards of twenty people. Not only would Akira need the help buying the ingredients, he would need help making it. And while Yu didn't know the recipe, he was pretty handy in the kitchen.

But it also left him with one last thing to do.

He pulled out his new cellphone. He had already replaced it after having it broken. His second new cell phone in less than six months. He shook his head as he began to dial the number that was on his computer screen.

" _Amagi Inn, this is Yukiko, how might I help you?"_ The feminine voice came across and Yu smiled a bit at hearing one of his friends' voice in so long. She sounded bored, like she was going through the motions and not really paying attention.

"Yes, I need to reserve three rooms from the Eighteenth of August through the Twenty third. One room with three boys and a cat, the other for two girls, and the third for a couple." Yu said calmly as though he wasn't talking to one of his best friends. "The name for the reservation will be under Yu Narukami." Yu pulled the phone away from his ear.

" _Yu-kun!"_ Came the almost excited shriek from the Amagi Heiress. " _It's been too long! We heard that Naoto-kun was transferring to Shibuya but we haven't heard much from either of you."_

"Yeah, that's my bad. Some stuff has also recently come up, hence why I asked Naoto-kun to come help me with it." Yu told the girl on the other end of the phone. "And I'll be honest, some heavy shit has been happening. I'd rather not talk about it over the phone. Think you can get my bookings?" He wanted to try and direct her back to the reason that he called, at least a little bit.

Yu heard some tapping on a keyboard on the other end of the phone as Yukiko undoubtedly typed the information in. " _Three rooms, one for boys, one for girls, and a third for… Yu-kun… have you and Naoto-kun…"_

"Yukiko, I'm not going to say yes or no to that question. All I will say is that Naoto-kun and I tend to sleep in the same room." He wasn't going to tell Yukiko they slept in the same futon or that they had very thoroughly, very liberally broke in his bedroom.

Including the desk he was sitting at.

" _Right… right… Best if I leave it at that. Not my business."_ Yukiko had an inappropriate sense of humor sometimes, like with Teddie's joke glasses, but she did know when to leave something alone. " _Alright, I have everything booked. That's a lot of people though Yu-kun."_

"I promise, I'll explain everything when we're there." Yu said. The Investigation Team's Den Mother was no doubt going to ride him about it until he did, but he wanted there to be an understanding that he didn't feel comfortable talking about it over the phone and only to one party.

" _Oh everyone's going to be over the moon knowing you're coming back Yu-kun, even if it's just for the festival. I can't wait to tell them."_

"Yeah, about that, could you keep it quiet Yukiko?" He asked. He heard the silence on the other end. "I'm not avoiding anyone, I swear, I just want it to be a surprise. How often would I get a chance to surprise Nanako-chan and Uncle Ryotaro? How quiet do you think it would be if Teddie were to find out? Inaba is a small town Yukiko." It was just simple logic to Yu. How was he going to surprise everyone? All Yukiko had to do was keep quiet for a little under two months. It'd be hard, but he knew she could do it.

A sigh came through, over-exaggerated and exasperated. " _Fine. You're right. You're always right."_ She said. " _And Rise-chan would definitely be bugging Naoto-kun. So, any emergencies needing attended to, damsels needing saved?"_ Yukiko asked. " _It's been too long since we caught up."_

With Naoto in her room with the watch parts, no, there was no damsels or emergencies. Yu leaned back into his chair a little bit. "None, thankfully. Just resting today. I have exams coming up for University. How about you?" he asked.

" _Nothing here. The Inn has its busy times, its slow times. I'd still like to leave, to travel before coming back, just to have the experience. What's Shibuya like?"_

"Loud. Awful." Yu said honestly. "If it weren't for me trying to do the right thing, I'd have already been back living in Inaba. I guess that year turned me into a country boy." he said. "And Naoto-kun reprimanded me, telling me the things I could have done to already be back."

" _Oh? And what did Naoto-kun recommend?"_ Yukiko asked.

"That Uncle Ryotaro would have gladly put me up, that I wouldn't have let myself be a burden." Yu was a little curious as to what Yukiko would think about that sentiment.

" _I would say that Naoto-kun has you pegged Yu-kun."_ Ouch. That almost stung. But then Yu was getting used to the fact that, for the most part, he had been an idiot for the past year or so. But he wasn't telling Yukiko about the fact Naoto had given him a standing invitation to live at her apartment. Not when she already suspected them of having gone that next step.

"How's Kanji?" Yu decided to change the subject to something else, something he might be able to embarrass Yukiko with.

" _Kanji-kun is good. His classes have gotten larger as word gets around. No one thinks of him as a delinquent anymore."_ Yukiko sounded so proud of Kanji. " _He did eventually dye his hair back to blonde."_ She said with a giggle. " _Says he was starting to look like Yosuke-kun, and let's be honest, no one wants to do that."_

Yu laughed a bit at that, sure he was laughing at Yosuke's expense a bit, but Yosuke would have been laughing right there with him. Oh sure, his partner would be exasperated about it, but he'd have a smile on his face. "Kanji needs to stay consistent." Yu said with a chuckle. "I keep having to get a new group photo."

" _Am I to take it by the dates you scheduled that you're planning on attending the festival?"_ Yukiko asked.

"Yeah. I'll probably do the same thing I did last time, go as a big group the first day and then enjoy a more quieter second day. Only this time I'll go with Naoto-kun. No offense meant to Rise, but Naoto-kun's my girlfriend." Yu said. He said it was a happy smile on his face, closing his eyes. For just a moment, he thought about Naoto wearing a yukata. She said that she had one after all.

" _You sound happy Yu-kun."_ Yukiko said. It got Yu to focus on the other end of the conversation once more. " _The last time that we talked, it seemed like you were just going through the motions. I'm glad that, whatever is going on, that you're starting to sound like yourself again. You were always a bit reserved, a bit quiet, but I was worried the last few times we talked."_

"I'm working through some things." Yu admitted. "Let's just say that Naoto-kun being here is helping. I'd hate to think of going through all this without her." he said.

" _Can you tell me about this group that you're bringing?"_ Yukiko asked.

"Bunch of kids, but they're good people. Just some teens that Naoto-kun and I know. We'll tell you the full story when we visit. That's another surprise that I want to keep a surprise." he said amused. That Akira and his group were Persona users was going to be a nice bombshell to drop on his friends. "I'm going to let you go Yukiko, I do have a few things I need to take care of."

" _Alright Yu-kun, promise you'll call a little more often. See you soon."_

Yu said his goodbye and hung up. He pulled up his texts with Akira and quickly began to type out a message. He was sure that Akira would be surprised, but he thought the challenge would be good for the frizzy haired teenager. " **I need you to make enough curry for fifteen and a cat on the nineteenth of August."** He put his cellphone on his desk and stood up, heading for Naoto's room. He'd let that stew on Akira for a while.

Yu was in an exceptionally good mood when he knocked on Naoto's door. "It's open." Came from inside. Pushing the door open, he could see that his favorite sleuth was sitting at her desk, hunched over a magnifying glass while she worked with a set of tongs to carefully align some gears inside the watch. "Something the matter Yu-kun?" she asked, still focused on her task.

Yu went over to her and waited until she got the gear aligned. He then wrapped his arms around her shoulders when he knew the sudden movement wasn't going to mess her task up. He lightly kissed her cheek. "I just got off the phone with Yukiko. We've been penned in to stay at the Amagi Inn. I understand if you might not want to, but I did request a room intended for couples while we're there." Not that he expected them to get up to anything sexual, it was practically Yukiko's home afterall. "So, she knows we sleep in the same room, nothing else."

"I… No… No, that's fine." Naoto said after a moment. She leaned back into Yu's embrace. "I do feel a little modest about it, but… It's nothing to be ashamed of, right?" she asked.

Yu smiled a little bit. "No, no it's not." he assured her. "But I wanted you to know. I'm also planning on… well… I'm showing everything." He said with an inhale. "I'm going to tell the others what happened with Izanami, let them see what you've seen, I'm going to tell them about Kunino-Sagiri," He squeezed Naoto a bit tighter. "Our friends deserve to know why I've been so distant. Maybe I can put some demons to rest."

Naoto nodded her head and turned a bit to lean up and kiss Yu on the jaw. He enjoyed the gentle affections. "I'm sure they will be more than glad to help you put them to rest." she said. "You're going to have to spend some time with Nanako-chan, but it works out, I might take a few hours to go visit Grandpa and Yakushiji." she said.

Yu nodded his head and kissed her lips. "Well, I'm going to be heading out soon." he said. "Work calls." he said. It was a boring job, but it brought in some extra money.

"Alright, I'll be working on this. I'm hoping to have them done by the end of the week. I love you." Naoto said.

"I love you too." Yu said, smiling as he went to get ready for work.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira walked out of Shujin Academy casually. He could see Ryuji already running towards the station. He shook his head lightly. Ryuji was definitely trying to be better for the sake of his mom, Akira was glad to see the blonde getting some maturity. Thinking about Ryuji, Akira pulled his cell phone out and saw that he didn't have any new messages. Seeing as how he had a free day to himself, he thought about what he wanted to do. He put the cell phone away.

He was about to go towards the train station to head towards Central Street. He was sure he could find something to do there. If not, he could certainly go to Shinjuku and watch a movie or something. But just as he was about to make his way towards the gate, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

He watched as a girl with light auburn hair done in curls looked to be carrying a large bag of fertilizer of some kind. She was dressed in the Shujin Academy P.E. Uniform, that being a large, bulky sweat suit. And she looked to be having difficulty with the large back, not being able to see where she was going. Akira watched her footing come out from under her.

He leapt over the hedges and rushed over as quick as he could, not even being mindful of Morgana in his bag with a bunch of rattling cans. She was starting to tip forward, her eyes widening in surprise as she braced for impact. Akira made it to her just as the fertilizer spilled out of her hands and onto the ground, catching her with an arm around her waist. "Woah there!" He said. He helped right her. "You alright?"

"O-Oh, yes! Thank you very much." She said, offering a slight bow, looking to him with wide eyes that slowly returned to a normal look. She even offered a very small smile. Her speech was very formal in nature.

Akira looked to her brown eyes a bit amused. He fully expected that gratitude to wash away. "Akira Kurusu." he said, offering his hand. He saw her eyes widen again with surprise. "Yeah, I know, I'm the delinquent transfer student." He rolled his eyes at the notion a bit.

Surprisingly the girl giggled. "Haru Okumura." she said politely and returned the handshake.

Okumura… Okumura… "As in Okumura Foods?" Akira asked. He realized quickly that it was the wrong thing to say as she began to build walls and her shoulders seemed to tighten. Backpedalling a little bit, Akira was thinking quick on his feet. "I don't really care, I just saw that you were about to get hurt. Just uh, between you and me, Big Bang Burger sucks."

Haru gave another giggle that she had tried to suppress. "I'm not a fan of it either." she admitted, giving him another smile. "I apologize Kurusu-san, many tend to want to use me to get in good graces with my father. But something about your eyes… I can tell you honestly mean that when you said you don't care."

Akira nodded and he looked to the back of fertilizer. He saw why Haru had been carrying it the way she had, it had been opened already. "Here, you take this." He slipped the bag with Morgana off and passed it over to her. "And I'll grab this for you. Where are we going?" Akira hefted the fertilizer up. He was a little taller than Haru and the time doing those pull ups at home had strengthened him, he was able to carry the bag pretty easily.

"Oh, I couldn't possible ask for help." Haru said looking to set the bag down and take the fertilizer back.

"Good thing you're not asking. I'm offering." Akira said. He watched her bit her lip. "Come on, this can't be the only bag either."

Haru shook her head. "No, it's not." she said but finally succumbed to the fact that she was getting help. "We're going to the roof with it. I have permission to set up some planters up there for a small project."

Akira nodded and he shifted the bag a little bit more, making sure that he wasn't going to drop it. He turned and started to walk, hearing her coming up behind him. "So, Haru-san," Akira was going to be polite. "What year are you in?"

"I'm a third year." Haru said politely.

"So Haru-senpai actually." Akira said. As far as he was concerned, her connections were a non-factor. She was just another pretty girl that he could talk to. Nothing wrong with that at all.

"I'd prefer just Haru, thank you." Haru said as they made it up to the roof and Akira set the bag down beside the four large planters.

"Then call me Akira, please." Akira said. Akira had no idea what in the world was in the air in Shibuya that let him talk to a bunch of good looking girls, but he wasn't going to complain. And when he didn't have to focus on things for the Phantom Thieves, he was more than happy to just bask in the chance to talk to the good looking girls.

Really, how many guys got to say they talked to a what was the equivalent of an idol of championship Shogi? Or the heiress to a major corporation such as Okumura foods? Or even someone like Makoto? Then there was the fact Ann was a legitimate model. How many guys got to say they were friends with people like that?

And Akira would still like to have a chance at being a normal teenager, complete with having a girlfriend.

"Akira-kun, thank you for your assistance." Haru said politely, even offering another slight bow.

He smiled at the overly polite girl. "It's nothing." He assured her. "How many more bags do you have?" She seemed surprised at his statement. "I mean, you got four planters up here, you can't possibly use a single bag of fertilizer for all four planters, right? How many more bags are we carrying up?"

"Oh! I have another three bags. But I can get them." She assured Akira. "They're not open and so I can carry them a bit easier. I used that bag to on some of the hedges around the school recently and I had to carry it to make sure I didn't spill it."

Akira shook his head. "Haru-chan," He was surprised at how she seemed to brighten at the spur of the moment use of the suffix. "I want to help. I don't mind getting a little dirty, and honestly, I don't have any plans for the day."

Still she seemed unsure. Probably used to doing everything on her own. Akira didn't think he could really relate. Everything he was working through, he had friends and people around him to help him with. Even the Metaverse stuff, Yu Narukami had literally been in the shoes he was in. Half bumbling and trying to find his groove.

Akira decided a different approach. "If I help you, you can get more done and maybe be able to plant some seedlings today or tomorrow if you don't have them with you today. And, if you're waiting for the other shoe to drop, maybe you can help me with some plant issues. I got a houseplant I'm giving some nutrients to, but it's still kinda… iffy." Akira reasoned.

Haru smiled a bit at the idea of the plant. "So an exchange of services rendered for some advice Akira-kun? You're quite the silver tongued rogue." she said with a pleasant giggle.

Akira shrugged his shoulders. And he realized that Haru would be an easy friend to have. Not that any of his other friends were difficult in any way, but that she was just easy to be around. She seemed to be happy just to be happy. Everyone else just had a sort of… intensity to them that Haru seemed to lack. Not that she wouldn't have something, but for just a moment it was a budding friendship simply based on being at the right place at the right time. "Come on, let's get that fertilizer." Akira said.

Together they headed back down, and together they managed to get the other bags. Akira hefted two of the bags up onto either shoulder. It definitely weighed him down, but then what was the point of doing all the pull-ups he was doing if he didn't get some strength? But Akira was impressed as Haru hefted the third bag like it was nothing and began to carry it. And they then headed back to the roof.

They passed by Makoto who seemed surprised and interested, but she didn't say anything as she made her way from the building, her student council work done for the day.

Akira set the bags down again with a slight grunt and worked the kinks out of his shoulders. "Wow Haru-chan, that's some workout."

"Yes, and thank you again." Haru said as she set her bag down by the planter. "It did let me finish up earlier than I expected." She began to pour the fertilizer into the planter, mixing it with the soil already inside.

Akira moved the other bags over to the planters and began to follow her lead, making sure large clumps were broken up. "So why a garden on the roof?" he asked.

"I'd like to grow some vegetables." Haru said cheerfully. "And the balcony at home is ill suited for it. Too many variables that I won't be able to control. I've already bought a sprinkler system so that I can regulate how much water the vegetables will get. I don't expect anything special, but I think that I produced them of my own efforts, my own labor, will make them all the more special to me."

Well color him impressed, Akira didn't expect the passion she spoke with. "Well, if you ever need help, I'd be more than happy to help out." he said.

"Can I ask a question that might come off as rude, Akira-kun?" Haru asked politely as she moved to the next planter.

"Haru-chan, you've been nothing but polite." Akira said. "By all means, just respect that I might not answer." he said.

Haru hesitated a moment. No doubt, politeness had been drilled into her from a very young age, and given her station as the Heiress to a large corporation, she probably lived a very lonely life, having to deal with people wanting either her money or to get into good graces with her father. "Do you really carry a knife?" she asked.

Akira laughed a little bit at that. That particularly rumor still hadn't died down. He went over to his bag and unzipped it. "C'mon buddy." He pulled Morgana out who scratched at his hand.

"That's for shaking the bag up so much!" Morgana said before biting him.

"Ow!" Akira set Morgana down on the ground. "Go say hi to Haru."

"She can't hear me!" Morgana said loudly.

"I carry a cat." Akira said, repeating the same words he had said to Makoto a few weeks ago. "Morgana is pissed with me though, I sort bounced him around in my bag when I rushed over to catch you." He said,

Haru seemed surprised and bent down, holding a hand out as Morgana moved over to her. She began to pet on his head. "Oooh… head scratches are the best…" Morgana said, purring.

' _Not a cat my foot.'_ Akira thought amused.

"He's soft, and adorable, aren't you Morgana-chan?" Haru scratched under his chin while she spoke. "But what about people saying they hear a clinking in your bag?" she asked.

"Coffee or tea?" Akira asked as he reached into his bag.

"Huh? Tea, I guess?" Haru responded.

He pulled out a can of tea from his bag and passed it over to her, pulling out the can of coffee. "I usually carry like six cans of drink on me at any given time. Buy them in bulk and I don't get ripped off by the vending machines, you know?" Not that Akira wouldn't pay at a vending machine if he was craving something he wasn't carrying.

Yu seemed to drink solely TaP though, something that Akira wasn't exactly fond of. But it meant Yu usually had his own supply of soda.

Haru nodded her head a moment. "Sorry to have doubted you Akira-kun." she said.

Akira waved his hand. "Relax, I get it, my reputation isn't exactly the best. But you decided to approach me like I'm a human being, I appreciate that."

"I take it your time at Shujin Academy has not been the greatest?" Haru asked, sounding saddened by that fact.

"Oh, I didn't say that. It's been great. Made some great friends." Akira said proudly. "But, I could deal without the people treating me like I'm some inhuman thing without emotions." He said with a shrug. It wasn't often that he got to vent to someone. Though, he did suppose that he had a session with Yu coming up, they were almost finished working on his motorcycle. "I mean, everyone's surprised when I answer a question correctly in class. They're surprised when I have the top grade of the year. They keep spreading rumors about how I'm a bad seed or something else, then when exams come around, people start asking to borrow my notes or getting my help to study for them. I'm human, I have emotions. I have likes and dislikes."

Akira began to work the fertilizer in with the soil again. "I don't mind getting my hands dirty. I like video games. I'm awful at crane games. I can't build models to save my life." How Yu and Naoto did that was beyond Akira, especially considering he had a talent for crafting infiltration tools. "And before coming to Shibuya, I was so bad at cooking, my mom banned me from the kitchen. Now, I can make you the smoothest cup of coffee you've ever had with a wonderful batch of curry. At least, if you like your curry spicy. Still working on that."

Haru nodded her head and gently pat Morgana on the head. "I understand." she said a bit sadly. She began to work again. "You're a kind soul Akira-kun." Whether she meant it or not was never in question. Haru didn't seem like the sort to lie, so Akira accepted the compliment easily.

"You're easy to talk to Haru-chan." Akira said. "You're like Yu. Man doesn't seem to be phased by any rant or rave I have."

"You know Narukami-senpai?" Haru asked.

Akira blinked a moment before he forgot that everyone else shared a school year with Yu. "I mean, yeah, but how did you know I was talking about him?"

"How many people do you know have the name Yu?" Haru asked, pointing out the obvious. "Besides, Narukami-senpai fits your description pretty well. He seemed intense, but the sort that won't be surprised by anything."

Intense definitely fit Yu sometimes. "Huh… never thought about it like that. But yeah, I know Yu." he said.

Haru smiled a bit. "I… I had a bit of a crush on him when he came though. He was a bit reserved, but willing to help out like you are."

Akira frowned a moment as he considered how to break it to Haru. "I hate being the bearer of bad news, but Yu Narukami has a girlfriend, a very possessive one at that." Akira didn't think that Naoto was the type to fly off the handle, but he could tell that she was definitely very much interested in keeping Yu as her boyfriend.

While he might not have immediately recognized the couple as having had sex, he was capable of picking up on other subtle tells.

"Oh! I wasn't expecting anything." Haru said and waved her hands a bit. "It was just a silly school girl crush. It's honestly a little embarrassing to mention, but you are surprisingly easy to talk to as well." Haru said. "And refreshing. I don't feel like I have to pick apart double meanings."

Akira nodded. "Hey, can I get your contact information?" He asked politely. "This way, when you want to set up that sprinkler system, you can just shoot me a text." he said.

Haru looked surprised. "Oh! Yes, of course." She said. She patted at her gym uniform before she found her phone, pulling it out. For a moment, Akira expected something fancy, top of the line. What he wasn't expecting was for Haru to pull out an older model smartphone complete with a cracked screen, scuffed back, and even chipped frame. The phone had seen some wear and tear. "Huh… I thought I deleted this creepy app. Really, I don't need a second navigation app." She very clearly deleted it.

Akira's blood froze at that. Haru had the Metanav? He glanced at Morgana who would have seen it. The cat's eyes looked almost wide, looking to Akira. Oh no… That was… Was Haru their Black Masked Persona user?

No… No… She couldn't be. She just deleted the app. Said she had deleted it again. If she was the Black Mask, she'd know the value of the App and would keep it. Probably had even heard Morgana talking the entire time.

When she rattled off her contact information, Akira got his phone out and quickly put it in. He then gave Haru his contact information. Well… Shit. This was going to have to be brought up at the next meeting with the Phantom Thieves. And while he was tempted to call a meeting that day, he knew that he really couldn't. It was getting late and he needed to get home.

They headed down the stairs together and Haru gathered her bag from the shoe lockers. She headed out the front towards a limousine parked out there. Akira seemed quite surprised. But she turned and offered a bright smile and a wave. "See you around Akira-kun!"

Akira offered a wave. "Have a good night Haru-chan." he said, and then she was gone.

"So… she has the MetaNav." Morgana said, sticking his head out from the bag.

"Yeah… I'm going to need time to unpack that. We'll tell the others tomorrow." Akira said. He began to head for the train station. His phone buzzed while he was on the train, but as tight as it was, he couldn't really reach for his phone to check the text.

He stepped off for Yongen-Jaya and pulled his phone out. He opened Yu's text and paused. He stared at it for a while. "Oh you have got to be…"

Akira dashed the short distance to Le Blanc and yanked the door open. The bell overhead jingled loudly as he moved inside. "Boss! I got a problem!" Akira was thankful for the fact that Le Blanc was empty. "I need to cook for almost twenty people!"

Sojiro arched an eyebrow at him, puffing a cigarette. "Good for you." he said. "How's that a problem?" he asked.

Akira grimaced. "I have until the eighteenth of August to get the recipe right. I need to get the recipe right." Sojiro had corrupted Akira with his curry. "I'm not that good yet. Everything still comes out spicy." Not a necessarily bad thing if someone likes spicy curry.

"So make them spicy curry." Sojiro said. "There's nothing wrong with curry with a kick."

Akira shook his head. He hated to play the trump card, but he knew Sojiro prided himself on curry. And knowing the story behind the recipe that Sojiro used, Akira could understand. "Boss, I _need_ to get the recipe right." he said more firmly. "Yu told me that when his friends tried to cook curry, it got labeled as Mystery Weapon X." He watched Sojiro's eyes turn sharp. "They put Mocha into the curry. It was apparently crunchy and slimey at the same time."

Sojiro took a long, hard drag of his cigarette before he put it out. He blew out the smoke in his lungs. "Then grab your apron. We have a lot of work to do. Any night the shop is empty, you are mine to whip into shape. I'm not accepting anything less than perfection anymore."

Akira steeled his nerves. The look in Sojiro's eyes seemed dangerous. But he was determined to make the best damned curry those friends of Yu's had ever had. It was going to be a rough night for him.

 _Take Your Time_

It was no stretch of the imagination by that point that Makoto was sort of the brains of the operation. Yu and Akira were definitely smart in their own right, and capable of leading. But they were both 'on the fly' sort of strategists. They took the information available to them and made a snap decision. It was a good trait to have, but longer term strategies were not their forte. Naoto and Yusuke were similar. They were the de facto second in commands. If Yu went down and Naoto snapped something off for Akira, Akira would listen. If Akira went down and Yusuke snapped something for for the Phantom Thieves, they listened. They didn't quite have that certain something that Yu and Akira did to make them leaders, but everyone knew they could count on them.

Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana all played their part as well. Ryuji and Ann were supporting pillars to the entire team. Ann was bubbly and friendly, and eager to help everyone. Ryuji, while brash, had a good heart to him. He had a strong sense of right and wrong, and sometimes he could either be grandiose in his desires, others he was grounding the entire team. It was certainly different from when Makoto had first joined. Ryuji seemed to have matured at least some. And Morgana was without a doubt important. While sometimes they treated him like a mascot, he was the ambition of the team. He pushed them for bigger, for more. Akira was fine not caring one whit about Mishima's website, but Morgana wanted to see the praise the Phantom Thieves were getting because it was their current conjecture that Morgana's missing memories were deeper in Mementos, and depending on how well known the Phantom Thieves were would allow them to go deeper.

To that extent, the team wasn't perfect.

Because of the difference in power, Yu was a very much hands off sort of leader and mentor figure for Akira. He had the most experience with Persona and Shadows so it was only natural that Akira would look to him for advice. But instead, Yu let Akira make his own decisions. Not a necessarily bad thing, but when Akira was doing some things on his own, it left Akira to take the flak for doing so whereas Yu could have warned Akira against doing so. But Yu treated it all as a learning experience for Akira.

Akira, through either a need to prove that he was a capable leader or an inherent desire to do everything on his own, tended to shoulder burdens that everyone would be willing to help with. Because of that, combined with his need to help people, Akira tended to skirt around the rules and take calculated risks. While they all agreed that they would help Futaba Sakura, there was still the issue that he had been pretty much putting them all at risk by talking to her.

Naoto was… intelligent. While not normally a bad thing, she had difficulty getting the point across in a way that would come across as friendly. She knew what she was talking about inside and out but sometimes she had difficulty simplifying the material for the lesser educated among them. Makoto had even seen Akira looking a bit confused by what she would say from time to time.

Yusuke was, while a strong and steady pillar, a bit scatterbrained at times. He thought with an artists' mindset at some of the worst of times. It gave him a bit of an interesting duality between being a reliable member of the Phantom Thieves and being a bit of a liability. Thankfully, to his benefit, Yusuke was able to shut that part of his mind off when encountering enemies.

Ann was bubbly and friendly, but thinking was definitely not her strongest suit. The fiasco that she had heard happened with Yusuke was proof of that. There was nothing that could be done there, but they had to make sure that Ann didn't cause more problems in the future. They didn't think she would, but it was still something to watch for. It was an issue that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because Ann's strength came from her ability to just feel.

Ryuji was by far the worst of the team to an extent. While he was getting more mature, he was also antagonistic still. He butt heads with everyone except for Yu and Akira. He was brash, he was loud, he held more ambitions than anyone of the team. While he was wanting to help people, to truly help people, Ryuji would also gladly accept acclaim for their efforts.

Morgana was also a bit of a problem child. It seemed he'd antagonize Ryuji the most, purposefully setting the blonde off so that he'd explode. There was no mistaking Morgana's usefulness, but his ambition because of his lack of memories was concerning. Makoto was worried that at some point, Morgana would push them to do something that they as a team were either not prepared for or didn't agree on.

And then there was herself. She wasn't exempt from her own musings either. She had a bit of an overbearing and even controlling personality. It was a double edged sword. It made her a brilliant tactician, able to make plans and such, but it also made her a bit difficult to work with sometimes. Thankfully, Akira seemed to take a shine to her regardless and put her in the main group, and Yusuke was able to handle her overbearing personality with minimal issues.

And for Makoto, it was her job to take these people with their skills and their flaws, the information on their current tasks and targets, and then proceed to hash out a usable plan for it all. It was easier said than done, especially with her current responsibilities to real life. She still wanted to get into a good college, but this time for her own ends instead of the reasons of it being expected of her. She had reaffirmed herself as Student Council President and pushed herself to be better than she had for the benefit of everyone at Shujin Academy.

Makoto mulled over everything that she had been told. Akira had brought up the fact that Haru Okumura had the MetaNav app appearing on her phone, consistently deleting it as well. He was not of the opinion that she was the Black Mask Persona User that they had been told about by Madarame. She sipped the cup of coffee that Yu had prepared, taking a moment to just think. They had Futaba Sakura to help out, they had already agreed that since she had a full blown Palace, that she should be marked as a priority target.

And they also had exams coming up, something she would be pushing for everyone to participate in and work to pass together.

She set her mug down a moment. The easiest method would be to have Yu and Naoto take point again and clear out Futaba's Palace. But that wasn't going to fix the problems either. If they continued to rely on the duo in such a manner, then they wouldn't get stronger and they already needed to train up in Mementos to cover for the lack of experience they had gotten in Kaneshiro's Palace. And Makoto wasn't pleased at the idea of continuing to rely on the pair in such a manner.

They could potentially split up once more, one group dealing with the Futaba issue while another dealt with the Haru issue. Morgana and Akira seemed to want to recruit Haru to their side, another Persona user would certainly be a boon. Makoto abstained from that conversation because of how she was recruited. Yusuke was worried that Akira might be seeing it less as a democracy and tried to dissuade from such an action. The others seemed to be mostly split, with Yu even thinking that it might eventually be inevitable.

They had to come to a consensus. Makoto drank a bit more of her coffee. "Yusuke-kun," she said politely, getting the attention of the artist. "I understand your concern that Akira-kun might be taking more risks than is strictly necessary." Yusuke was the major proponent of not bringing Haru in, at least at the moment. "However, that he brought it forward to the group instead of recruiting her in a similar manner to the way he recruited me speaks that he still understands the risks involved. Plus, there is no guarantee that Okumura-san won't activate the MetaNav on her own some time because she is curious." She didn't need to look at the others to know they they thought it would likely be a disaster should that happen.

Yusuke looked surprised, as though he had not thought of that option. But then again, that was why Makoto was the strategist. She was to think of all possible outcomes and try to plan for the best one. She couldn't always do so, but there were times when she could come up with a potentially problematic scenario. And Haru activating the Metanav was definitely problematic.

Naoto spoke up. "As someone who tried to act as bait for a killer, being in the Metaverse, or similar to it, without a Persona for a long period of time is not a good idea." She said. 'It is a very draining experience. I slept for almost three days, waking only to drink water or use the bathroom with how exhausted I was. And that was with Yu-senpai and the others finding me in time, which I am told my Shadow's base did not make it the easiest of times."

"And we wouldn't know Okumura-san is missing until long after the time to help her has passed." Yu said quietly. No doubt he was thinking about the early deaths in Inaba and how his friends might have passed if they hadn't been able to find out they were missing.

Yusuke eventually nodded his head. "I understand. I did not mean to come off as uncaring of the situation, but I feel this is a calculated risk we might not be better off taking. I had not considered the possibility of Okumura-san activating the Metanav herself." Yusuke looked thoughtful for a moment.

"However," Makoto began. Her mind was already working through as many variables as possible. Haru was an acquaintance of Akira's. Makoto didn't have the same class as her, though they shared the same year. If they were going to bring Haru in, it would take Akira doing so. On the same hand, they would need Akira to lead them into Futaba's Palace so that they were not relying on Yu and Naoto. It was a crutch she didn't want. "I think Futaba should still be our priority. Okumura-san can wait, at least until we get an initial scope of Futaba's Palace. We don't need to do the entire infiltration, but we need to know what we are dealing with."

"I'm agreeable to that." Akira said. He gave that half cocked grin of his. It wasn't quite the feral grin he had whenever they destroyed Shadows by attacking all out, but it was that confident grin of him being in control of a situation. Makoto wondered briefly if Akira knew what that grin did to people. She felt her heart flutter a little bit more. It reminded her that she needed to ask his help with a situation with Eiko. Akira certainly seemed to have enough charm to him.

"What are the chances that Sakura-san has one of those blocks like in Madarame's Palace?" Naoto asked from her position at the kotatsu.

Makoto began to think on the matter. "If she is as shut off as we're led to believe, then I would assume that there is a definite chance that she has a partitioned off a part of her Palace." she said. Which begged the question, how would they cross that hurdle when they got to it?

Merely going to Futaba Sakura was out of the question. If seven strangers were to simply begin encroaching on what she perceived as her safe haven, then Futaba was going to clam up even tighter. There was no way that they would get her barriers to come down. And the only one close enough to begin approaching Futaba was Akira. Which again led back to the issue of Haru and Akira being the best suited to approach her.

She pinched the bridge of her nose a moment, wondering how best to proceed. Makoto inhaled a moment and drank some more of the coffee. Occasionally, being the brains of the operations was more of a burden than anything else. But Makoto knew she was the best suited for the job. Naoto could probably do it, but she was again a bit more detached from the others in breaking down her thought process.

She began to formulate a plan. Step one would be to begin Infiltrating Futaba's Palace. They had to know what they were dealing with. Step two would come afterwards, whether it was bringing in Haru or talking to Futaba. Bringing in Haru was a sort of floating position, and could be done at anytime, but Makoto was not comfortable letting that just sit. So after talking to Futaba would come either the actual infiltration or the stealing of the treasure, based on the information that they could find inside.

From then on, it would be final exams and summer break where Makoto was hoping Akira would be able to help with her Eiko situation.

She immediately chastised herself. With the exception of exams, the rest of that could wait.

"How much supplies do we have?" Makoto asked. "There is a possibility that we may have to perform Sakura-san's entire Palace in one fell swoop as well." she said.

"Can we do that?" Ryuji asked a little worried. "I mean, last time they did, but they're… well amazin'." He was naturally pointing over to Naoto and Yu.

In response, Akira reached into his bag and drew out four containers of curry, setting them on the table. Makoto blinked at the almost casual response that Akira gave. Along with the four containers of curry came another ten thermos of coffee.

"Akira-kun, why do you have so much?" Makoto asked, almost alarmed by how prepared for Futaba's Palace Akira was.

Akira turned his head to look at Yu. There was a long, long stare from one leader to the other. "Do you want to tell them what you have got me doing?"

Yu chuckled amused. "You volunteered to make curry. You should have waited for the other shoe to drop."

Akira slumped his shoulders and let his head hang in defeat. It was the first time Makoto had ever seen anything like that. What had Yu done to elicit such a response from their leader? "I have to make curry for eighteen people." he said.

"And a cat." Yu added.

"And a cat." Akira amended. "Our Fool has us meeting his friends from Inaba in August." Akira said. "And the girls of that group can't cook."

"I resent that remark, Kurusu-san." Naoto said a little sharply.

"With the exception of Naoto-senpai." Akira amended a second time. Makoto found it quite humorous. But she also thought that it might be a bit much.

"Don't you think you should help then, Yu-senpai?" Makoto asked. If she could help unburden Akira's shoulders with the task, then she would.

"Oh no." Yu said shaking his head. "My curry doesn't even begin to compare. I thought I made good curry, a nice blend of spices and meat with ingredients, homemade roux and all." Yu shook his head. "Mine pales in comparison to Sojiro Sakura's curry. And Akira is learning how to make that curry."

"I've learned how to make that curry." Akira said. "I'm now perfecting it to Boss' standards, and that means making it a perfect blend of spices. Not spicy as mine tends to be, but legitimately perfect." Akira closed his eyes.

Makoto seemed a little surprised by the way Akira acted. It was almost like he was having… No, she wasn't going to go down that rabbit hole. If she thought about it, then her thoughts would drift to other things, and she couldn't afford to do that. "Well then, Akira-kun, since you have so much, why don't we begin our Infiltration today?" Makoto recommended.

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji sat up straighter, punching one hand into the other.

"Agreed." Yusuke said. "I am most curious as to where our target will take us now."

"I'm down!" Ann said cheerfully.

Morgana seemed to smirk, even in cat form. Makoto really didn't want to think about how strange her life had gotten that she started to learn the facial features and cues of a cat. "Let's go rob a tomb."

Chapter End

 **A/N: And we introduce stuff. I thought this would be a good stopping point before I started to dive into the events of Futaba's Palace. I'll be honest, I really, really don't look forward to writing that. A lot of emotions go into Futaba's Palace, feelings of a much darker nature, and I do need to write them.**

 **And I introduced Haru properly a little early. We'll have Noir soon enough without overshadowing Oracle.**


	17. Chapter 17: Isolation

Chapter 17: Isolation

Yu had never been all that interested in Egypt. It was neat certainly, and the lessons that Queen Tut herself, Kimiko Sofue, were certainly interesting and informative, but Yu had never really been one for the heat. And Egypt, that would be very hot. He much preferred the snow and the fun that could be brought with it. Especially since he started dating Naoto when the cold meant he'd be able to cuddle closer to her than normal under a warmed kotatsu.

So when they stepped out of Yu's house to the blazing dry heat of Futaba's Palace, covered in sand without an ounce of a breeze coming through, Yu already knew he was in for a miserable trip. He shielded his eyes with one hand, it would definitely kill any desires he previously might have had about visiting Egypt.

"Mona, you got a heading for us?" Akira asked. There was nothing but sand and sand and sand as far as the eye could see.

Morgana peered around. "I… think… it might be in that direction." Morgana pointed a paw out in the distance.

"You think?" Ryuji asked. "We need better than that."

Yu grunted. "Relax Skull." he said before Akira could get to it. He was just a little agitated. "We'd be pretty far away from Sojiro's business. It stands to reason that Mona's going to have difficulty getting a read on the treasure from this far."

"Plus side, we don't have to walk." Morgana said and quickly turned into his bus form. "I'll get us there in no time, and I have A/C!" That was the best bit of news Yu could have been given in that situation. Everyone quickly loaded up, him and Naoto in the back, Akira, Ryuji and Yusuke in the center, and then Makoto and Ann up front. Makoto started Morgana up and started to drive, cranking the air conditioner on.

Five minutes into that trip though, Yu had enough. Morgana's air conditioner didn't work for squat. "Stop! Stop the bus!" he said loudly. Makoto was quick to bring it to a stop and park. "Everyone out, change of plans. Scientist, Fox, you're with me in the center." Yu reached forward and grabbed the handle to the door to the side, yanking it open. "Joker, Skull, you're up front. Joker, you're driving since you have the most experience, Skull on standby in case he needs some extra strength. Queen, Panther, you're in back." It was a quick game of musical chairs with everyone getting into place. Yu took the center seat and instead of sitting down, he quickly stood on the seat and popped the top hatch.

"What's the plan Fool?" Akira asked, glancing back at him.

"If we're making this trip today, we're making it more bearable. Wind the windows down. Fox, you'll be a bit winded with Scientist and I, but we can take a five minute break when we get where we're going. Don't exhaust yourself and try to keep up. Joker, start driving."

Naoto shrugged off the blue dress shirt she had on to try and cool down, wearing a black chest binder on underneath as she looked at him. "What are we doing Senpai?" she asked.

"Follow my lead." Yu planted one foot on the front seat and stuck more of his torso outside of Morgana. "Joker, give it more gas." He said and soon they were moving at Morgana's top speed.

"Whatcha plannin' dude?" Ryuji spoke from inside.

Yu swiped to a different Persona and took a moment, feeling out for how fast Morgana was. He aimed just a little to the right. "Niflheim!" Loki's spell came from his hand and a jutting pillar of ice shot from the ground to the right of Morgana as they passed by. Cool crisp air rushed by Yu and he turned to the left. "Niflheim!" A second jutting tower ripped out and more cooler air rushed over Yu.

He heard Naoto and Yusuke scrambling and soon saw them poking their heads out. "Bufudyne!" Naoto declared, blasting a chunk of ice into the sand on the right.

"Bufula!" Yusuke's ice was significantly smaller, but no less helpful as they rushed by the cold air. He wasn't exactly an entirely magic oriented fighter after all.

"Conserve your energy as much as possible, let me do the heavy lifting!" Yu called down to the pair. He had Izanagi-no-Okami to fill his reserves should it come to being empty. Naoto's Yamato Sumeragi would refill her reserves over time, but that was still an over time sort of thing. Yusuke didn't even have that.

It may have seemed like an abuse of the powers of their Persona, but for Yu it made sense from a tactical standpoint. If they were too exhausted because of just the general heat to do anything, then the trip was a waste. But if he, the strongest of them all, were to expend his energy while another two helped, then the other five could be more energized and ready to go. And again, Izanagi-no-Okami would re-energize him, Yusuke could take a ten minute breather in the back with him and Naoto, and Naoto could regain her energy in that time.

And the longer they went, with Yusuke flagging first, the more Yu realized that he had made the right decision. But Yu kept going strong, sending out Loki's signature ice spell, over and over. It took almost two hours for them to arrive at the Palace, a jutting pyramid like the egyptians would have. It seemed time would definitely be playing a factor into their run against Futaba's Palace. Yu's mind worked to factor all of that in. While strategies were more Makoto's job, he could do it as well.

Everyone slowly got out of Morgana as they got to the entrance to the Pyramid. Yu noticed the appearance of the door to the Velvet Room and glanced around a bit more. While he and Naoto were not surprising, as they never changed, he was surprised to see that none of the Phantom Thieves had changed outfits yet.

"Joker, look. We're inside the Palace proper." Yu said, motioning towards the door to the Velvet Room. It was here that they had to begin to be aware of security.

"Huh…" Akira looked at his hand a moment. "Guess she doesn't see us as a threat. Let's head inside." he said. "Queen, Skull, Panther, you're with me. Mona, hang back with Fox, Fool, and Scientist. Fool, can I trust you to watch over them?" Akira asked.

Yu nodded his head and pulled his sword out, balancing it up on his shoulder a moment. "Leave it to me." he said.

The group of eight headed towards the main doors and headed inside. Yu felt relieved about the rush of cool air and he watched as Naoto slipped back on the shirt she had taken off. "Maybe because Futaba's room is air conditioned?" He heard Makoto mention.

Yu moved and scaled the steps. He looked around, seeing the long hallway leading right up. "The treasure is straight ahead Joker!" Morgana called out.

They encountered Shadow Futaba about a flight of stairs away from a large door or slab of some kind. Yu noticed that she was a younger girl, with reddish hair and glasses. She wore some dress that seemed to fit with the egyptian motif. She even had bandages wrapped around her body like she was going to be mummified. Again, a little fitting.

Things spiraled from there. Voices from around them began to hurl insults at Futaba. They called her a murderer, a freak, and worse. They blamed her for an event, and Futaba claimed the death of her mother as her fault. Yu didn't see it that way, but there was no amount of words that would let the Shadow think otherwise. The entire distortion was about her believing she should die, that Sojiro's house would be her tomb. The Phantom Thieves' clothes changed.

What came next was a run out of some action adventure movie, a huge boulder of all things dropping down onto the stairs and rolling down at them. "Run!" Yu barked out before he turned and took off running, sprinting as fast as his body would carry him.

It took out the bridge behind them as they got to a spot before the boulder fell through, sinking into the endless sand below. Yu glanced down, gritting his teeth, but the group began to move for the entrance. They would need to regroup and figure out how they were going to deal with the Futaba situation.

However, as they got to the entrance, Futaba called out to them. " **Wait!** " She said loudly. " **You wish to proceed yes?** " She asked, seemingly more calm. " **I will assist you. There is a bandit in the town not far from here. He has stolen something from me, bring it back to me and I will assist you deeper into my tomb."**

Yu motioned Akira over a moment and he leaned in. "Can we trust what she says?" He asked. Yu was all about giving others the benefit of the doubt, but she had just tried to kill them. There was only so much that he could claim as benefit of the doubt.

Akira glanced over to Futaba's Shadow a moment before he looked to Yu. "Can we afford not to?" he asked. It made Yu want to swear at the simple truth. Akira was right, they didn't have any other choice in the matter. "Still, we'll be on guard." he said.

Slowly, the group headed out into the desert. The town was a decent ways away, but nothing horrible to get to. And Akira took point with his group of Ryuji, Makoto, and Ann. Yu waited back with Naoto and the others, keeping the exit barred from the bandit running around. But it looked like Akira was herding the bandit somewhere.

When Akira came back, his group looked a bit more ragged than Yu expected. But then, they were moving onto more difficult, more dangerous emotions. It was no surprise that the Shadows here took that sort of danger to them. Yu went up and cast a Mediarahan on the group, healing them up in short order.

"Thanks. The bandit apparently stole a map to the Tomb." Akira said, holding the map out to Yu.

Taking it, the silver haired adult looked it over, frowning. Why would Futaba's Shadow need this? There was a lot going on and he didn't have enough information to make an educated guess. He passed it back over to Akira. He was leading the charge, he'd need it more than Yu did.

And so they took Morgana back to the entrance of the Pyramid.

Naoto stepped up beside Yu as they followed Akira in. "I don't like this Senpai." she said.

So Yu wasn't the only one. He nodded his head. "Joker!" he called out. The dark haired teen turned to look back at him. "What's plan B?" he asked.

Akira frowned a bit and turned to look at the entrance. "To be honest, I don't have one." he said. "And I don't like the situation either. We're basically playing into her hand."

"Do we have any other choice?" Makoto asked, wincing a bit. "Even if she's not waiting for us, all the other doors we saw were blocked."

"Is it possible that they correlate with a real world door?" Yu asked.

Morgana shook his head. "I don't think so. There's nothing that might match with the real world there."

"What do you mean Mona?" Yu asked turning to look at the cat.

"The doors, unless she's from some sort of futuristic sci-fi lab from some cheesy movie Joker likes to watch, they don't appear as actual doors. Yeah, the doors in Madarame's Palace were huge, but they still looked like actual doors." Morgana said.

Akira looked at Yu, as though offering some form of silent apology before he headed upwards and inside.

Yu sighed but he began to follow the others, Naoto stepping alongside him. "I still don't like this." Naoto spoke, clutching the gun in her hand. "It feels like Adachi all over again. We were running around to his whims, now we're running to Futaba's?" she mentioned a little quietly.

Yu nodded his head. "I know." he said. "We'll just have to be careful." It was the best idea that he could offer, and honestly, it wasn't a particularly good one either.

Yu stood back while Akira attempted to offer the map to Futaba. But she claimed it was theirs now, all they had to do was go a little further in and then… Yu blinked as Futaba's Shadow disappeared, just as the floor split open beneath them and they began to plummet.

"God damnit!" Ryuji shouted before darkness took them.

Yu's eyes slowly opened to find himself back home. He blinked a moment and sat up. "What the-?" He glanced about his room, finding not a trace of anything that was from his trip to Inaba. Nothing. No pictures, no coffee mug, no models, nothing.

He got up from his futon, noticing a distinct lack of Naoto as well. "Naoto?" he called out. He moved out of his bedroom and opened the door to the guest bedroom. "Naoto?" he called out again. His heart sank in his chest at what he ended up seeing.

The guest bedroom was empty. It was devoid of anything that would have said that Naoto Shirogane had been living there.

Yu stepped back a moment, closing his eyes. He… remembered the others. It was foggy though. He reached up, pressing a palm to his eye a moment as pain ripped through his head. He could remember a phone call.

Kanji had… died?

Yu grunted in pain in his head. No, Kanji hadn't died. The Investigation Teams efforts weren't for nothing. And they hadn't split up. Yu felt something inside of him calling out. He knew what this was. He had experienced something similar. Someone was trying to make him succumb to his deepest fears.

" _ **I am Thou, Thou art I."**_ The contract. Izanagi. Izanami. His bonds. Yu forced himself to remember. He had a permanent reminder etched into his back about the strength of his bonds.

"IZANAGI-NO-OKAMI!" Yu roared the name of his Persona, shattering the illusion that Futaba had put his mind in. Power swelled through him. "I will not be fooled by falsehoods any longer!" Yu shouted. Already, he could see the cracks forming in the illusion his body was in. His sword appeared in his hand, as though he had always been holding it.

Yu had dealt with this with Mitsuo Kubo. He was not going to fall for it again. Not when he was finally releasing the clutches of those demons that fed on his fears of loneliness.

The illusion shattered completely and Yu found himself in a tight, dark space. He braced his arms and legs, trying the walls, the back, the front. He felt the front moving and changed his arms to brace against it as well.

How dare Futaba try and make him succumb to his fears like that? Yu refused to believe that his friends, his loved ones, would ever give up on him any longer. How dare she treat what they went through like it had been for nothing? Without Kanji's help, Yu doubted the Investigation Team would have made it as far as they had.

Yu pushed with arms and legs until he could see the light peeking through from the crack and he pushed more, sliding the heavy stone lid off the sarcophagus that he had been put into. He climbed out and grabbed his sword that had been placed inside with him. Yu might have been alone at that moment, but he wasn't going to succumb to his fears. Not after he had Naoto back in his life. He was pissed though.

And anything standing between him and Naoto would suffer the consequences.

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto slipped the hammer into her tool belt and adjusted her hat a moment so that it sat on her head a bit tighter. She then moved over to the large oak that was in the backyard of her family's estate. She wondered how many times her father had told her to not climb it. But it wasn't like he was there at the moment to stop her, off serving another case. A small smile graced her lips, pride in her parents' profession as well as her grandfather's.

She picked up the rope on the ground and gave it a quick spin before she tossed it up into the tree as high as she could get it to go. The metal weight she tied at the end caught around a branch and wrapped around, hanging there dangling.

Naoto glanced up to the boughs of the trees, excitement rippling through her form. She had been working on this little project for a while now. She bent down and made sure the laces of her boots were tight so that she wouldn't slip before she went to the tree and began to climb. She had already nailed a few boards into the trunk of the tree to let her shorter frame get up to the lowest branch she could. She then pulled herself up

She sat down on the branch that she had tossed the rope over and grabbed it, beginning to pull the other end up. It was a lot heavier since it carried about six large wooden boards with rope looped around them, but Naoto was strong for her age and was able to pull them up. But when she got the boards up, she tied them around the branch so they wouldn't fall or spill out before she untied the first one from the almost chain of rope she had tied around the boards, pulling it up with her. The board was almost as long as she was tall making it difficult to handle from her sitting position.

But she managed and stood up, taking some rope from her tool belt and tying it around her waist and the board as well before she started to climb a little higher into the boughs of the tree. Saying she was building a treehouse was completely wrong. A tree house was with walls, a ceiling. Naoto just wanted to put some boards down in the tree's branches to create a platform.

It took a bit of work to fit the board between two thicker branches high enough that she could get under it. She had spent all of her allowance for the month on the project, buying everything from the nails to the boards to rope to the metal brackets that she was working with. Yakushiji had been kind enough to take her to the hardware store to buy them.

Her work took the better part of the afternoon.

"Naoto!" Naoto smiled at hearing her mother calling for her.

"Up here Mom!" she called down from the tree. She headed down the branches with practiced ease to the lowest branch. She moved to hang upside down from her legs, swinging down to face the back door, a hand moving out to keep her cap on the top of her head as the hammer and box of nails came spilling out of the work belt.

Naoto thought her mother quite pretty with her long blue hair drawn back into a simple braid that tended to hang over one shoulder. There was no makeup on the face of Rin Shirogane. She had angular features and almost steel colored eyes of bluish gray. She was dressed in a nice gray pantsuit, a muted colored for professionalism. Though Naoto had seen her mother wear a sundress a time or two on a lazy sunday, Rin Shirogane was definitely the reason for Naoto's more tomboyish nature.

Naoto's mother seemed amused, even suppressing a small giggle that came out. "You know your father will have a fit when he sees you're playing in the tree. Again." She said, trying to sound stern. And failing spectacularly.

Naoto smiled brightly. "I made it safer!" she said cheerfully as she swung around and dropped the distance to the ground, landing with a slight thud and in a slight crouch. She motioned towards the impromptu ladder that led up into the thicker boughs where Naoto felt comfortable climbing around. "And I put a platform up towards where it starts thinning out!" Naoto felt excited, like she could tell her mother anything.

Her mother smiled at her excitement. "Go get cleaned up for dinner." She said. "I'm making mentaiko pasta."

Naoto's eyes widened and she felt her stomach grumble. "Yes!" she she pumped her arm. One of her favorites! She raced inside, almost plowing into her dad. "Getting cleaned up for supper!" she said, spinning around the man. She barely caught a glimpse of his short black hair or the similar eyes that were a few shades more towards gray from his mother's. He was dressed more casually than her mother, a gray button down shirt with a pair of black slacks.

Kosuke Shirogane chuckled after her. "Don't forget to clean up your work outside!" he called after her.

"Yes Dad!" She didn't bother to question how he knew she had a mess outside to clean up. He was the best detective ever. Of course he knew. Nothing could take the smile off of Naoto's face.

Naoto watched her grandfather come home. It was late at night. There was a stoop to his shoulders, a pair etched on his face. She stepped towards him. "Grandpa?" she asked with no small sense of trepidation on that late September night.

Takashi Shirogane seemed a bit surprised, with his salt and peppered hair. He clearly had been coming home from work, dressed in a brown suit as he was. He moved towards Naoto and stooped down to her level, before wrapping his arms around her tightly. Belatedly, Naoto realized that her grandfather was shaking with crying.

"You're scaring me Grandpa, where's Mom and Dad?" Naoto felt her voice breaking.

Her grandfather shook his head. "They didn't make it." he whispered. The words cut to Naoto's heart. "They… they were on their way home from working a case and they were hit. They didn't make it Naoto. I'm so, so sorry." He squeezed her tighter.

Naoto pushed from her grandfather. She knew it wasn't his fault. Some part of her mind knew he was hurting too. But Naoto couldn't help the pain that lanced her heart. She ran outside, climbing the tree with an almost practiced ease, going to the platform she built. There, she broke down where she felt safe and sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself.

"No!" she shouted, trying in vain to deny the truth of the situation. She pounded her fists against the wooden platform, as though she could do something, anything to try and stop the pain in her heart.

"This is Naoto-kun, the successor to the Shirogane Line of Detectives." Grandfather sounded proud of her, and Naoto offered a slight bow to the detective that she'd be working with as part of her work. It had been her decision to be considered male, even by her grandfather while at work. "I know he's young, but he's got a sharper mind than this old man." He said with a mild chuckle.

The detective leaned in, and Naoto thought she could smell the slightest, faintest hints of alcohol on the man. Instead, she did smell the overwhelming smell of cologne. She fought the urge to gag, even as she looked up at the height difference. When she was older, it'd be less pronounced. "How about a little test then?" he asked.

"I am perfectly fine with that," Naoto glanced at the name plaque on his desk. "Saito-san." she said politely, trying to make her voice sound a little deeper so that she might pass as an eleven year old boy rather than an eleven year old girl.

The man seemed to frown at her, as though he already didn't like her. It was to be expected. "A man and woman are at a restaurant for about an hour. In that time period, the man and woman drink a total of four glasses of water with ice. When asked, the staff say that three of them belonged to the woman and she'd drink them rapidly. The man ends up dead, coroner's report says the cause is poison in lethal doses. The glasses were tested for poison and all four came back positive. The woman's bloodstream comes back negative. How'd she do it?"

Naoto listened to the whole thing. There were a number of holes in the scenario that she could point out to Detective Saito, but she decided not to. Instead, she focused on the facts that were offered. It was a thinking exercise designed to test a potential candidate's ability to think outside the box and put everything together in a coherent manner. So she thought on what was said. All the facts were there, it was up to her to figure it out. And nothing but a flawless answer would satisfy Detective Saito who was no doubt judgemental about what seemed to be an eleven year old boy coming to help on cases under the Shirogane name.

"The ice." Naoto said after thinking on it a little while longer. "A small pocket of the poison in question slipped into the individual ice cubes, and then included into the water. The woman drank her water rapidly, giving the ice little time to melt, so the surrounding ice didn't release the pocket of poison. Whereas the man undoubtedly took his time with his, letting the ice melt and the poison to release into the water. Which would also mean the woman has an accomplice in the kitchens of the restaurant that could ensure that their table got the poisoned ice."

Detective Saito sat back with a bit of annoyed grunt. "Yeah. Alright, you pass. I don't like it, but if your grandfather says you're ready, I'll take his word for it. We'll get you started on something today."

Naoto watched as Mitsuo Kubo was taken into custody. A hand was on her hip as she watched him being led towards an interrogation room by Dojima. They had done it. They had caught the culprit behind the Inaba murders. And by catching a murder, Naoto had proven herself as the successor to the Shirogane name. Proven herself worthy of it. She could go home with her head held high

But then… Why did…

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. It was wrong! Inaba had been a time of fear, a time of danger. Naoto ripped herself away from the scene of Dojima and Adachi putting Mitsuo in a cell. Inaba had been the first time that she had felt happiness since her parents passed, the first time since she could claim to have friends outside of Yakushiji and her grandfather. She had been able to be honest with herself for the first time in so long.

And she had even found love!

"Yamato Sumeragi!" Naoto shouted, reaching deep within herself. She watched the false world shatter around her, scattering into shadows. She would never forget Yu. Never. Their love was such a strong thing, and she refused to ever imagine a world without him anymore. Not after the intimacy that they had shared.

Naoto found herself in the darkness, and she reached out, pressing her hands on either side. A closed box? Then likely a sarcophagus to go with Futaba's theme of an Egyptian Tomb. Naoto brought her legs up to her chest as best she could in the cramped space. She brought her hands out in front of her. Based on her position, she would be laying down.

She pushed with her legs and arms, feeling the weight of the heavy stone lid. "Move damn you!" she said loudly as she pushed with all her strength. She had always been strong for her size, but she was still a slender and short girl. But the lid moved a bit and she used her legs to push it to the side, letting stale air in. She grabbed the edge the small gap made and began to slide it open more, using that slenderness to wiggle herself out of the damned thing.

She patted herself down, making sure she had her revolver and her pack. She then reached into the sarcophagus to grab her cap, jamming it onto her head. She may have lived a life of loneliness, but it was better now. She had friends, and a loving boyfriend.

And she was quite angry that Futaba would try and make her live through it all again. She drew her revolver and began to walk with a purpose to find her way out of the chamber she was in.

 _Take Your Time_

"Arsene!" Akira bolted upright from his bed at home, hand reaching up to pull at a mask that wasn't there. He blinked a moment and brought his hand down. He looked at his clothes, noting them to be the pajamas he usually wore to sleep. But he wasn't in the dusty attic of Le Blanc.

"Akira, you'll be late if you don't get up soon!" Akira turned his head to look at the door to his bedroom at the sound of his mother's sharp voice.

.Akira blinked a moment and grabbed his head a moment. There was… He had a few more days of school left for his freshman year. What had been with that dream then? Was… it real? He lifted his shirt, glancing at the abdomen area. He traced his fingers along his side and abdomen. Nothing, no scars. He slumped his shoulders a moment. It had felt so real though…

He groaned a bit and moved to stand up from his bed. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it into the hamper. He wasn't that surprised it wasn't real. Akira Kurusu was a nobody from a nowhere town in Japan. Just another kid with ambitious dreams of grandeur that would never be realized. Already, he was feeling things from the dream slipping away. He glanced at his calendar and frowned a moment.

It was the day after when he was charged with the assault charge.

He changed into his school uniform a little faster and headed down. He noted his mother's presence in the kitchen. "Mom, did... Did something happen last night?"

"You mean aside from raking up an assault charge with attempted rape tacked on?" His mother turned to glare at him sharply. Oh shit. Attempted rape too? But… his mother had believed him when he said he didn't do anything, that he had been trying to protect the woman. She turned back to the dishes. "I can't believe how much of a delinquent you turned out to be Akira."

"Mom I-" Akira tried to argue his case.

"Stop." His mother said sharply. "Shut up. Eat your breakfast. Go to school. Be glad I managed to convince the Principal to not expel you until such a time that the courts have said you're guilty. Really Akira, you need to learn to think about others." She wouldn't even look at him.

"Yes Ma'am." Akira decided that would be safest. He grabbed the toast from his usual spot in their small kitchen and headed out. His mother was furious. And he didn't blame her. But a rape charge? He didn't remember a rape charge. He hadn't even touched the woman.

Did he? Or was he just mixing his dream with reality?

It was bothersome that he couldn't really remember that night. It should have been branded into his mind, and yet he could only remember a few glimpses. No.. He had to believe that he wouldn't have done that. He would have tried to protect the woman, he wouldn't have tried to rape her.

It was even worse when Akira got to school. No one would speak to him, no one would let him even try to tell his side of the story. Everyone just gave him a wide berth, girls would move in groups, whispering and looking at him with fearful eyes. Even the other boys would watch him like he was going to snap and attack them. The teachers made snide remarks, but Akira just did as his mother had told him. He kept his mouth shut, and he kept his head down. And during his break, he'd look at his phone, hoping for to see the MetaNav. But ultimately, it wasn't there. It had just been a dream.

And things only got worse. His trial dragged on. The prosecutor worked to drag his name through the mud, and his defense attorney, supplied by the Prefecture as his family couldn't afford one, did little to keep his name from being dragged through the mud. About all the man was good for was for dragging the trial out.

Then came the attacks at the start of his second year of highschool. Some of the guys wanted to try and hurry his expulsion up faster, attacking him to try and get him to fight back. He just knew the Principal was looking for an excuse. And no one seemed to believe him when he kept saying that it wasn't him.

He just took the bruises and the busted noses and lips stoically after even his mother ripped into him for getting into a fight. He was alone. No one was there to help him.

It was about mid april when he first heard it as he washed the dishes after supper. The news was playing in the living room. "Suguru Kamoshida, well known as the volleyball coach of Shujin Academy and former olympic gold medalist, was taken into custody today." The news anchor said. Akira felt his ears burning. "A student, one Ann Takamaki, was found brutalized and raped just this morning. Before she fell into a coma, authorities claim she was incoherently babbling the volleyball coach's name."

Akira swallowed thickly. Ann… No. No… She… She… She hadn't been raped. It had been… he felt sick. Oh God… He ran for the bathroom, vomiting.

The rest of that night, his mother wouldn't even look at him. And he couldn't get any sleep. He kept seeing the blonde girl, dead vacant eyes in a bikini like her Shadow representation in Kamoshida's Palace. She kept asking him the same thing. "Why? Why didn't you save me Akira?" Worse was when his mind conjured the image of Kamoshida raping Ann.

It became worse when, in June, the news reported on a homicide suicide combo. The famed artist Madarame was killed by his pupil who then proceeded to commit seppuku. That night, Yusuke appeared in Akira's dreams, guts spilling out of the slit in his stomach. "Why? Why didn't you save me Akira? We put our trust in you."

The dreams didn't stop, all the way into July when a new face joined the others. Makoto Niijima was found brutalized, dying, in a club in Shibuya, choking out a name too unintelligible to make out. And her sister quit as a public prosecutor shortly after. She joined Ann and Yusuke in his dreams. She choked out blood, a broken body incapable of speaking. But he could somehow tell what she was saying anyways. "Why? Why didn't you save me Akira? Where is the justice?"

And then they came for him in his sleep, and Akira felt like he was drowning in the darkness.

 _Take Your Time_

Yusuke groaned as he pulled himself out of the sand, dragging his equipment up with him. He winced at the pain that shot through his hip, having landed awkwardly on his sword. Even if the fall had been cushioned by the sand he was dragging himself out of, it still didn't change that it had hurt.

"Ung…" He glanced over to watch Ann pulling herself out of the sand as well, shaking her head to get the sand out.

"Panther!" He went over and held a hand out. "Let me help you up."

Ryuji sat up gasping roughly for air, coughing and spitting out the sand that had gotten into his mouth. Makoto came up, gasping and hacking as well, though in a more dignified manner than Ryuji had done, moving to turn her back to them. The panicked, muffled groans allowed them to locate Morgana and help him out as well.

They gathered on the sand covered stones nearby, each breathing a little heavier, with the exception of Yusuke. He used his hilted sword, sinking it into the sand and trying to locate Akira, Yu, and Naoto to no avail before joining the others, shaking his head. "They're not there." he said. "How should we proceed?"

"Fox, take the lead." Makoto said almost immediately.

"Me?" Yusuke asked, recoiling slightly. It was not something he expected. "Why me? Why not yourself?" Makoto was far better at coming up with strategies than he was.

Makoto brushed a bit of her hair back. "Fox, you're unflappable." she said. "You'll be fine leading us, you're steady as a rock, and probably already thinking about ways to get us out of here. I'm barely managing not to have a panic attack at our friends being gone."

"Face it dude, you're the best for the job." Ryuji said, hefting his bat onto one shoulder.

Yusuke glanced to Morgana who was already nodding and Ann who gave him a smile. Inhaling, the artist hefted his rifle up against his shoulder, checking it a moment. "Very well. Priority is finding Joker, Fool, and Scientist. Secondary will be to find a way back out. Everything else can be worried about after those have been completed. Mona, focus on healing us instead of attacking. Panther, attempt to debilitate the enemy. Skull, Queen, and Myself will focus on defending us. Let's move." He did not have Joker's keen sense of direction, but Yusuke figured up would be a good direction.

And really, finding a way out was a secondary priority to finding their friends. He had a feeling that had Akira been there, then he would have come up with a similar strategy. But Akira wasn't there, and everyone was already looking to him for guidance.

Yusuke headed to the first statue that led up to a secondary platform and quickly pulled himself up to that second platform, using the statue as handholds and footholds. It did feel a little disgraceful to do so, and he was curious as to the origin of the designs of the statue, but ultimately he kept that curiosity at bay. There were just things he didn't need to think about in the situation, and sadly art was one of them.

What came next was a humbling and even touch humiliating experience in the difference of power that still resided between the Phantom Thieves and Yu Narukami and Naoto Shirogane. While the Shadows tended to fade away into dust, that did not stop there from being ichor that was expelled from attacks on their form during the battles. Yusuke had walked, with Akira, through the carnage that had been Kaneshiro's bank. Brackish ichor had been splattered all over the walls and floor as the two fought more Shadows in one go than the Phantom Thieves had fought since Yusuke had joined up. And it had just been two of them.

Every fight that Yusuke was forced into while searching for their friends was a fight that they were not ready for. The enemies hit harder, they took more damage, even seemed to shrug it off. Even with Ann debilitating their abilities, the enemies seemed to completely endure their efforts. And some battles they were forced to fight while wounded and definitely not at the best of their abilities. Morgana's healing could only take them so far and he didn't want to push the cat beyond what it could do.

And since they had to deal with traps, puzzles, and more, Yusuke knew he would need the efforts of Morgana. It was why after their first few initial encounters, Yusuke had Morgana focus more on the more serious and life threatening injuries. The more minor scratches, bruises, and even lacerations that didn't impede their progress could be taken care of when someone else arrived to help out Morgana.

They moved through a hallway when a group of Shadows came up, surrounding them. Yusuke stepped up, holding his sword in bloodied hands, looking around. He grit his teeth, prepared to try and fight through to a better advantageous situation as the one of the Shadows came slithering forward, thrusting a spear.

"Get down!" The command was said from above and with such force and intent that Yusuke didn't need to think about it. His body threw him towards the ground, slamming into it. A loud thump was heard in front of Yusuke as well as the clattering of a blade deflecting the metal tipped spear. "Hassou Tobi!" Never before had Yusuke been so happy to hear the words of the signature and destructive ability of Yu Narukami's Yoshitsune Persona.

And it was just like that that the Shadows were annihilated.

Yusuke stood up to greet the older teen that was like some angry wrathful god of vengeance and fury. Going back to the splattering of brackish ichor that came from the Shadows, they took the greatest of care to make certain it didn't splatter too heavily on them. They, the Investigation Duo and the Phantom Thieves, simply didn't know enough about what it was and what it might do to them. It seemed that, this time, while Yu was on his own, Yu had completely disregarded that. He was liberally covered in that ichor, it even dripped from his sword. He had simply stopped caring about appearance or cleaning up after each battle.

"Are you alright Fool?" Fox asked carefully.

"No. I'm pissed off." Yu said rather bluntly. "Let me help." He swiped his fingers, changing to a new Persona. "Mediarahan." And like that, Yusuke found himself able to breathe much easier, rasping in a gasp that felt much more comfortable than the past few had been. The pain in his hip went away as well.

"Thank you." Yusuke said, standing a little straighter. He reached into his pack for some green tea and started to sip it. It tasted awful coming from a can, but he was prepared to handle it.

"Is Scientist with you?" Yu asked.

'I'm afraid not. Nor is Joker." Yu said. He wasn't surprised that Yu asked first about his girlfriend. He could even see the anguish on the older teen's face a moment.

Yu nodded his head though and took a moment to grab a rag from his pack. He wiped his face with it and swiped to a different tarot card. "Then let's go find them." He said.

"The enemies here are a long stronger than we're prepared for." Makoto said, wincing slightly from the back of the group.

Yu turned and offered the entire group one of the most reassuring smiles that Yusuke had seen in a long time as he balanced the flat of his blade on his shoulder. "Then I suppose it's a good thing your backup has arrived. Sit back and just catch your breath." With that, Yu began to stalk forward blade coming down to balance at his side.

Yusuke began to move forward as well. There was urgency to Yu's steps, like a coiled spring he moved, ready to rush if he needed to, but knowing that rushing at this moment wasn't good for them. They moved with an urgency to find their friends, but they weren't sprinting and making a mad dash that would cost them precious energy.

Yusuke watched Yu pick up his pace, spinning and turning a corner, sword coming up before he paused mid-swing. The Phantom Thieves rushed to catch up, turning to see that Naoto was there, revolver drawn and almost pulling the trigger.

"Senpai" Naoto sounded relieved and almost tackled Yu as she grabbed him close. "Blech. You're filthy."

Yu shook his head. "Worry about it later." He stepped back after hugging his girlfriend. "Joker with you?" Yusuke hoped he was.

Naoto shook her head. "Nothing but dead ends behind me." she said.

Damn. Yusuke looked to the other end of the 'T' shaped corridor and began to move towards the other door as quickly as he could. They had to find Joker!

Naoto and Yu quickly moved up alongside Yusuke and took the lead from the artist, blowing through the Shadows with ruthless efficiency. Yusuke tightened his grip on his katana. The leather was slick with his drying blood, but he promised himself he wouldn't always be looking at their backs. He would walk alongside of them, even if it took weeks in Mementos by himself.

Eventually they came to a large chamber and Yu rushed forward. "Sarcophagus!" he shouted, moving towards the central sarcophagus. He brought his sword up and jammed the blade under the lid, grunting as he tried to lift it the lid off

Black shadows beneath the Sarcophagus tried to drag it down, and it seemed to have already sunk a few inches. Naoto rushed over and put her shoulder against one side of the lid and began to move it. Yusuke rushed over sensing the urgency. "Skull!" he shouted.

Together, the four managed to pry the lid up and get it to fall to the other side. Makoto had rushed over as well and reached inside as the lid came off. "Joker!" she cried as she pulled the black haired teen out and half dumped him onto the ground. The shadows beneath the sarcophagus disappeared. Makoto was pressing her hands to Akira's chest, and Yusuke thought the other boy was… still… quiet…"He's not breathing!" Makoto said, panicked. She squared her shoulders and glanced up. "Scientist, Fool, back everyone up and keep the Shadows off my back. Fox, stay close." she said.

"I can perform CPR." Naoto said quickly, about to move over.

"So can I." Makoto said quickly. "What I can't do as well as you is defend the position from Shadows. I can help Joker unless you keep the area safe."

Naoto didn't argue past that, something Yusuke was grateful for. She just reloaded her revolver and stepped towards the door.

Yusuke watched as Makoto opened his jacket and used Akira's knife to cut open the leather armor he wore. It could be replaced later. "What use am I in this situation?" He honestly asked the other girl.

"You're keeping me from panicking." She said as she placed her fingers on Akira's sternum. "Xiphoid process," She pressed along the center of the sternum and then moved her fingers upwards two finger spaces, and then four. She then balled her hand into a fist. "Count to thirty for me." She said and began to start on compressions. Yusuke didn't argue, he just began to count to thirty. He kept it at a stable pace. And when he hit thirty, Makoto opened Akira's mouth, plugged his nose and bent down to breathe air in. She motioned for him to do so again as she started compressions a second time.

It took three rounds of compressions before Akira coughed and rasped, dark eyes flying open. "We have him!" Yusuke called out. Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana came rushing over. Akira's eyes were wide and he looked panicked, but they didn't have time for them to deal with it. Yusuke bent down and grabbed Akira under the arms. "Come on Joker, we should leave."

Naoto motioned them over. "This way! I saw an exit when I was on my own." she said.

"Skull!" Yusuke shouted.

"I gotcha!" Ryuji came over and helped take Akira's weight and they both ran, half carrying half dragging their leader away.

They raced for the exit that Naoto had found. Naoto and Yu blew through the rest of the Shadows towards the exit, ripping through them with Almighty Damage and little else. They took the stairs up to the outside where Akira almost promptly collapsed.

"We need to leave." Makoto said, looking to Yu and Naoto with urgency, already pulling her phone out.

Their escape from the Metaverse went unnoticed, thankfully, as they landed in the quiet alleyway of Sojiro Sakura's house. Yu was still covered in that black ichorous material, but for the most part they all seemed alright. Except for Akira of course who was still spaced out, breathing a bit harder before Yusuke heard a choked back sob.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I failed you all." Akira mumbled the words under his breath, but Yusuke heard them, and likely Ryuji did as well.

"We should see Akira home, and then regroup in a few days after everyone has recovered." Yusuke recommended. "Come on Morgana."

"Here, everyone give me your gear." Yu said, opening his duffle bag and quickly stowing his own gear away. Everyone followed suit, handing the teen their things so that he could put them in the larger duffle.

Yusuke shouldered the burden of Akira alone. "I will get him back home." He said. "Everyone, take care until we have regrouped." He said and began to move Akira back towards Le Blanc.

As he turned the corner, he overheard Ryuji speak up. "The fuck just happened to us?" he asked, sounding angry.

"We got our collective asses kicked." Yu's words came in his usual straightforward manner. And Yusuke couldn't help but agree to them.

He glanced at Akira, who had, less than ten minutes ago, could have likely been taken for dead. If it wasn't for the timely intervention of Makoto, they could have lost one of their own. Yusuke tightened his hold on Akira's belt as he helped his leader who managed to half walk and half stumble. He was curious, certainly, about what Akira had meant when he had failed, but Yusuke knew now wasn't the time. Akira needed time to decompress about the situation.

But Yusuke felt a burning anger roiling inside of him. Not at Futaba, not at Akira, not even at the situation. No, he was angry at himself. "Do not be concerned Akira. We will save Futaba from herself. Your decision was the right one." Yusuke pushed the door open to Le Blanc, glad for once to see that there were no customers and apparently Sojiro Sakura was out. Yusuke took Akira up the stairs to his bedroom and set him on the couch. "WIll you be alright on your own?" Yusuke asked.

Akira gave a silent, solemn nod.

"He won't be alone." Morgana leapt up into Akira's lap, surprising the teen. "After all, I'll be here."

Yusuke gave a small chuckle. "Indeed. Very well Morgana, I leave our leader's care in your capable hands." He then turned to head back down the stairs. For a time, he sat down at a booth and just looked at _Sayuri._ It held no answers, or maybe it held all the answers and Yusuke just didn't know the questions to ask.

Sojiro came in, unwrapping a fresh pack of cigarettes. "Ah, Kitagawa-san, everything okay?"

Yusuke glanced over to Sojiro and offered a bit of a strained smile. "Yes, Akira was gracious enough to help me with a task that strained him more than I had considered. He's currently upstairs resting, but it was a bit of a trying time for both of us. I was just gazing at the _Sayuri_ a moment."

Sojiro definitely didn't look like he bought it. But Yusuke pushed himself to his feet and moved past Sojiro as politely as possible. He needed to get home.

And then in a few days, when they have had time to recover and regroup, they could tackle the problem of their weakness. Yusuke's hand balled into a fist as he walked. He never thought himself an arrogant man, but even he felt a burning at the humbling he had received at the difference of power he had bore witness to. Had their efforts up to that point truly been that minimal?

Yusuke Kitagawa did not have any of the answers he sought, but he would find out the truth for himself.

Chapter End

 **A/N: I first want to apologize about the lateness of this chapter. I never intended for it to come out as late as it did. But end of month at work this month was… eh… iffy. And if you work in a position like accounts receivables where you have to balance to the penny every payment that comes in, things get crazy when you have a deadline to do that. And for reference, I work in the medical field, handling insurance payments so deal with literal millions coming in every week.**

 **But I digress. Just things kept piling up and up and up and I even had a bit of writer's block for a bit and had to go back and re-write some things because things got… really dark.**

 **I wanted Akira to be the one that was hit the hardest by what happened. Yu had gone through it during his fight with Mitsuo Kubo, the anime did a real interesting take on that so I'm borrowing it. Naoto's resolve is already firm and unyielding, and so she was only mildly affected. Akira was trapped on his own though.**

 **And yes, technically Akira died. Clinically dead. Heart stopped, not breathing. He got lucky though because of a timely intervention by Makoto. And I want to make it so that a revival spell won't cure just straight death. If he was on the cusp of dying, sure, but once he was fully dead, recarm won't do a thing.**

 **I'll be trying to go back to two chapters a week next week. So be on the lookout for that.**


	18. Chapter 18: When You Hit Rock Bottom

Chapter 18: When You Hit Rock Bottom

Akira stared for a while at the cellphone in his hands. The MetaNav app on the home page was both a cruel reminder and a comfort to see. He couldn't get it out of his brain how real those days had felt, those weeks. He remembered the pains of the beatings he took, and every time he looked in the mirror, he expected to see his nose misshapen from being broken. He expected to wake up in his bed, to come down to the disappointing looks his mother sent his way.

Instead, he was back in Shibuya, halfway through his year at Shujin Academy. He had exams in a week and he had no particular care in the world to do anything. He closed his eyes.

' _Why?'_ And just as quickly his eyes snapped open as he could still see the brutalized vision of Makoto.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could see his friends in the horrible conditions that his staying in his home town would have caused. He didn't know how to determine what was real or what was fake anymore. Was he in another dream, just waiting to wake up to the fact that it was a horrible dream? Was he in reality?

He had no one he could talk to about it. It was why he was spending his time on the roof of Shujin Academy, leaning on the railing on the inside of the fencing. He didn't respond to any of the texts in his phone, friends wanting to hang out or try and make him feel better. Were they real? Was it just a dream? Was he going to see Ryuji's brutalized form next, asking him 'Why?' Or maybe he'd see Tae Takemi's or Sadayo Kawakami's body.

He pressed the palm of his hand into his eye a moment. He knew Morgana was worried, and wanted to say something, anything, but he both didn't know what could be said. Akira didn't even know if the cat was real or a figment of his imagination, some cruel trick brought up by some dream state he didn't know about.

He glanced at the ground so far below. Akira knew of a sure fire way to test things, but if things were real, there would be no second chance, no way of picking himself up. Three stories down, the wind rushing by his hair. A morbid part of Akira wondered how it would feel, those brief fleeting moments of weightlessness before the sudden, and hopefully ending, impact of his body against concrete.

He turned around and sat down, dropping his head into his hands. He thought of Iwai like that, Mishima, Haru, Chihaya, Hifumi… The bile that rose in his throat, just imagining them asking him questions of why. It told him all he needed to know.

He was a failure.

Whether it was dream or real, he was unfit to lead the Phantom Thieves. He had been riding high on the sensation for a long time, but the fact of the matter was he couldn't anymore. Too many people were counting on him and he had screwed up. He had screwed up so badly.

Akira moved his hands to his ears, his eyes screwed shut as he tried to fight the visions that were brought on.

"Akira-kun."

He could hear Sojiro's disapproving tone. Chihaya looking at him with scorn. Everyone he knew, everyone he was friends with… he could hear them all, see them all. Each of them asking him why. Each of them telling him what a failure he was.

"Akira-kun."

Hope, Justice, Truth, all of it he brought, and all of it brought ruin and damnation.

"Akira-kun!"

Akira's eyes snapped open and his head tilted up. He saw the worried look of Haru Okumura as she looked at him, bent down with her face mere centimeters away from his, her hand coming back from his shoulder where she had almost violently shook him. She was dressed in her PE sweatsuit again, clearly having come up to work on the gardens. "Haru…" he whispered softly.

"You looked to be having a fit Akira-kun." Haru said gently. She moved to sit beside him, tucking her feet up against the backs of her thighs. "Is everything okay?" she asked. "You kept muttering about being sorry."

No. Everything wasn't okay. "I'm fine." he lied softly, looking to the rooftop.

"Akira-kun, I don't know if anyone has ever told you, but you're a terrible liar." Haru said. "You could give my father a run for his money with talking smoothly, but you're actually a terrible liar. Trust me, I've been dealing with a lot of liars. Please, talk to me. I want to help."

Akira was quiet for a long time, looking down at the rooftop, his head almost between his knees. Help. She wanted to help. He didn't even know how to let her help. He didn't know what to ask or what to say in order to get help, regardless of what Haru might think.

"I…" Akira clenched his hands tight. He felt helpless, he felt like he was drowning. Everyone else hadn't succumbed to that nightmarish event. He still suffered from it. Was this reality? Was it fantasy? In one fell swoop, Joker of the Phantom Thieves had walked right into a trap that had brought him low, and he didn't know how to recover from it.

How did he go about explaining what had happened to someone that hadn't been there? Someone that wouldn't understand what was going on?

"It… it just felt so real." he whispered. He was unable to stop the words from coming out. And that was the problem. He could vividly recall the hours, the days, the weeks, the months even spent inside that vision of Hell. "I… Was it a dream? Am I dreaming now?" Akira dug his fingernails into his scalp. "The… horrible things that happened… The things I heard and saw… The pain I experienced…"

Akira just completely forgot that it was Haru there. He closed his eyes tightly again.

"That's enough!" She said sharply, snapping him out of it and touching his shoulder.

Akira turned to look at Haru a moment. She had a stern, but kind, look on her face as she looked at him. "But I- " He tried to argue his case.

"Enough, Akira-kun." she said. "You're hurting yourself over this, and it's going to hurt your friends. It hurts me to see you like this, and I'm nowhere as close to you as someone like Niijima-san." Haru squeezed his shoulder. "If this is a dream, then make it a good one. And when you wake, live your life to the fullest. If this is reality, then live your life to the fullest." She watched him, her brown eyes holding a depth to them. "You're doing nothing but hurting yourself and those around you."

"But what if I'm only going to bring pain to my friends?" Akira asked the girl.

Haru shrugged her shoulders and offered a smile. "Then make sure it's a wild ride." She frowned then as she looked at him. "As it is right now though, you're just bringing them pain. Akira-kun, you need to let go." She said.

Akira took a moment to consider Haru's words and the simplified implications that they offered. Let go, she said. Akira wasn't certain if he could let go. Would Haru begin to haunt his nightmares soon as well? Akira had so many things weighing in on his mind, he wasn't certain where to go from where he was at.

But that was his fear. If he let go, would there be anyone there to make sure he didn't fall deeper? He didn't even know if his lifeline was falling with him or not? He was descending into madness. He was unable, incapable of distinguishing reality from fiction at that moment.

His worries must have shown on his face because Haru spoke up again. "Akira-kun," she said trying to be gentle and understanding. He fully expected her to snap and verbally lash at him. He'd certainly deserve it. "I'm not as close to you as Niijima-san or Sakamoto-san or Takamaki-san." She said, still trying to be careful with her words. "But I think you're hurting them by being like this. Trust them. They're your friends. _I'm_ your friend Akira-kun." Haru said.

Akira looked to the ground. Friends. That was right. They were his friends. And not just Makoto or Ryuji or Ann. They were all his friends. But didn't that mean he would want to keep them safe? He ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of something to say or do and was coming up with nothing.

Haru patted his shoulder. "Why don't you help me tend to the vegetables?" she offered. "We don't need to talk, but it's clear you need something to take your mind off of things. And I have to admit, it would be better to talk to you than to go visit my fiance." she said.

Akira blinked a moment. Haru had a fiance? And before he could stop himself, he found himself actually looking at and seeing Haru since she had come up. He could feel that need to help people building inside of him. It was the same reason that he had helped Doctor Takemi, the same reason he'd be going into Mementos to find the shadows of the couple bothering Kawakami. "You don't like your fiance?" he asked

Haru offered an undignified snort and shook her head a moment. "All of that and you picked up on that Akira-kun?" she asked in a teasing manner. "Sadly, it was set up by my father and I have little say in the matter." She said. "And, as my father has said, love has little to do with relationships in my social standing." She shook her head again.

"That's bullshit." Akira said before he could stop the words from coming out of his mouth.

Haru nodded her head. "You're not wrong." she said. "But it is what it is." She shrugged her shoulders.

Akira frowned more at that. "Does he got a name?" he asked before he could help himself. He couldn't help it, he liked to try and fix things, to help people. It was just in his nature. Especially after what happened.

Haru offered a polite smile. "It's okay Akira-kun." She patted his shoulder and stood up, going over towards the planters to start tending to the plants within them. "You don't have to try and figure out my problems for me, I appreciate it, but it's not necessary."

Akira sighed a moment and he ran a hand over his face. Let go. That's all she said, to let go. Haru made it sound so easy, but Akira was having difficulty letting go. Make it a wild ride, she said. But that was what he was afraid of. If he made it a wild ride, then…

His mind flashed back to Yusuke laying there in Kaneshiro's Palace, a knife in his gut. He had taken a bullet to the shoulder. Ryuji had taken a bullet to the leg. Akira was waking up with more and more scars on his body, scars that weren't going to stop coming any time soon.

He sighed and stood up to help Haru out with the plants. He still didn't know what he was going to do, but the very least he could distract himself with some monotonous work. As he worked his hands in the dirt, touching upon the plant leaves to check on them and make sure they were growing properly, he glanced up towards Haru a moment.

"Haru… What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?" he asked her.

She seemed to think on it a moment, at least as far as Akira could tell. "I think they are just." she said with a hint of confidence. "I have been sorely tempted to put the name of my father, the name of my fiance on that Phantom Thieves Aficionado website." She admitted. "I do not know if they would be able to do anything about either, but I like the idea that they could. I do not know if they even would do anything about such a selfish request, but I like the idea that they would. I have examined some of the requests on that site, and have found quite a many lacking in purpose."

Akira was quiet a moment. Haru thought their work Just. Akira thought their work Just as well. But he wasn't certain if he would be able to continue with it. How could he continue with it? He frowned a bit more, looking down at the plant he was working with. Should he try to continue with it? He… He could step down, let Yusuke take leadership.

Should he invite Haru to join them one time? So many thoughts rattled through Akira's head. Haru thought what they were doing was Just. He didn't know if it was dream or Reality that he was stuck in. And he didn't know what to say or do. But he couldn't deny that Haru would make another ally.

His mind was just a jumble of thoughts he didn't know what to do with. Together, they continued on in quiet work. Haru began to hum the Big Bang Burger jingle at one point.

As Akira was leaving though, stepping down from the rooftop, Makoto spotted him and made her way over towards him. "Akira-kun, I know this is sudden, but might I ask for your help with something?" she asked.

Akira steeled himself and nodded his head. For better or for worse, he had promised to help Makoto out on something that she hadn't quite clarified on.

 _Take Your Time_

Yu Narukami waited at the subway terminal that let off at Central Street, back to a wall as he watched the subways. He was waiting for a very particular person. It was time for a talk that was long overdue. Yu should have given it when they first came back, but Akira needed a bit of time to digest things.

Akira stepped from the subway. Yu would recognize that mop of frizzy hair anywhere.

The silver haired teen stepped forward, moving over towards Akira. "Yo." He greeted casually. "Come on. We're putting the finishing touches on my bike." He said, seeing the surprise on the younger teen's face. "Naoto's working with the police right now, which leaves me some free time before tonight."

"But-" Akira started.

"No buts." Yu said. "You promised to help me out on it, and I know Akira Kurusu is not a man to go back on his word." Yu said. It might seem a little forceful to the people around them, but Yu had been in a similar situation before as Akira. He knew that Akira needed someone to talk to.

Sighing Akira nodded his head before he started to follow. "Not exactly dressed for it." he said.

"Relax, you won't be working on the innards as much this time." Yu said as he continued to lead the way towards his home. "You ready for your finals?" he asked.

Akira shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose." He said. "Not exactly something I want to think about at the moment."

"Well, tough." Yu said, glancing back at the other kid. "I've been in your shoes. Literally in more ways than one." he said. Yu watched Akira look surprised. "You weren't the only one that Futaba got." He let Akira stew on that a while, looking forward.

"How did you manage?" Akira asked quietly.

"Futaba?" Yu asked a moment. "Simple, I'd been there before and I refused to let it happen again. I know the sort of darker emotions that stuff like that brings. The pain and despair."

Akira didn't speak up again until they came to Yu's house and they got to work on the bike. It was mostly finishing touches at the moment. Akira leaned back, setting his bag down to let Morgana out. The cat didn't move from the bag, instead watching Akira. "How'd you handle it the first time?" he asked.

Yu set to work quietly as he contemplated how to answer Akira. "Mitsuo Kubo." He said. He saw Akira frown. "It's the name of the young man that killed the third victim in Inaba, Kinshiro Morooka. My homeroom teacher. He was found atop a water tower, dangling from the rails. Blunt force trauma to the occipital lobe is what killed him. But Kubo… he was… we thought, the killer. He took the blame for it and everything, but we just learned he was some attention seeking brat of a nobody that wanted all eyes on him." Yu could see how Akira was still not certain what Yu was saying.

"Anyways, kid went to turn himself in to the police, to get credit for three murders. Adachi pushed him into the TV in the interrogation room, and he popped up on the midnight channel, making it sound like he fled there to escape his pursuers. We caught up to him, pushing through an eight bit looking dungeon from some old, retro video game." Yu shook his head. "I can remember the music playing as we walked, an annoying, screeching tone over and over again." He said. "We caught up to him, he was vehemently denying his Shadow's existence, we had to fight said Shadow. At one point, I got trapped in the Shadow's spell."

Yu paused a moment, looking down to the motorcycle. He had never told this to anyone. Not even Naoto. It had been his own personal hell to bear upon his shoulders, one that he had worn. And it likely contributed to the situation he found himself in before Naoto's arrival to help. He had been so desperate that, without realizing it, he had become like what Mitsuo Kubo's Shadow had claimed him to be.

"We won." Yu said simply, not looking at Akira. "Mitsuo Kubo was taken into custody. Naoto vanished. Kanji, Yosuke, Rise, Chie, Yukiko, they all went their separate ways. We… we didn't hang out afterwards. A month, an entire month. Nanako-chan and Uncle Ryotaro, they also drifted away. I became… no one. Nothing. I couldn't summon Izanagi. I couldn't enter the TV anymore. It was like before I went to Inaba. I was no one. Nothing." Yu was quiet, even as he pulled the part from his motorcycle and replaced it. Really, it was the last part he needed to remove. "I can't even begin to explain that loneliness and the despair it brought."

Akira spoke, breaking Yu out of his reverie. "I was still home." he said. "It… started the day after I was slapped with the assault charge. But… I had to go through the entire trial. And I wasn't expelled from school until the trial was over, and it dragged on and on. And Mom… she didn't believe me. And I apparently got saddled with a rape charge too… But… then… The news played Kamoshida's arrest. He had raped a student. And that night, I dreamt of Ann. Forced to watch her being raped against her will, asking me Why… Why didn't I save her? Then it was Yusuke. Then Makoto…" Akira moved his hands to his face.

There it was. The source of Akira's current problems. The pain in his heart that wasn't going away as he had to deal with issues of the mind. "And it's difficult to determine which is truth and which is dream." Yu said calmly, watching Akira a little while longer.

"How did you handle it?" Akira asked.

Some could argue that Yu was still handling it. That the demons still had their merciless talons digging into his soul. But Yu knew that Akira was dealing with demons of his own, demons that hadn't been present before they went to deal with Futaba. "It helped that Shadow Mitsuo tried to kill me himself within the vision." Yu admitted. "Had he waited, and left me to my own devices, I likely would have attempted suicide if enough time passed. But Yosuke and Kanji dragged me out of that orb, broke it open like we threw the lid off that sarcophagus to save you. I didn't need CPR, admittedly, and that was one hell of a scare you gave us."

But Akira's reveal gave Yu more insight into Akira and the issues that he was facing. For Yu, his biggest demons would always be being alone. It terrified him to no end, thinking about a day where he wouldn't even have Naoto in his life. It was not something he even wanted to contemplate, the day where he was alone and had no one there. Though Dojima and Nanako didn't realize it, they had been a lifeline for Yu during the earliest days in Inaba.

Akira's biggest fear wasn't being alone, it was failing to save those closest to him. And it was clear that the imagery that had been produced had clearly played along those thoughts. It had shown him Ann, Yusuke, Makoto. Yu wasn't sure why Ryuji wasn't in there, but he could probably take a solid guess. Even still, Akira was going down the route that many who were afraid of failure went down. It was a route of inaction, stagnation. But even then, that could bring more pain than intended to those he was trying to keep from being hurt.

Because of Akira's biggest fear, because Futaba had shown him a possibility of what could have been, Akira was afraid to step up to the plate once more.

Akira hadn't said as much yet, but Yu had a feeling it was only a matter of time. Akira was planning on stepping down from the Phantom Thieves' leadership role. But the fact of the matter was Akira was a natural at it. The Phantom Thieves couldn't afford to have Akira step down. And while Yu knew that Naoto held reservations against helping the Phantom Thieves, Yu wasn't willing to let this end the way Akira was intending.

But he had to have a reason. "What comes next then Akira?" Yu asked carefully. Too much, and he risked the kid clamming up. Too little, he might not get any headway. "We still have work that needs done. So you ready to get back to it?" he asked.

"I… I don't know." Akira said, glancing down. But it wasn't good enough to Yu.

"You need to know Akira." Yu said. "You need to always seem like the man with the plan. Leadership sucks, I know, but you're the best one for the job." He could see Akira's form tightening up. "Success or failure rides on your shoulders."

'I didn't ask for it." Akira said, fingers tightening into fists.

"No, you didn't. That's what makes you so damned good at it." Yu said. He stood up, hand dipping down to grab the phone out of his pocket. He punched the information in for Mementos. "So Akira, what's the Phantom Thieves' next move? You have a week before exams." he said.

"I… I think I'm going to step down." Akira said, shoulders slumping. "Yusuke can lead better than I can. He can keep the others safe." Akira looked up at Yu. "You can keep the others safe." The dark haired boy looked almost hopeful, clinging to some desperate lifeline that Yu Narukami represented.

It made it all the more painful that Yu was going to have to cut that lifeline. "No." Yu said firmly.

"Why not?" Akira asked sharply. "They're your friends too!"

"Damn it Akira, I know that." Yu reached out and grabbed the white shirt of Akira's Shujin Academy uniform. "But I'm not going to coddle you all while you find your own meaning of the truth! It started as Naoto and I using your group to bring me to some semblance of the man I used to be, but you're right! You all became friends, our friends, and we don't want to see you hurt any more than you want to see them hurt." Yu was furious with Akira at that moment.

"Then lead them!" Akira shouted back at him.

Yu activated the MetaNav. The world distorted around them. When it settled, he viciously threw Akira out towards the street and stalked forward. "You need to man up Akira!" Akira was making it sound like he was already giving up, and to Yu it was unacceptable.

Akira gathered himself in the streets a bit. "Why'd you bring us here?" he asked. There was no mistaking the effect of the fact that they were within the Metaverse.

"Because I'm about ten seconds from kicking your ass and I want to be able to heal you when I'm done." Yu said in a tighter tone as he took two steps towards Akira. "I get it. I do. You're afraid of making a decision that could get one of them hurt permenantately. But damn it Akira, they want you to be leader."

"I didn't ask for that!" Akira shouted. "I don't know a thing about leadership!"

"You've been doing a damned fine job of it so far." Yu snapped. "You have everyone's unequivocal support to be a leader. Ryuji, Ann, Morgana, Yusuke, Makoto, all of them have entrusted leadership to you, now you need to man back up and accept it, there's no getting around that fact."

"They would trust you as well." Akira said stubbornly. "Your leadership, they trust you to handle things. You're better at this than I am."

Yu crossed the distance and knocked Akira with a heavy right punch. He got into a basic boxing stance, right hand up and away slightly while the left was up and protecting his jaw. While it had been many, many years since he had been in boxing at Primary school, Yu still remembered the very basics of it. So when Akira rounded on him with a sloppy punch, training kicked in and he was able to move backwards before coming back in with a strong jab.

Kendo student and practitioner he may have been, but Yu had picked up a number of talens over the years of hopping town to town. And granted, he would have been defeated by someone that more routinely practiced boxing hands down ten out of ten times, Akira was a sloppy fighter in the state he was in. He telegraphed too much and it allowed Yu to react accordingly.

Yu kept the punches coming. Stomach, stomach, kidney, jaw, cheek, turtle up and back up. Jab, hook, Akira even took a heavy uppercut. But the black haired kid kept coming.

Yu made him stumble backwards and he could see a look of anger, and pain, filling Akira's eyes. "Arsene, Eiha!" He made a motion like he was yanking at a mask and Yu took the Curse spell with only a minor stumble backwards.

Yu grit his teeth in pain and moved forwards, tackling Akira at the waist and driving him down to the concrete. He moved to straddle the teen and lashed out with a punch, though Akira moved his head out of the way, making Yu punch the concrete. The second punch landed true though, as did the third and fourth.

Akira managed to roll them over and Yu took the chance to land a couple more punches, even as Akira forwent any defense and simply attacked, driving his fists into Yu's side. It was a sloppy fight, one that any practitioner of martial arts would frown at, but Yu was relentless as he kept the attack up even as he took as many blows as he gave.

Yu shoved Akira off of him and quickly scrambled to his feet. The taste of blood on his lips and the liquid spilling from his nose told him that plenty of Akira's blows had landed true. But Akira was sporting his own busted lip and broken nose. Akira stumbled on his feet a bit and Yu took the advantage to move forward and lay Akira out with a heavy handed uppercut that sent him reeling before a left hook sent him down.

Yu breathed heavily as he stood over the downed teen. He collected a gob of spit in his mouth and spat it to the side, unsurprised by the blood tinting it. "You piss me off with your talk of giving up." He said in a lower tone. "Like you don't have options, like you can't think of what to do. It reminds me of how I was before I asked Naoto to come to Shibuya. It's like looking into a mirror. Seeing who I was, what I did. That I just gave up before trying everything.

"You hit rock bottom." Yu knew the feeling very well. "You're lying down at the bottom of the mountain flat on your back, and you don't know how to pick yourself back up. You're hurt, you're angry. And worse, it would be so damned easy to just stay there, lying at the bottom. You won't be happy with yourself, but you won't be hurt either."

Yu reached up and felt along his nose, wincing in pain as he realigned the broken part of his face. "Diaharan." he felt a wave of healing energy flow over him. He then looked to Akira was he pulled the grease stained rag from his back pocket. While not the best, it did let him wipe some of the blood off his face. "Here's the thing about hitting rock bottom. If you can muster the strength to get up, if you can muster the will to stare the mountain you just fell off of down, you only have one direction to go."

Yu stepped over to Akira and held a hand out to him. "You can only go up from here, Akira." He clasped his hand as Akira reached out for his and he hauled the younger teen up. "You might not make it as high when you end. You might make it higher. The future isn't written in stone. Yeah, the others might get hurt. Yeah, Yusuke and I might be able to lead them in your stead. But if they get hurt under our command, could you honestly forgive us? Forgive yourself?" Yu asked the dark haired teen.

Akira sighed and his shoulders slumped. 'No." he whispered softly, as though admitting a truth to himself. "But it would be so easy."

"Nothing worth doing in life is ever easy." Yu said. He reached up and realigned Akira's nose, watching the other Wild Card wince at the sharp pain. "Diaharan." He healed Akira right up. He led the other boy back towards where his bike was, even if it was only a few feet away. "I just don't want you making my mistakes." He said

Akira leaned against the wall a moment before he nodded. "Yeah. I understand." he said softly. "Can I ask you something?"

"As long as it's not about you stepping down or giving up." Yu said. Those were going to be fighting words after all.

"I'm… conflicted." Akira said and leaned his head against the wall of Yu's home. "Between two girls." He admitted.

Yu glanced to Akira a moment, giving him a look. The change of subject was almost drastic enough to give the silver haired teen whiplash. But, being in a rather enjoyable relationship of his own, he understood that Akira really didn't have many others to go to about such a thing so he carefully gestured Akira to continue.

"Makoto asked me out on a bit of a mock date to find out about the relationship her friend Eiko has with this… Host. She wants to meet this guy, and it would be a double date." Akira said. "But she made it clear I'd just be playing the part of her boyfriend and…"

"And not actually her boyfriend, which is something you would like." Yu finished simply and inhaled. Makoto was a good pick for Akira, at least to Yu. She was smart and sensible, similar to Naoto. But there were differences, not only in Makoto and Naoto but also in Akira and Yu. "And the other?"

"Haru." Akira said, his eyes closed. "I… Just… talking to her comes so easy, you know? She's nice, she's friendly. I'm honestly jealous of her fiance, and I don't know, Haru's just… down to earth you know?"

Yu inhaled deeply before giving a long, drawn out exhale. "I can't tell you anything more than you already know. You need to follow your heart on this." He said. "I can't tell you who to decide other than you will know when it happens."

"I was wondering if you might have better advice on how to tell. How did you know Naoto was it for you?" Akira asked, glancing over towards Yu.

Yu scratched his chin momentarily as he thought on Akira's question. "Naoto wasn't the only one I was interested in Inaba." He admitted. "So, I suppose I do have some insight to offer." He frowned a moment. "You'll meet her soon enough when we go to Inaba, but… it was Yukiko." Akira looked surprised at the admission, likely given the stories he had told about Yukiko. "I know, I know. About as different from Naoto as possible. But… Yukiko just had this friendliness, this determination to her that was… inspiring. But I had convinced myself that I wasn't going to get involved with anyone like that until the case was over. Everyone needed to stay focused.

"In came Naoto." Yu said and rubbed the back of his neck. "I started to work a case with her, her grandfather's assistant had, under orders from her grandfather, stolen some items of personal interest to Naoto and was spreading them around Inaba carefully with riddles being sent to Naoto. I'd help her out, we'd find an item, and we'd start talking." He remembered those days fondly. "I… I could tell Yukiko was interested in me. But… then one day, Naoto and I got to the shrine where we encountered her grandfather's assistant."

"Bet that was a surprise." Akira said.

"Heh. Yeah. I suppose so." Yu said. "I didn't know it was Yakushiji though. Naoto went to confront him and startled him. Yakushiji turned with a knife in his hand and I just… I was right in front of her in an instant. Yakushiji dropped the knife and ran, and Naoto picked it up, revealing the knife to be a toy. Damn did she tear into me. She accused me of having no faith in her, that I didn't trust her to take care of herself, not letting me get any word in edgewise." He shook his head. "She demanded an explanation for my actions. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out my feelings. They just came spilling out. I shouted that I loved her for the world to hear."

Akira frowned a bit. "That doesn't sound like it would solve anything." he said.

Yu chuckled a bit. "No, I suppose not." He said. "But… that it just came spilling out like that, I knew… I just knew Naoto was the one I should go with, that I wanted to go with." he said. "And even if she didn't feel that way for me, I wouldn't be able to go for Yukiko. Like, I knew I could be happy with Yukiko, but I just wouldn't love her the way that I would Naoto. Love is a complex thing, it can happen after just one meeting, it could be with someone you never expected but you've known your entire life. Different people, different strokes."

Yu couldn't tell Akira who to go with. He couldn't make that judgement call for Akira and have Akira be happy. If Akira wanted true happiness and to find actual love, then he would need to find it for himself. It could be Haru, it could be Makoto, it could be no one Yu knew of. But it could also be Akira would stumble and fall on that path as well, not finding someone that would bring the best of him out until later in life.

The two boys remained like that. One in quiet contemplation, the other in quiet concern. For better or for worse, Yu couldn't give Akira the answers he needed or wanted. It was up to Akira to find them,

 _Take Your Time_

Akira stepped inside of Le Blanc. It had been a day since he had gotten his ass handed to him by Yu Narukami. Yu's point had come across rather pointedly, and Akira felt like it helped. He still had uncertainty, but it was lessened, like he knew if he stumbled, the others would be there to help him and that they wouldn't hold it against him.

But there was also an issue that Akira needed to address.

He stepped up towards the counter, leaning in. "Boss, got a minute?" he asked politely.

Sojiro glanced up from the cup of coffee he was making and nodded. "Just a sec." he said as he finished it off and passed it over to the customer. Sojiro then came over towards Akira. "What's up?"

"I'd like to try and talk to Futaba if it's alright with you." Akira said.

Sojiro's jaw clenched just slightly, not that he blamed the older man. It was his daughter after all. "Don't try to force your way into her room. If she doesn't want you in, you don't try and go in. Promise me that, and I'll let you try and talk to her."

"Of course." Akira said. There was nothing to be gained from trying to break into Futaba's room.

Sojiro stared at Akira for a long time before he pulled his keys out and shifted to a house key. He then held it out. "You haven't broken my trust yet, don't break it now. First right when you go in, her room is at the end of the hall on the right."

Akira accepted the keys and nodded his head. He had no intention of breaking Sojiro's trust, so he carefully walked outside of Le Blanc and headed up the street towards Sojiro's home. Slotting the key in, he turned it and headed inside. The door was closed behind him, his shoes were taken off and tucked into the cubby while he wore a pair of slippers along the hardwood.

He followed Sojiro's instructions to Futaba's room and knocked on the door. "Futaba, I'd like to talk." Akira said. Just him. No one else. "You don't have to talk, you can just send me a message via the phone."

There was a moment's pause before the clacking of keys could be heard. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket, going to the messaging system. ' **Why are you here?'**

Akira put his back to the door and slowly slid down, sitting with his back up against it. "Cognition focused research of Wakaba Isshiki. I have an App on my phone called the MetaNav that allows us to explore the Cognitive world. Those of particularly twisted or distorted mentalities have what we've taken to calling Palaces. Including you. Futaba Sakura, Sojiro Sakura's Home, your distorted mentality is it is that of a tomb."

" **You've been inside of my cognition then."**

"Yeah, we have. We're worried with your mentality that you're going to die here. We don't want you to do something that would be…" Akira trailed off. He didn't know Futaba well enough to know if she would commit suicide or not. But the few times they had talked, and it went to her mother, she had always made it sound like it was her fault. Plus with the way her cognitive world was… "And the others are worried. With your technical skills, you could easily read the information on my phone."

" **I was figuring out a way to put that knowledge to use."** Futaba admitted.

"Thing is, even without getting to the core of your Palace where the source of your distorted mentality resides, we know that we'd get road blocked by your personality. See this here," Akira reached up and rapped a knuckle against the front of her door. "Would block us from getting deeper. Last time we went in… Well… It was a close call."

Closer for him than others given that he had actually been clinically dead. He really needed to do something for Makoto given that she had saved his life.

Again.

Still, shaking off the fact that they, a bunch of high schoolers, routinely put their lives in danger, he continued to speak. "I'm going to need you to open the door of your own free will and not hide away if you want us to steal your heart. There's another step to this process that comes later, but this initial part is something I should probably do by myself given your rather… introverted nature."

The silence that came from the room behind him was almost deafening. There was no clattering to be heard on a keyboard through the door. Futaba was quiet and not responding to the unspoken request for her to open her door. Akira had mentioned that he would need her to do so, but he hadn't yet asked her to do so. Arriving with anyone else and he knew that Futaba would have never opened the door. At least by coming by himself, there was a possibility that she would.

He strained his ears to try and hear anything. He could hear the thrum of her air conditioner, but that was about it. It was only due to Futaba's heavy handed typing at several words a minute he couldn't even begin to keep pace with that he heard the strokes of keys on her keyboard over the air conditioner.

Suddenly, he heard Futaba for the first time without the distortion that her Shadow held in her voice. "A-and this can help me?" she asked. It was a question of a scared girl that was terrified of even opening her door. But there was something else to that tone of voice, something Akira might have missed if he had been with other people. There was a tone of… Hope in her voice.

He stood up and turned to face the door. "Yeah, this can help you. Your cognition is that this door is unopenable. You need to drastically change that cognition for us to get deeper to the source of your distorted desires."

And honestly, that tone of hope was not something Akira expected to hear. But it hardened something inside of him, a resolve. If nothing else, he would help Futaba.

Slowly, the door opened to reveal a girl with bright orange hair and large rimmed glasses. She stared at him, her slender form mostly covered by the door. Slowly, it swung open more. She was dressed in a black and white striped shirt with a t-shirt over it and a pair of short shorts. She tucked her hands behind her back as though she really didn't know what to do with them. A pair of headphones hung on her ears.

Akira's first thought was that she was rather short. His second was that her room was a mess. Garbage bags filled one corner of her room, it looked like manuals were strewn all over the floor. He needed to help this girl out.

"T-there…" Futaba whispered softly. "This should help you get to the core of my cognition, right?"

Akira nodded his head and he looked to her eyes. "Thanks. And like I said, there's a second step to this process, so I'll be back."

"B-b-back?" Futaba's eyes widened and she took a half step back, ready to slam the door shut.

Akira shifted forward and planted his foot in the doorframe. "We have to make the source of your desires reveal itself. But for that to happen, it has to be properly threatened and security will shoot through the roof in your cognition. But we need to finish getting a clear path to it so there's no surprises. Relax, when I come back, you won't even have to open your door."

Futaba nodded, still looking concerned. Akira backed up, letting his foot move away from the door before he offered a wave. "I should get back before Sojiro comes looking." he said. Last thing he wanted was for Sojiro to hear things he shouldn't.

"W-wait, can you take me with?" Futaba asked.

Akira glanced over his shoulder. To an extent, they could. But… "Too dangerous. I'm sorry." he told her. "Maybe we can take you to something easier, but your cognition is dangerous. It actually cost me my life once."

Futaba's eyes widened. "I'm sorry." she said.

Akira waved it off and headed for the front door once more. While it was not something he should have come to expect, it was something he was used to. But it was like Yu had told him. He hit rock bottom and he could either lay there on his back with his stomach exposed, or he could start climbing again.

Akira was ready to climb.

Chapter End

 **A/N: I hated this chapter. I fucking hated this chapter, it fought me tooth and nail. It was only in these last few hours that I've managed to get any headway into it and it's shorter than what I wanted for my chapters.**

 **Hopefully next chapter will be better. I hope you guys understood some of what I forced Akira through. I was thinking about dragging it out a bit more, but I just couldn't.**

 **Peace.**


	19. Chapter 19: The Climb

Chapter 19: The Climb

Akira had forwent lunch in order to go to the rooftop during the brief break from learning. It was only two days since he had spoken with Futaba. It was the Thursday before their exams. They would be cutting things close and might have to put Futaba off for a week if Akira's plan went through, but he needed to have his voice heard on this matter. Perhaps it was more a matter of wanting, but he couldn't ignore something anymore.

He leaned against the railing on the rooftop and pulled his phone out. He quickly went to the group chat with everyone. Morgana hopped up onto his shoulder, curious to see what he was about to write and what the conversation was about to entail. Akira hesitated a moment before he began to type things in. " **I want to bring Haru in. Today."**

It was another Persona user, potentially, and one more friend he was putting into potential danger. But the fact of the matter was that Akira thought Haru would be a useful and easy fit. They needed someone that could make things smoother now more than ever. It wasn't that there was conflict within their group, it was more along the lines that Haru held a sense of… ease to her. She wasn't Yu Narukami who took a hands off approach to things, she wasn't Naoto Shirogane who was just too intellectual sometimes, she wasn't Makoto Niijima who was controlling and had to be put with people who wouldn't mind. Ultimately, Haru was one of the answers to all their faults.

Surprisingly enough, it was Yusuke that was the first one to respond. " **Why now?"** He wasn't saying it was a bad idea, he was clearly wondering about the timing of things. And Akira didn't blame the artist. The timing was a bit of an interesting thing. They had exams coming up.

They weren't even sure if they could finish out Futaba's Palace before exams came up.

" **I've been deliberating on it for the past two days."** Akira sent. Only Yu would know what he ended up seeing in his own personal hell. The others didn't need that burden on their shoulders. " **I've actually spoken with Futaba, in person, had her open her door and everything."**

"So that's where you went." Morgana said from his shoulder. "I thought so, but since you asked me to take a walk…"

Akira kept typing his message however. " **She's a scared girl, and hopeful for things to change. But we're the only ones that can change it for her. After the last fiasco inside Futaba's Palace, we need some additional support. Haru has the MetaNav. We need to go into Mementos anyways to get stronger, plus our four targets inside there. If Haru accepts and we take Haru in, she'll get experience fighting alongside us. And we can then continue the infiltration of Futaba's Palace."**

There was a moment's pause before Makoto's message came through. " **Those are some big 'Ifs' Akira."** She was the voice of reason, the one that could be relied upon to offer the cons of a situation. And she was right, Akira was banking on some pretty big ifs.

If Haru accepted.

If Haru went in with them.

If Haru awoke her Persona.

If Haru survive.

If they survived.

" **It's risky, I know."** Akira said. " **She could go to the cops, she could go to Principal Kobayakawa, she could decline, she could even die. So many things could happen. But we'll never know what will actually happen unless we try. And I would rather bring her in with a controlled method of us doing it than her attempting to use the MetaNav out of curiosity."**

"This is a lot of risk Akira." Morgana said from his shoulder. And why shouldn't the cat be worried? If they screwed up in the slightest, Morgana lost his best chance at finding out about his memories. But if they were successful they would have another asset for Morgana.

Not that any of them believed Morgana thought of them as assets anymore.

" **I gotta go with Akira on this."** Ryuji sent quickly. It surprised Akira. But then, the blonde boy did know when to step up to the plate from time to time. " **I don't claim to be the best at this stuff. And we're all worried about the crap that comes with this. But Akira hasn't steered us wrong yet. We got our asses kicked. Not just one of us. All of us. And if Akira thinks she can help, I say let's bring her in."**

" **Ryuji's right."** Ann came in. " **Akira has been our leader since the start. He's been there for us. He's not going to have us do something risky unless he has to."** Akira felt grateful, reading the blonde's words. He hadn't expected the level of loyalty to his leadership that he was receiving but he was getting it regardless from two of the people that had first expected him. " **I'm behind Akira 100%! He's been there for us since the beginning without being asked, it's time we're there for him.** "

A pair of claws dug into his shoulders lightly from Morgana. "See, you've got friends." He said. The cat had seen several of Akira's breakdowns. "You have people that trust you to make the right calls. Whether it's risky or not, it doesn't matter. They want you to lead them because they know you're a capable leader. _I_ know you're a capable leader. Just as long as you always inform everyone of your wants and decisions. Let us come to a consensus with as much information as possible."

Akira's attention was directed to the buzzing phone. " **Very well Akira. I seem to have forgotten a simple aspect that you do not do things lightly. I am certain Okumura-san will be an excellent fit."** Yusuke sent across. " **My apologies if I have come across as a bit confrontational regarding this matter."**

" **Bring her in Akira. Plan for the worst, but hope for the best, right?"** Makoto sent.

" **You got this."** Three words. Three words had been all that Yu had contributed to the entire conversation, but those three words had a poignancy to them that was difficult to argue.

Akira brought his fingers up to the keys. " **Anything to add Naoto?"** He decided to send, wondering if the sleuth had anything.

" **NO.** " The rather blunt and straightforward answer from the sleuth had Akira wondering if there was something he should know. It was something that he'd have to privately ask Yu about, preferably in a way that would ensure that Naoto wouldn't find out.

Regardless, Akira had confirmation that he was to try and collect Haru Okumura to join the Phantom Thieves. He inhaled a moment and opened a new chat, this time with Haru and he hesitated a moment in typing. He then turned to look at the black and white cat resting his paws on Akira's shoulder.

"What do you think Morgana?" he asked softly.

Based on the surprise that spread across the feline face of Morgana, certain muscles in the face pulling in a way that wasn't quite capable of mimicking the human gesture, Akira knew that the cat wasn't expecting the question. They had been making a lot of decisions, some without Morgana's input. And he knew they treated him rather… loosely.

But the look told Akira that he truly needed to talk with Morgana more. Even if it was just for an hour before bed. Despite the cat's best intentions of keeping him in the dark, Akira knew something was bothering the feline companion. All Akira had to do was count the number of times he was woken in the middle of the night by Morgana's thrashing.

"I wasn't against it to begin with. That hasn't changed. But I do agree there is a bit more of an inherent risk involved. Yu and Naoto came to us. Lady Ann was an accident. Yusuke was an accident. Makoto was recruited, but it was easy to tell something was wrong already." Morgana said carefully, mulling the idea over. "But Haru is different. She seems more resigned to the things that are wrong with her life unlike Makoto. I think even if we had left Makoto to her own devices and she caught onto us, she would have still joined us for one reason or another. It's difficult to tell with Haru."

Akira nodded his head. "But it's still up to you Morgana." he said. "I don't mean to be putting the pressure on you like this, but unanimous decisions are sort of how we work, remember?"

Morgana gave a low murmur of a sound. The cat seemed to lower his head and genuinely begin to think on it in earnest instead of just going with the idea. "I think… I think we should bring Haru on." he said after a moment and settling on the decision. "You're right. We're not at the level of what's going on in Futaba's Palace, so let's bring her in."

Akira nodded and looked to his phone. Still opened with the message to Haru, he began to type. " **Can I see you after school today? Got something I'd like to talk with you about."**

" **Rooftop then Akira-kun?"** The Message was quickly received and Akira replied with an affirmative

He went back down to his classroom and saw Ann glance his way, offering a smile and a nod. He returned the gesture to the blonde girl, even as he sat down behind her. While they would talk during lunch usually, she was getting asked a few questions from one of the other girls. Akira merely took out his lunch, starting to eat. He didn't have a lot of time to enjoy the flavors or the aroma of the food, merely eating it carefully so he didn't make a mess on his desk.

When school was over and his class was dismissed, Akira headed on up towards the rooftop once more. He was sure that he would make it there before Haru would. He took Morgana from the bag and set him down before he began to pace slightly. It was generally only in front of Morgana that he lost the usual confidence that he had in front of the others.

Akira Kurusu was nervous. He was concerned with all the number of variables that could possibly go wrong.

He was better than he had been after the events in Futaba's Palace. Having some sense talked into him by both Haru and Yu, with the latter literally knocking some in as well, Akira could honestly say that he was going to be a stronger leader for it. The events of the Tomb had been eye opening and he was going to take the chance to grow from it. Yes, he had fallen as Yu had so eloquently said, but it was up to Akira to decide if he wanted to lay there.

And the teenager decided he was tired of laying there.

But that didn't mean he wasn't nervous. He had come to value Haru's friendship in the brief time they had spent together. She was surprisingly open and easy to get along with. Yes there was a bit of ingrained politeness and formality, but she tried to keep herself down to earth. And it brought up the issue that he had spoken with Yu about. He clenched his hands in his hair a bit. He knew that he'd have to pick one, to ask one out or just take the easy road of not asking anyone out, but it still didn't make his current predicament any easier.

But all of that meant that Akira didn't want Haru to get hurt. It would destroy something inside of him if his friends got more permanently hurt than they could handle. They had a few close calls, but it had been nothing that he and Morgana couldn't handle. The closest they had actually been to genuinely losing someone had been Yu, and Akira's mind had scrambled to come up with a way to save the silver haired teen.

It was only thanks to Naoto and Margaret that they had been able to find him and rescue him from Naoto's Reflection.

If Haru decided she didn't want to be his friend after this, he would understand. He wouldn't necessarily like it, but he would understand where the other girl was coming from. It was always a risky thing. He had told the others that he knew of the potential outcomes and consequences and he hadn't been lying. But he had downplayed them also.

The door opened and Akira took a moment to turn while he internally composed himself. For once he was thankful for his frizzy black hair. It was a mess any way that he looked at it, he could run his hands through it as many times as he wanted and tug at it and it wouldn't really change how it looked.

It was the first time Akira had seen the summer uniform for Haru. She wore a pair of white socks, the black shoes and red and black skirt being all too familiar with most the rest of the female students. The top was a sleeveless turtleneck done in a light purple color. A ribbon was tied around her waist. Her bag hung over one shoulder. "Afternoon Akira-kun," she greeted with a kind smile. "Are you doing any better?" she asked a little hopefully.

"Much." Akira said and he inhaled a bit. He tucked his hands into his pockets as he leaned against the railing on the inside of the fencing. "But that's only a part of what I want to talk to you about." he said. He felt his stomach clench tight, like he had some fist grabbing it tight. "Haru-chan, we touched on this before, but how do you feel about the justice of the Phantom Thieves?" Akira asked. It was a safe opener he thought.

Haru seemed surprised a moment. "As I told you before, I believe they are Just." she said. "It may be an unpopular opinion especially with the faculty of the school or someone like my father, but they are Just in my eyes." Haru seemed to look at Akira a little bit, as though trying to work out what he was asking her. She was smart and her lips curled into a slight frown. The center of her brow furrowed slightly as she began to think. Akira simply waited, letting her think it through. "You're affiliated with them." she said after a moment.

Let it be known that Haru Okumura was very good at reading people. "I am." Akira said. There was no point in trying to deny it, especially since he was trying to recruit her. "And I'm reaching out to you because we believe you have the potential to join us. And honestly, we need the additional help." Akira could immediately tell Haru was eyeing him with suspicion and with guardedness. He held both hands up. "It has nothing to do with who your father is, what your last name is, or who your fiance is. We might even be able to help with your fiance."

Haru recoiled a bit, as though the idea of someone helping deal with her fiance had never crossed her mind. "You could get the Phantom Thieves to cause a change of heart in Sugimura?" she asked.

Considering he was the leader, absolutely. And he knew the others wouldn't even hesitate to help one of their own, regardless of the fact it seemed like a personal request. "There's a pretty high and fair chance of it occurring." he offered instead. "I can't offer a guarantee per say, but I doubt the Phantom Thieves would refuse a request from one of their own." he said.

"Why me?" Haru asked. She still seemed hesitant. "Why even you, Akira-kun? We're both just teenagers, just high school students." She said.

"Irrelevant to what causes potential." Akira said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "That App, the creepy eye you keep deleting and keep having come back? It's called the MetaNav. We, the Phantom Thieves that is, know how to use it. When you mentioned it the first time we met, I was quite concerned."

Haru pulled her phone out, surprised, looking at the cracked screen as she unlocked it. "This App is what determines potential?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's also dangerous, another reason we wanted to recruit you. Better that we take you along with that, than you using it yourself and risking getting hurt." Akira knew that what he was saying probably wasn't making a whole lot of sense, but he was at least trying to talk about it.

Haru looked at her phone a little while longer and tucked it away. "You want me to join?" she asked cautiously. Akira didn't necessarily blame her for that caution. She was so used to being used because of the influence of her father, she had cut herself off of many of her peers. "And no one will care about me being the Heiress to Okumura Foods?"

"We might ask you to pitch in for a celebration or two, but everyone covers those equally. The first time we celebrated, we spent twenty four thousand yen." he said. He saw the surprised look on Haru's face. Twenty four thousand yen wasn't an insignificant amount of funds. "I got out voted, or else I might have managed to get them to cut back a little. Still, it was a fancy hotel buffet and the food was very good. We were just way out of place."

Haru giggled at that. "I can imagine. I think I know the place you're talking about too. Truthfully, the food there isn't worth the price." She shook her head. "They serve a cup of coffee that's six thousand yen a cup."

Akira shook his head at that waste. "So… Haru-chan, what do you say?" He asked. "Feel like meeting the Phantom Thieves?"

Haru hesitated a little more. He could see the indecision warring on her face. The idea of doing something illegal, and shameful towards her family, clearly warred against her desire to do some justice in the world. "Just meeting them?" she asked.

"You'll also get to see what, and how, we do things." How else was Akira going to get her to awaken the potential Persona within if she didn't go with them into Mementos. "Your name won't be brought up, no one will track you to the Phantom Thieves, as far as anyone will be concerned, you're going to be studying for your exams next week. It's the excuse I'd give if you have anywhere pressing you need to be within the next few hours or so."

Haru looked surprised. "You have something planned today then?"

Akira nodded his head and gathered Morgana, slipping him into his bag. From inside the bag the cat gave a nod of his head, his tail swishing back and forth within the confines. "I'm not going to force you Haru-chan." he said. "I'm not even going to do anything to stop you from taking my name to the authorities." He'd be out of Shujin Academy in record time if she did go to the authorities. "This has to be your choice, one hundred percent. So Haru-chan, are you ready to shed the mask of a good girl that will do everything that's expected of her and fan the flames of a personal revolution?"

Haru hesitated a moment before she took the phone out. Her fingers moved across the screen, clearly typing something out before hitting send and she tucked her phone away. "There. I've earned myself a few hours." she said, a hint of confidence in her tone.

Nodding his head, Akira shouldered his bag. "Well then, let's go. We need to head towards Central Street." he told her.

 _Take Your Time_

For Haru Okumura, riding the train was a novelty experience. While she was not a total stranger to it, it was something that she definitely didn't do very often. Akira paid for her to ride from Shujin Academy to Central Street of his own money. And given the tightly cramped space of the train with people of all walks of life riding the train for whatever reason or another, it was made all the more of a novelty experience as she had to stand closer to Akira than what someone like her father might have found generally acceptable.

If she was completely honest, there was a certain appeal to Akira. He was cute, which was more than she could say for Sugimura. And, regardless of his earlier breakdown, he was usually in control and held a certain level of confidence. But with her already engaged and her father being unlikely to change his mind in that regard, she had already regulated herself to just being a friend.

Still, she got to enjoy this little moment of standing close to him.

When they got off at Central Station, Akira led the way up the stairs. She followed behind him closely, the area too tightly packed for her to try and do more than that. But once they were on Central Street, she was better able to walk beside him.

"Akira-kun, where are we going?" she asked carefully.

"Where we can go and talk a little easier." He said. "Everyone else should already be there." He led her past and towards the residential area. He walked the path with confidence and HAru couldn't help but wonder how many times he had taken the route.

Her, a Phantom Thief… It was such a strange concept to begin to grasp, but she couldn't deny the thrill that raced through her at the idea of it. The Phantom Thieves were people of justice. They had taken down Kamoshida, Madarame, and if rumors were to be believed they had even gone after a crime boss recently.

She wanted, among a few other things, to be able to say that she was capable of helping people out like that. She knew her father's company had a reputation for overworking and even downright abusing some of the lower level employees, but that was something that she wanted to change. If it meant becoming a Phantom Thief and going after the problem directly, the problem being her father, then that was what she would do.

But she had to see for herself that their methods were safe. She didn't want to become some sort of violent vigilante hurting people to change their ways. But the public announcement of Madarame had made the man seem genuine regarding his desire to change. And then Kamoshida seemed truly broken up about the vile things that he did.

They didn't seem like the victims of threats and violence.

And Akira didn't seem like the type, but that, Haru was willing to admit, might have been wishful thinking on her part.

They stopped at a residence and Haru was interested to note the motorcycle sitting off to the side. While she had nothing personally against them, her father usually thought the riders to be thugs. Who would Akira know that had a motorcycle? Haru's first initial thought was maybe Ryuji Sakamoto, but the former track athlete likely couldn't afford one so she discarded that initial hypothesis.

Akira gently knocked on the front door, letting whoever was inside know that they were there. Haru imagined a lot of things would be getting covered up inside. The door opened a bit, showing Naoto Shirogane's face with his trademark cap before the door opened up to admit them inside.

Haru blinked as she took in the sight of the Detective Prince, even as she stepped in and removed her shoes. "Shirogane-san?" she asked confused. What was Naoto Shirogane, a young man well reported for upholding and extolling the virtues of justice, doing helping out the Phantom Thieves? Was the Detective bit just an act? Unlikely given his family's legacy. Was he feeding information to the police or was he feeding information to the Phantom Thieves?

On another hand, it was a bit comforting. If someone as Just as Naoto Shirogane was helping, then surely the Phantom Thieves were somewhat Just. It was still quite surprising.

However what was more surprising was who was inside the home. Haru recognized Makoto Niijima, looking at her cellphone and seemingly tapping a finger against a low sitting kotatsu. She recognized Ryuji Sakamoto who was lounging in a couch, looking at his phone and offering a few suggestions based on names, only for one of the others to shoot him down. She recognized Ann Takamaki flipping through a book half heartedly.

She did not recognize the blue haired boy in the Kosei Academy uniform, sketching while he sat in a corner. Though, he held himself well, Haru noted. There wasn't much of a slouch in his posture.

The Phantom Thieves were all teenagers? Her mind spun with the implications. And all of them were high school students at that, with most of them going to her school.

"Hello again Okumura-san." Yu Narukami of all people said from the kitchen. Haru her eyes widen some, it was definitely not someone that she expected to see in a position like this. But then if Akira knew Yu Narukami then there had definitely been a chance that he would have been involved in whatever it was that Akira was up to.

"N-Narukami-senpai, good afternoon." she greeted, stumbling over her words just a moment.

Akira chuckled and led her towards the kotatsu. "Here, sit. We'll get you some coffee in a moment so that you can process everything."

"How much have you decided to tell her Akira?" Makoto asked after a moment, glancing up from whatever it was that she was working on.

Akira sat down to Haru's right, away from the couch that the kotatsu was beside. "I'm the leader of the Phantom Thieves." Akira said bluntly. "If you're going to turn us in, just turn me in. Please." He said seriously.

Haru's heart thumped in her chest. She had thought Akira was merely involved with them, some sort of associate of theirs. But to hear that he was the actual leader? It was…. It was incredibly difficult to understand. But the others were looking at him seriously, like the hadn't expected him to drop the bombshell of information. "He's… not lying is he?" Haru asked softly.

"No, no he is not." The boy from Kosei High said, setting his sketches down.

A cup of hot coffee was put in front of Haru and she took a drink of it. It wasn't exactly perfect, but it still had cream and sugar which was a start. "And… collectively, all of you, are the Phantom Thieves?" she asked.

"That is correct." Naoto said as he leaned against the counter. "Though Yu-senpai and I are more… backup for when things go awry."

"And things have gone awry. Admittedly, some of them was because of our involvement with the Phantom Thieves, but the fact of the matter is that Naoto-kun and I are capable of backing up the Phantom Thieves." Yu said.

Haru took a moment to sip more of her coffee. She didn't quite understand what Akira needed her for then. If he had the backup of Yu Narukami and Naoto Shirogane, two individuals that no one was refuting, then what was her purpose? "I'm afraid I don't… quite understand the point of my joining." Haru said. "I can't say I'm not flattered but…"

Akira looked a bit troubled and after a moment he took off his glasses. He rubbed his eyes before he looked over to Haru. His gaze was intense and sharp. "Honestly, I asked you here for two reasons. The first is that you get along with literally everyone. Our team needs someone like that. I'm no Makoto, but even I have noticed that the team has some frustrations between the members. And it happens. I even suspect there will be times when even your patience will be tried and you might come off a little snappish at others." He said.

Haru nodded softly. She could understand that reason. If he wanted to minimize the conflict within the Phantom Thieves then there had to be someone to keep them grounded. "And the second reason?" she asked. She noticed that the others were watching Akira rather closely. Had he not told them these reasons? It almost made her frown.

Akira hesitated. It was a noticeable and long enough pause that Haru was genuinely worried about what the reason could be. "The second reason is…. A bit more personal." Akira looked down at the table. "I almost died." There were some shamed looks from the group, confirming this. "And… honestly… I'm terrified of it happening to anyone else in this group. Hell, we almost lost Yu. It was such a rattling experience I didn't exactly have time for it to settle in before we immediately had a plan of action to rescue him. We could have lost Yusuke." The Kosei Student, Yusuke, clenched a fist around one of his pencils to the point it snapped.

Akira inhaled a bit and he looked up. "But honestly, it was what I saw when I was in that sarcophagus that terrified me. Of failing everyone. I'm hoping, Haru, that by bringing you in, I can have another person to keep me from screwing something up. Everything has been a close call so far, and I'd rather not have more close calls in the future."

In some ways, it did seem counterproductive. Akira was taking a big risk with her. There was no way he would know if she would turn the information of their identities in or not, but he still had brought her there. On the other hand, even her father had a Board of Directors to help take care of things. Proper delegation was the sign of a good leader, and if Akira wasn't micromanaging everything himself, then he could release some of that burden that sat squarely on his shoulders.

Haru sipped her coffee a little more. "I would like to make a request of my joining then." she said politely. "Sugimura Matsuda, my fiance.(1)" Haru said. "He is a vile and vulgar man that I would like to incur a change of heart with."

"The Matsuda Family in old and very politically connected name." Naoto said, speaking up from the spot he was leaning against. The others glanced to the Detective Prince.

"That's right." Haru admitted, a little surprised that Naoto Shirogane knew who the Matsuda family was, but it was a pleasant surprise that would hopefully let her convince them a bit faster. "Sugimura is… " Haru shivered and grabbed her arms by the biceps. "Please." She said so softly, almost like she was going to be sick.

Most days she could hold herself together better regarding her fiance, but this was the first time someone could actually do something about him. If they declined…

"Welp, I'm in." Ryuji said from the couch, swinging his feet down to actually have them on the floor and sitting up from his position more correctly.

"Agreed." Makoto said. "We'll help you Okumura-san." she said politely.

"Please, just call me Haru." She said, not wanting to be treated any differently.

"I will assist as well." Yusuke said from his position off to the side. "If the man is as vile and reprehensible as you say, no doubt his Shadow will be quite informative."

"Naoto-kun?" Yu asked from the back, glancing at the sleuth. Said sleuth nodded his head with a confident half cocked smile.

"I was in since I figured out she got the App." Akira said.

Ann smiled brightly. "Well Haru, if you're certain, I'll do my best!"

"Thank you very much!" Haru said, bowing her head as best she could in the position.

"Morgana?" Akira asked. Haru jolted surprise at the cat being asked and it giving a loud yowl in return. "He says he's also coming along. You'll be hearing him soon enough, and I am aware of how crazy that sounds." Akira stood up and went to a closet. He began to pass out bags that rattled to everyone.

Ann pulled her phone out and began to type something in. "There, I posted his name to the Aficianado website to act as the calling card."

Ryuji was tapping something on his phone as well. "There, got a hit from him being in Mementos. That brings our total targets up to five."

Yu grabbed everyone's shoes and passed them out, glancing over to Haru a moment. "Relax. Things may seem busy, but this is actually the easiest part to deal with. We don't go after a target unless everyone agrees on it. Luckily, whatever he's done to you was conveyed well enough that we're all willing to act." He stepped over to Naoto, taking one of the large bags from Akira and passing the sleuth his boots.

" _Initiating Travel."_ The mechanical voice from Ryuji's phone alerted Haru over to it. Then she felt like she was being jerked by her naval and the world spun some.

Akira was by her side a moment later. "Relax." He told her. "Breathe." He handed her a bottle of water. Shakily she took it and opened it, drinking. "It gets easier."

Everyone began to put their shoes on and started to head for the door. Akira hung back towards Haru, something she was thankful for as she walked behind him, taking a moment to just recover from the unexpected sensation.

"The strangest part comes when we get into the subway. For now, just ignore the people." Makoto offered from only a few paces to the left of Akira and slightly ahead. "They took me in like this, and… well…" She gave a slight 'heh'. "Just… don't aim for Morgana."

"Right. Pass this back." Yu pulled something from his bag and passed it on backwards to Ryuji who passed it backwards to Akira. Akira handed it to Haru and she examined it, unfolding it.

"Armor?" she asked surprised.

"Oh yeah, you'll definitely want that." Ann said. "Things get rough down there, but Yu's armor is really tough."

Haru looked up at the group before she slowly slipped it on. Then Akira was pulling out a nickel plated handgun to her. "To defend yourself with." He said. Haru's eyes widened as she carefully reached out for it. What had she gotten herself into?

She took it a bit with one hand and shifted to hold it. "What-?" Her words were cut off with a sudden and loud BANG!

There was a grunt and Yu lurched over, holding his side. Haru's face went pale.

"Senpai!" Naoto shouted as she moved to his side.

"It's okay." Yu said with gritted teeth. "Went through." He held his hand open, a glowing blue tarot card appeared in his hand. "Diaharan." Immediately, the tension in his body disappeared and he let out a sigh of relief.

"I take full responsibility for that." Akira said with a wince. "I… may have forgotten to put the safety on. And I modded that one to have a hair trigger."

"I noticed." Yu said in a flat tone. He touched the hole in the front of the shirt where the bullet had left his body. "You're paying for a new shirt. It's two thousand yen."

"I didn't mean to." Haru said, her voice feeling quite small at the moment.

Akira reached over and Haru watched him put the safety on. "Usually, it wouldn't matter. It's only a model. But in the Metaverse, which is where we're at currently, things like particularly real looking model guns can be used as real guns. And no one is blaming you, we're just lucky we can handle things like this."

Haru looked at the gun in her hand, still a little pale, but she aimed it downwards. "Uhm… I know this might not be the best time… but did… Naoto-kun sound much more feminine just then?"

"Naoto-senpai is a girl." Akira said simply.

Haru actually paused, midstep. She looked at the blue haired sleuth a moment, blinking. "Wow... She hides it really well." Looking at the sleuth from behind in the Shujin Academy Summer uniform, it was impossible to tell for Haru.

"I would appreciate you not flaunting that knowledge about." Naoto said in a slightly tighter tone.

Haru nodded her head and continued walking with the group. They came to the subway at Central Street. Haru looked around for a while, trying to figure out what was going on. But then they headed down and down, into the darkness.

Haru's eyes came to the dull red lighting and she recoiled a bit at the sudden change in clothes that the others took. She even looked at the large headed cat with a saber of all things. She almost pulled the gun on it when she realized that it was Morgana based on the colorations.

"Welcome to Mementos. This is the general public's cognition." Akira explained from beside her. "Here we operate as the Phantom Thieves, stealing the desires and budding desires of particularly corrupt individuals. It causes a change of heart. We've all awoken to the power of Persona, a sort of guardian that defends us and fights for us."

" _Bet… Hear... '_ Haru winced at the voice that sounded through her head.

"Sorta like that." Makoto said. "You haven't yet been pushed to begin actually manifesting it, but down here, the Shadows are how people really see the world, so you'll no doubt want to change them. Our Persona are a manifestation of our rebellious will. I went through the same thing, hearing Johanna's voice before she actually manifested. But her words were too broken for me to make sense of them."

"Let's get going and show her what the Phantom Thieves are all about." Morgana's words caught Haru by surprise, and even as she massaged her temples to try and get the migraine to go away, she was prepared to follow.

They went down to the tracks. Haru thought she was done with the surprises, but then Morgana changed into a bus of all things and she got in, sitting on the other side of Naoto in the middle while Makoto, Akira, and Ann rode up front. Yusuke and Ryuji sat in the back. The trip was eerie to the Heiress of the Okumura corporation. And she could have sworn she kept hearing things.

Haru glanced out the window as they came to a swirling portal of red energy and she swallowed thickly. It was ominous just looking at it. And yet they drove right up to it and piled out of Morgana before everyone stepped through.

There, standing by himself, poised and confident was her fiance. Whether it was by sheer luck or because it was planned, they were dealing with Sugimura first. She felt her knees trembling a little bit, and she knew the gun she held was about to fall from her hands. She could barely stand even looking at the man.

Akira put a hand on her shoulder before he started to move forward. From within his coat, he produced a sharp looking dagger and Haru swallowed before she began to move forward, huddled in the protective armor as she was.

" _Have… Mind… Princess… Betrayal?"_ The feminine voice in her head made Haru wince. It was painful, more painful than any migraine she ever had, and she almost stumbled a bit.

" **Hoh..? Haru-chan?"** Sugimura's shadow's voice had a particularly vulgar and perverse tone to it. " **Have you finally come to your senses?"** He turned to look at her and licked his lips a bit. " **Ready to stop playing with plants and have some more adult fun? And look, you brought me two other beautiful girls to play with too… Such a thoughtful girl."** He cut eyes towards Makoto and Ann.

Haru stepped forward. "Don't be absurd and stop looking at them!" she said, even through the pain her head was experiencing. "They're to be treated with respect."

" **Respect? Hmph. Why should I?"** The man looked Ann over a little bit more. " **You should feel honored I'm considering them, that your friends might be worth my attentions."** He shook his head and put on a disappointed look. " **Your father has been making it clear he doesn't mind my advances on you, so why can't you accept them?"**

No. No. Haru refused to believe that her father would betray her like that. "You're wrong!" She said.

" **Am I?"** Sugimura asked with a grin. " **I could probably come along with some lewd lingerie as a gift and your father would probably tell you to thank me for being so thoughtful.** **Even idiots like him have their place in this world, such as having beautiful daughters for the powerful to snatch right up."** He advanced a step towards her.

"No, no!" Haru clutched at her head. "He may not be the best man, but he's-"

" **A fool led on by a carrot. The offer of power made him offer up his high school daughter. Mmm. What a turn on. I'll marry you, use you, take the Okumura fortune, and then ditch you off on the streets to go after better. And the man himself can rot for all I care. He thinks our marriage will give him the political connections he needs to get into politics!"** Sugimura barked out a laugh. " **But I see I'll first have to beat you into submission."**

" _Have you finally come to your senses my dear fated Princess?"_ Haru's knees buckled and she hit the ground. " _Can you finally hear my voice? I see that your freedom is connected to a betrayal… Most amusing. Tear free, relinquish the bonds of your station, and declare your rebellion! Take back your freedom. I am Thou, Thou art I… Scream forth my name as you offer a most beautiful betrayal!"_

Haru screamed in pain as she clutched at her forehead. Fingers dug into something there that her instincts were telling her that it had to come off. Her mind was screaming at her to leave it on, but instincts warred. It was wrong, it was foreign, it had to be removed!

She was not some possession of her father's to be bartered to this vulgar callous man! She pulled, screaming as the object came off and she was engulfed in flames. "Milady!" She called out with all her might

 _Take Your Time_

Yu watched the newly named Noir as she was learning how to drive Morgana. It was amusing to watch her get a little flustered, especially since Akira was having to sit close to her to help her learn how to drive. And Makoto was watching Akira and Haru with an unreadable look on her face. Perhaps a hint of jealousy? Yu wasn't entirely certain, but it could certainly look like it.

But with the inclusion of Haru, it also meant he would need to contact Yukiko and tell her that his group had a plus one.

He also noted that Morgana's bus form was starting to get cramped. Yu was lucky that Naoto was as small as she was. Six people with bags of supplies did not make for a comfortable seating arrangement. Thankfully it was Yu and Naoto in the middle seat with Yusuke, Ann, and Ryuji sitting in the back. He might have been more worried, but those three seemed to have settled down a bit since their beginning travels

"Don't forget the clutch when you downshift." Akira explained as they stalled yet again. Yu tried to hide his amusement in the middle seat.

"Perhaps, Joker, today's not the time to teach Noir how to drive." Yu said. "While she definitely should learn, we are somewhat on a time crunch and she's probably still exhausted from summoning Milady."

Akira glanced back with a bit of surprise. No doubt because it originally was Yu's idea that everyone should learn. "Ah… yeah.. You're probably right. Noir, swap with me."

"O-oh, yes, of course." She said a little flustered at her mostly lack of success most probably.

The pair quickly got out and swapped spots. With Akira at the wheel, the drive began to get more smooth and evened out. With Yu and Naoto's combined presence, the Shadows were mostly fleeing for their respective lives, but considering they were pushing the depths of Mementos to go after targets, they weren't worried about it too much.

They came to the stairs downwards and began to make their way down, Morgana transforming and bringing up the rear, just in front of Yu and Naoto. They came to the bottom of the platform, expecting one of their targets. Yet instead of a Shadow waiting for them in front of the large stone block, it was something else.

"'Bout time you guys got here." The figure said, kicking away from the door. His knife spun around in his hand as he moved towards them. An ankle length black duster brushed the heels of booted feet. "Huh… Noir's here… That's… different." He was dressed in black leathers with crimson gloves, all leading up to a white domino style mask.

"J-j-Joker?" Makoto asked, hesitating to draw her revolver as she stared between the two.

Yu stepped forward. "No, I'd say it's another Reflection. Nothing we haven't handled before." he said as he readied his sword. Something was bothering him about this one though. Something in his gut, something in his heart. The hair on his arms stood on end as he made his way to the front of the group to stand beside Akira.

"Queen. Fox. Skull. Panther. Mona." The Reflection greeted each of the Phantom Thieves kindly. "Good to see you guys.

"What have you done to the Shadow?" Akira asked, taking a step forward.

The Reflection looked at Akira a moment. "Beat it. Sent it back. Not my first playthrough of the game." He pointed the knife towards Yu and Naoto. "You two, I don't know you though. Who are you?"

Igor's words about the Reflections coming from different worlds rang in Yu's mind. He stepped forward a bit more. There was a sense of familiarity towards this Reflection. Familiarity that Yu wasn't entirely certain on. "Just a pair of people that sought the truth with our hands. Now we're seeking some justice."

The reflection snorted a moment and shook his head. "Pull the other one. It has bells on it." His eyes narrowed a moment. "It's nothing personal, but I need you to move away from the kid."

Almost all the Phantom Thieves took a defensive stance around Akira. Not one of them would allow the Reflection to get through and cause their leader harm.

The Reflection bent down low, spinning the knife around to a reverse handed grip. He reached up and grabbed his mask, beginning to pull it away from his face. "Yoshitsune. Hassou-"

"Alice, Die for Me!" Yu's face contorted into one of rage and fury as he summoned the Persona and had it assail the Reflection. It was a more murderous feeling he had to summon to use Alice properly.

The Darkness spell ran over the Reflection without a hint of damage. He even brushed at his coat like he wasn't even surprised. "So you got Alice too… Neat."

"Joker, give me your knife and take my sword." Yu said. Now he knew what he was sensing from the Reflection. It was something he just instinctively knew. "Take my sword and go, I'm the only one that can fight him."

"No you can't." The Reflection said amused. "But you're welcome to try."

"But you-" Akira started, speaking to Yu.

"I know how to use a knife to fight. I'm not great at it, but if I use my sword he's either going to keep me at range with his gun or get too close for my sword to be effective with his knife. Now give me the damned thing and get out of here."

Akira took his sword and Yu took the knife. He tossed it between his two hands a moment before settling it into his right hand in a normal grip. Yu took two steps away from the group. A poignant feeling settled in the pit of his stomach, but he reached out once more, the Tarot card coming up as he swiped it to the side. He could hear the footsteps of the others as they went up the stairs and heard Morgana turning into a bus.

"Oh?" The Reflection seemed more interested in the coming fight now as Yu settled himself in for the knife fight.

He said he knew how to fight with a knife. Well, that was more a bold faced lie. He could use it. That was about the extent of his ability. Kendo did not transition well into fighting with a knife. Yosuke had tried to teach everyone some basics so they might better defend themselves, but given a lot of his knowledge came from just general experience versus actual training, the training was not as comprehensive. Both were invaluable. Both together were amazing things.

But Yu had neither proper training or extensive experience.

"Like I said, I'm someone that traveled the path to the truth and sought it with my own eyes. I walked to the end of my path." Yu crushed the card in his hand. "Izanagi-no-Okami!" he shouted just before he sprinted ahead.

The Reflection laughed as he slide a hand against the edge of his mask, changing his Persona before harsly yanking it off. "I see the end of your journey! Now let me show you my own and the first Rebellion! SATANAEL!"

God versus Demon Lord. It was going to be an unpleasant fight.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Well there you have it. Haru has joined the group. I do plan to do more with her, but I didn't need to show the slaughter of Sugimura really. I mean… Really, I didn't.**

 **And hey! Akira's Reflection is here~! That's going to make things real fun. Especially since he has everyone's favorite demon lord.**

 **I'm not done with either Haru or Futaba. I still have more limelight to give them, but I would expect Futaba's Palace to be finished up in the next three chapters. I'm extending it out because I wanted to bring Haru in a little early for reasons.**

 **1\. Sugimura's surname is not given in any media format, so I went ahead and gave him a last name.**

 **A/N Edit: So i went back and cut out the bit of it being World versus World. Satanael isn't a World Arcana. I thought he might have been and Atlus just put him under the compendium as a Fool for registration sake. But I read some good arguments why he's there as a fool.**


	20. Chapter 20: Death, Demons, and Gods

Chapter 20: Death, Demons, and Gods

Naoto hated that she was leaving Yu behind again. She kept sitting on the passenger side door of Morgana, checking her revolver and checking the side mirror to see if Yu might somehow be inexplicably behind them. Not only was he never there, but the place was eerily devoid of Shadows. Usually they took to running and the Phantom Thieves could see them, but at the moment it was just bothering the girl in her heightened state of paranoia.

Just because she had come to terms with things didn't mean she wasn't subject to such things as being paranoid when it came to her boyfriend's safety.

She could literally see Mementos shake every so often with the force and power that came from the fight between her beloved and the Reflection of Akira. She could hear the distant explosions even over the whispering wind that blew through Mementos and the rumble of Morgana as they drove.

She checked her watch and frowned a bit. Had they really been inside Mementos so long? It certainly didn't feel like it.

Wait. Time was important.

Naoto's brow furrowed as she tried to remember why time was a factor when they were inside Mementos. What could it have been? What wasn't she remembering?

They came to a straight narrow hallway and could see the platform to lead up to the next area when the doors slammed shut and chains bound the door. The rattle of chains sent a shiver of dread through Naoto as she felt her blood turn to ice.

"Don't worry! I'll smash right through it!" Morgana said as Akira gunned the engine.

"Wait!" Naoto cried out. "We're not getting through that door." She said. But her gaze wasn't on the slab of stone shut before them and locked with twisted black chains. Her gaze was instead locked on the right side mirror that showed behind them. She reached for the handle and pulled it. "Everyone out." Swallowing thickly, Naoto stepped out and readied her revolver.

There, not ten meters away, was the hulking form of the Reaper. It floated above the ground, chains dragging along the stone and the metal of the railroad tracks. Its crimson and black garb billowed in the subtle wind down in Mementos. Those long barrel revolvers were held down at its side, almost dragging along the ground as it breathed like a beast, shoulders slumped forward, chest causing them to rise and fall like it was panting.

Naoto felt her fear inside of her stomach. It was a poignant thing. How many weeks after the encounter with the Reaper the first time had she snapped awake in a cold sweat? How many times had she felt Yu wake to memories of the Reaper when they laid at night together? They weren't ready for the Reaper. Even if they had the other members of the Investigation Team, they wouldn't be ready for the Reaper. It was just too dangerous.

The Reaper was no mere Shadow. It was a distorted force of nature. At minimum, it had to have its abilities lowered just for a chance to survive against it. Naoto swallowed the lump in her throat and slapped herself with a Heat Riser.

"What do we do?" Akira asked as he stood next to her.

Naoto slapped Akira with a Heat Riser as well, noticing him jerk in surprise at the sensation. "We fight. Stay spread out, stay moving, don't bunch up in groups of more than two. It may seem like it fights at range, but it is just as dangerous up close." Kanji had tried to get close and fight it up close. Six shattered ribs when the Reaper had swung one of those revolvers like a blunt instrument had very swiftly disregarded that idea. Naoto slapped another Heat Riser onto Morgana. "Keep ourselves buffed, keep that thing's abilities debilitated and hammer it with everything you got."

Naoto raced forward and to the left, hearing the Phantom Thieves start spreading out. The hallway wasn't too wide, maybe thirty to thirty five meters.

It would have to be enough.

The Reaper gave a bellowing roar before raising the twin revolvers and starting to fire. Concussive blasts of magical energy echoed around her, blowing chunks of concrete that pelted her. But Naoto stayed moving. While she was capable of handling the concrete that pelted her legs, her arms, and her torso, she didn't want to get hit directly by one of those blasts. She made a sharp turn, just as a spell fell on her and she felt the heat of an Agidyne a little too much as the flames licked at her when it exploded against the wall

It had disabled her innate fire resistance granted by Yamato-Sumeragi.

Ann passed by Naoto as they both circled around. The tallest girl among them was clearly more fit than she let on as she was running quite swiftly. Her mask was off as she kept using Carmen to debuff the power of the Reaper. "There! I've slowed him down!" she called out.

Naoto slapped herself with a Mind Charge spell, feeling the surge of energy wanting to escape. "Megidolaon!" she shouted as she assaulted the Reaper with the Almighty Damage that nothing had resistance to.

The blast rocked the Reaper and everyone took that chance, hammering it with their strongest spells. Only Akira had gotten something with an Agidyne to actually do what could be considered damage to the beast. The Reaper howled in pain and fury, Naoto's choice in spells being too great for it to casually shrug off.

One of those long barreled revolvers rose and Naoto's eyes widened. The blast from the Ziodyne knocked her clear off her feet, making her slam into the concrete wall with a gasp of pain, her hat coming off her head. But she clutched her revolver and got up onto one knee and popped off a full cylinder of rounds into the beast as it began to bear down on Haru who was just trying to keep moving.

With practiced ease, she pushed herself to her feet while she quickly ejected the spent casings and slapped a new speedloader into her revolver, tucking the loader away into her pouch. She never took her eyes off the Reaper and she swore as she saw it began to concentrate on its next attack

She planted her feet. "Yamato-Sumeragi, Shield of Justice!" The skill always took a lot out of her as evident as the immediate feeling of exhaustion as well as the splitting migraine that spiked between her eyes.

But Yamato-Sumeragi zipped about the battlefield, touching upon the shoulders of each of her allies in an instant. And just in time too as the Reaper unleashed its own Megidolaon on the party. The explosion rocked them all and knocked them off their feet. But Naoto's quick intervention had allowed for them to survive as the one use shields shattered.

She forced herself to her feet as the others did as well. She was a bit slow to start moving again as quickly as before, breathing as heavily as she was. Not to mention her vision was swimming.

One of the Reaper's revolvers rose again and aimed at Akira. There was no sound of magical crackling in the gun. It just pulled the trigger with a thunderous boom. A purely physical shot, while not unheard of it was definitely not something the Reaper used often in Naoto's experience.

Naoto tried to get her legs to move, to get over to Akira. She might have been able to take a single one of those blasts, but if it hit Akira then there was a good chance he was dead without question. But her feet felt like lead, her vision swam more and she felt blood leaking from her nose. The Shield of Justice was always a last resort skill because of how much it took out of her. Nothing in Yu's arsenal even came close to the mammoth cost of the spell.

And while Yamato-Sumeragi was slowly filling her back up with energy, it was still a time consuming thing.

"Joker!" Ryuji's voice rang out in the hallway as he tackled Akira down to the ground, just in time to take the shot that pierced his body. It seemed like time slowed down. It had been terrifying to find Akira dead, but they hadn't seen it. But to see the blood explode out of the back of Ryuji from the single shot. To see one who she could call a friend get killed before her. Naoto clenched her teeth. Ryuji couldn't have been called a friend in the same vein as Kanji or Chie, and certainly not Yu, but he was still a friend. He didn't see the Detective Prince, he saw Naoto Shirogane.

It was why coming to Shibuya was so refreshing, to be able to make more friends like the ones she had in Inaba.

The Reaper would die for this.

His body lurched backwards, about to fall flat. But in a surprise move, Ryuji gave an unarticulated guttural sound of fury and forced himself forward to plant both feet back on the ground. He raised his shotgun up and proceeded to empty the damned thing into the Reaper even as blood gushed from the wound and splattered on the floor. He even coughed some up, but never took his eyes off the Reaper, even as he jacked more shells into the chamber of his shotgun.

Naoto raised her revolver and began to unload into the Reaper from the side. She felt her initial Heat Riser wear off. "Mona! Get to Skull!" she sounded over the booming retort of her revolver.

Yusuke and Ann both stepped up, raising weapons and laying automatic gunfire into the Reaper. It turned away from its intended first victim as they continued to hammer into it. Naoto went through two speed loaders and Yusuke ejected the magazine from his assault rifle with practiced ease that would make a soldier proud.

Ann let her submachine gun drop to her hip as she instead pulled her whip. She raced over to the side and Naoto was curious as to what she was doing when she latched the whip around one of the revolvers' barrel. She then began to pull, forcing the shot that was about to take Yusuke's head off to go wide by the barest of margins.

Morgana managed to get to Ryuji and soon he was pulled from Death's door, the track athlete taking off in another run, blasting out lightning bolts at the Reaper. Naoto passed by him and punched his shoulder even as she ran to get to Morgana. She slapped another Heat Riser on the feline before she continued to move.

Akira summoned one of his Persona that wielded more physical swords. She couldn't hear the name of it or the attack, but the Persona slashed into the Reaper and dropped it to the ground. "Everyone! Attack now!" Akira shouted.

Naoto turned and emptied the revolver before putting more ammo in, even as the other Phantom Thieves began to close in for an all out attack of beating and slashing the Reaper. They leapt back just as it recovered from dropping and Naoto slammed another Megidolaon into it.

The Reaper gave a howl of fury once more that shook the room before it began to concentrate again. Naoto grit her teeth, a second shield was possible, but it could very likely take her out of the fight. It wasn't something that they could allow to happen. While the Phantom Thieves were capable, they didn't have the experience she did. Naoto did the next best thing that she could do. "Everyone, brace!" she shouted before she brought her arms up.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira leaned back as the knife passed mere centimeters from his face. He retaliated with a thrust that was summarily distanced from before two more slashes. He parried the silver haired teen with his knife, spinning his dagger around to a reverse grip and deflecting both the slashes. He had to give the other Fool credit, he wasn't letting up in the slightest little bit. He stayed on the offense, forcing Akira to stick with a knife or risk getting cut if he went for the pistol.

Akira however had nine months of actual practice with knife fighting against the Shadows. He knew more than to just thrust or slash wildly. His opponent knew the basics, hence how he wasn't tripping over himself with the knife or over extending himself. But there was no finesse, no real skill in making the blade dance. But the truly annoying part was…

He slashed out and watched his opponent lean back, barely taking a small cut across his chest before coming back in for more.

Whoever this guy was, he had good danger senses. Akira had laid guys open to the bone with that slash, yet he had just barely managed to cut the guy. His danger senses were impeccable. He was a rank amateur with a knife, but he was quite skilled at defending himself. Sure, he had several cuts along his body from where Akira had been able to position him properly, but the guy was able to slip out like a snake.

And then there was his Persona. Izanagi-no-Okami huh? It looked regal done in white and silver as it was. It danced through the air, deflecting shots from Satanael and even forcing the gun wide. It had to be half the size of Satanael, yet it was still quite impressive with impeccable swordsmanship. It would come in, slash at Satanael, back off and repeat the process. Satanael merely stayed floating, stationary while Akira moved below it, taking pot shots at the other Persona.

Akira was having so much fun!

He stepped in for a stab and felt his wrist get grabbed, keeping the knife from embedding inside the silver haired teen's gut. He reached out quickly and caught the blade coming for his throat, grunting slightly. The guy was definitely strong and knew how to use his additional height for more than just show. Akira tried to force the knife up, even as he kept the other knife back. "Got a name?" He asked.

If he was going to kill him to get at his counterpart, he might as well do him the courtesy of remembering his name.

"Yu. Yu Narukami." The silver haired teen grunted before he slammed his head into Akira's nose. He felt the sharp snap and Akira lashed out with a boot, forcing the other man back.

Akira righted his nose and felt Satanael heal it like new. He wiped the blood away from where it had gushed. "We'll be at this all day you know."

Yu Narukami shifted and held the knife in a tighter grip. "Better than if we were both using Yoshitsune."

"Ha! That'd be an effort in futility!" Akira made the first move, stepping in and swinging with the knife. It was deflected, the other guy starting to pick up on a few of Akira's habits. Had he been watching his younger counterpart that much? "So, how old are you?" he asked.

"Nineteen." He came in with another thrust and Akira quickly backstepped. Only he used the chance to take two more and with a practiced ease drew the pistol. He wasn't expecting his opponent to follow and do an impressive kick that forced the gun upwards before stepping in with the knife as the gun went off.

It took some serious balls to do that. Akira was pretty impressed, but it also meant he had a gun in his hand and he tried to bring it to bear, but Yu slapped his hand down on the slide and forced it back, holding it there. Clever little…

Honestly, when Yaldabaoth had come to Akira in his prison cell, he had never expected anything like this before. He had originally gone along with the false God's plan for two reasons. The first was simple, Akira had already beaten him back in his own world. Whatever Yaldabaoth did in this world, it wasn't up to him to solve. People wouldn't learn a damned thing if he just fixed everyone's problems, and truthfully he had gotten tired of playing Yaldabaoth and Igor's little game.

And even if Igor hadn't been moving his pieces like he had intended to, Igor had definitely been playing the game still.

The second reason was much more selfish. Akira simply wanted the chance to see his friends again. And other than Futaba, he had seen the Phantom Thieves. Once he was done, he planned to go and discreetly see everyone else. Six years was a long time to go without hearing from or seeing anyone.

And there stemmed the problem for Akira. Despite all their work, despite going on to defeat Yaldabaoth, encouraging his friends to stand back up, all the bonds he had worked so hard to make, the fact of the matter was at the end of the day, it hadn't been enough.

The inner circle of people that was working with Shido had ended up turning the situation in their favor. Sae was reassigned to a different case. Shido still got jail time and wasn't likely to see freedom anytime soon, but the fact of the matter was that Shido had just been one man. A costly man to lose, but just one man regardless. And Akira had taken the fall for the death of Kunikazu Okumura, and they had managed to tack on Goro Akechi as well after the teen had gone missing due to his sacrifice within Shido's Palace.

Sojiro had gotten into legal hot water for harboring a fugitive, and when the government took Futaba, the man had been damned near apocalyptic with rage and fury. He had practically denounced any claim towards Akira because of that.

Not that Akira blamed the man.

He had gotten word from one of the other inmates that Iwai had put in word on Akira's behalf with the families. And suddenly the former leader of the Phantom Thieves found himself with Yakuza protection while he was in prison. But that had been all the former Yakuza had been able to do for Akira, and even that was pushing it. Still, Akira had been grateful for it.

But without Sae, Sojiro, or Futaba, Akira ended up going pretty dark in regards to everyone else. He hadn't seen them in six years, he hadn't heard from them in six years. Honestly, he had expected the worst. That those that had been helping Shido, and being used by the man, had simply eliminated his friends. The other option that they abandoned him was... Unthinkable.

But six years in Prison had given Akira a lot of time. He had finished out his high school level education. Even if he was an unwelcomed member of society, he was going to be a productive and intelligent one. He then went on to college courses within the penal system, focusing on what he knew such as psychology and its effect on the cognition.

Interestingly enough, he was approached by a woman named Mitsuru Kirijo who had been interested in the work that he published for one of his classes. That had been an interesting talk, but ultimately he turned her down. He had seriously doubted that his knowledge would be able to help her with her problems.

He watched his knife arc away, broken from his musing as it clattered on the tracks. But he was quick to disarm his opponent, grabbing the wrist and twisting it before he kicked the blade to spin away. A hard straight jab into Yu's chest forced the younger man back. Despite being in Prison, he had gone as long as he could without a knife. He might be able to get away with roughing someone up, he'd get into more trouble for killing someone and he was skilled enough that he would definitely be killing someone with a knife.

Akira took two steps back. Back to having a lot of time on his hands, he had done a lot of reading. And one of his favorites was mythology. Facing off against a Persona with the name of a God was an interesting concept and he had was curious about something. Satanael drew a bullet from one of the slots practically built into its hips before it broke the gun open and slotted the round in.

Yu held a hand out, blue tarot card spinning as Izanagi-no-Okami's sword began to spin around in front of the Persona's hands. Yu then crushed the card in one hand.

"Sinful Shell/Many Myriad's True Words!"

It was like a crack of thunder. The walls splintered and cracked. Satanael's round tore through Izanagi-no-Okami, blowing a hole through the Persona and staining its white outfit with almost brackish ichor. Yu's eyes went wide and he coughed up blood as though he had been the one to take the bullet. One half of the stairwell behind him cracked and crumbled under the bullet's force.

At the same time, Izanagi-no-Okami had lashed out with the attack. Satanael was cleaved open from shoulder to hip, laying the demon lord open and the sash ruined, with a wing hanging limply. Akira jerked as though he had been sliced open, and the leathers actually parted like he had received the cut that his Persona had. A pair of pillars collapsed, having a portion of their supports gouged out.

Both of of the men collapsed flat onto their back.

But the Persona overhead did not disappear. In fact, Izanagi-no-Okami rushed forward to begin engaging Satanael once more. Sparks flew when the sword slashed against the gun. Both of their appearances looked as though nothing had happened to them in the slightest

Akira winced as he began to force himself up. Across his chest, the leathers of his uniform ruined, he had a scar from his left shoulder down to his right hip. And he watched as Yu sat up as well, no doubt sporting a new nice fist sized scar right in the center of his sternum. They should be dead. Both of them. But due to the games of Gods and whatever Igor was, both of them were unstoppable inside Mementos while they raged on with their ultimate Persona.

Akira forced himself up to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth. His leathers had already sealed up to perfection, covering the scar along his chest. "You should have won." He said, ignoring the clashing titans above him and the explosions that further cracked and damaged the room.. Lightning struck Satanael and Akira ignored it, just as Izanagi-no-Okami was ravaged by nuclear damage and was similarly ignored by Yu. "If you had any bit of armor on, you would have been in a little bit better shape." And then it was just a matter of killing Akira in a way that not even Satanael could heal.

"I don't have my armor." Yu said as he breathed a bit heavier, wiping his own bloodied mouth.

"The fuck are you doing down here then?" Akira let the swear slip out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Really, he needed to stop hanging around so many Yakuza. "Even with Izanagi-no-Okami, this place is damned dangerous to be walking around without armor."

"I loaned mine to Noir." Oh… Well… When he put it like that...

"I appreciate that then." Akira said as he stood up a little bit more. Really he was having difficulty staying mad at Yu Narukami and wanting to kill the man so that he could get to his counterpart. "You're the only thing I've seen take Sinful Shell and walk away from it." Akira said as he bounced on his feet, attempting to limber up so that the fight could continue. "I can only use it on Gods, Satanael being a punishing Demon Lord after all."

Yu began to shuffle a little closer. Akira could see that the other man was trained in some martial school by the way he moved. Kendo perhaps? He did come down there with a sword. "And Myriad Truths can only be used on falsehoods and those using them. So what does that say about you?"

Akira frowned a moment at that statement. What indeed? But then he did know. He really didn't want to kill his alternate self. But if he could save his friends from the machinations of Shido and his inner ring, then he would kill his alternate self a thousand times over.

Akira brought up his fists, ready to start the fight again when the entire room shook. A loud howl echoed off the stones and Akira froze a moment. But that was better than what his enemy did.

Yu's face went pale, his eyes went wide and he looked frozen. He glanced behind him for a moment. "Naoto." He whispered before he turned and took off for the stairs. Izanagi-no-Okami just vanished and he raced up the stairs without hesitation at their damaged state.

"Hey! Don't you turn your back on me!" Akira shouted. Satanael turned back into his mask that he slipped on before he took off after the silver haired teen. "Get back here! I wasn't finished!"

Damn, Yu was running fast enough that Akira couldn't get a bead on him with his gun. By the time Akira could draw it, Yu was already taking a sharp turn. More explosions sounded in the distance and Akira wondered what the man was thinking? No one ran at the Reaper. Fighting that thing was almost akin to suicide.

There was no point in taking a shot at him with Satanael's magic either, it wouldn't hit or it wouldn't slow the other man down long enough. Damn it, he had been enjoying that fight, the fight of someone that could actually stand up to him. He tried to push himself to catch up, remembering the things that Ryuji had taught him so long ago about running. But it had been a while since he actually had to do any distance sprinting like that.

And Yu's just slightly longer stride was carrying him faster by just enough.

They came to the chamber with the Reaper, just in time to see Ryuji carrying Morgana around in circles around the thing, sprinting as hard as he could. It was an interesting tactic that Akira had never thought to consider, especially against an enemy as dangerous as the Reaper. While Ryuji ran like the track athlete he was, Morgana was able to focus on healing the others.

"Sword!" Yu shouted as he swiped two fingers and summoned a different blue tarot card. A shimmer of light encased him, a Charge spell filling his system.

"Senpai!" The boy? Girl? The individual in blue raised their hand and cast a Heat Riser upon Yu Narukami, the swirl of tri-colored lights indicating his abilities were being buffed.

Yusuke threw his sword, end over end towards the only other adult as he raced straight for the Reaper. What in the hell was he thinking? Akira's mind raced, trying to figure it out as he caught up and got to the door. He didn't have a clean shot on his alternative self, but he knew the Reaper had to come first before everything else.

However, Yu caught the blade by the handle as he continued to run forward. "Hassou-" Of course. Hassou Tobi was a slash that hit eight time in an instant. To the untrained, or uninformed, eye, it looked like a single slash. But for someone that had Yoshitsune as well, Akira knew that it would hit eight times. The problem was that the wielder had to hit with it with Yoshitsune taking care of the rest.

The Reaper turned to the new threat with a howl as its debuffs went away. Already, Akira could see the creature moving to dodge the attack. No one else had noticed, or they wouldn't be able to apply them fast enough.

It left Akira with a dilemma. He could debuff Yu. A Debilitate would ensure the silver haired teen missed. He wouldn't be fast enough to cut the Reaper down. A Heat Riser on the Reaper would guarantee the Reaper moving out of the way of the attack. Both were appealing options to the Fool. Yu would die to the Reaper, and he could step in and take it out. He would then be able to take out his alternate self. A third option would be to watch it play out. He estimated Yu had a fifty-fifty shot in whether he hit or not.

And his last option was to throw a Debilitate on the Reaper. It would practically guarantee Yu striking true. But the biggest threat to him killing his Alternate self would be alive and there, without another larger threat able to keep him restrained against Akira.

"Debuffs down!" Everything seemed hyper aware for Akira and going in slow motion as he watched everything, eyes darting to and fro on the battlefield. Yusuke had shouted it and Ann seemed to be trying to get her bearings to cast them again. They would come too late.

His friends. His precious friends. They were in the fight for their lives. Two newcomers had joined them and were fighting alongside them like they were extra cogs to the machine. Akira had come to stop this. To keep them from fighting, from getting hurt. Yes, it seemed awful of him to do so. It would leave the likes of Yaldabaoth and Shido running around and doing as they pleased. But Akira didn't want to see his friends get hurt.

He just wanted them to be safe. Was that so wrong?

"Mother Harlot." He switched to a different Persona and raised a hand. He could take on the Reaper, he could continue what Yu Narukami had started and kill it before it would harm a hair on the heads of his friends, especially Her.

But…

' _Myriad Truths can only be used on Falsehoods and those using them."_ Yu's words from earlier flit through his mind. Falsehood? What was his falsehood? That he didn't actually want to kill his alternate self?

"Ha…" No. He knew. He really, truly knew. How could he forget such a tiny fundamental thing? Was it not what kept him going for so long? Was it not what kept his team going up until they changed gears after Okumura's death? It was what made up his mind on what to do. "Debilitate!" He held his hand out, pointing a finger as Mother Harlot sucked the attributes from his target.

"-Tobi!" Akira watched the seven slashes riddle and rend the Reaper as the eighth was delivered with a guttural shout from Yu as he cut the monster in half with black ichor splattering out and red cloth torn asunder.

The indisputable, irrefutable, fundamental concrete fact of the Phantom Thieves… They had the times of their lives doing what they were doing.

Infiltrating the inner world of people's desires, battling Shadows, even stealing the distorted desires from people, it was all liberating in a way that was difficult to explain and describe. It was dangerous beyond all belief, more so when the Reaper got involved.

How could he forget his friends so easily? That it was their choice to risk their lives and their freedom to do what they did. How many times did they stumble and get back up? Akira shook his head. If he took his alternate self away from the alternate selves of his friends, then he'd be no better than Yaldabaoth, taking away their choices. He gave a short amused sound as he looked up to see his alternate self. He swapped his mask back to that of Satanael.

He locked eyes with his alternate self and saw the younger man getting ready, hand dipping down towards the handgun at his left hip. He took a step forward and watched the Phantom Thieves all react, surrounding their leader and prepare for a fight that could very well cost one or two of them their lives.

Even Haru, with neither her battle axe nor her grenade launcher, was there, Mask ready to be pulled away to summon Milady. She looked a little winded and disoriented from the high level fight, but that was to be suspected. If she didn't have her equipment, he suspected that she had just summoned her Persona.

He held his hands up with his fingers spread, offering a slight sigh. "I'm not going to try and kill the kid again." he said. "I simply have a gift." He reached up and removed his mask. He saw each of them tense, Makoto and the individual in blue each pulling back the hammer on their respective revolvers. Heh… They were as loyal as his group already.

He took another step forward and held out the mask between two fingers. "It carries Satanael." He watched the other him take the mask cautiously. "You won't be able to use him as you are, so don't try. He'll kill you." He took a step backwards and tucked his hands into the pockets of the leathers. "Take him to the twins. Execute him. I'm sure something neat will come out." He shrugged his shoulders.

"What happened to you?" The younger Akira asked. "What happens to us?"

"Heh." Akira couldn't help the slight chortle. He pulled a hand out and pressed a finger to his lips. "Ah. Ah. Ah. Those are spoilers." he said. He turned and tucked his hand back into his pocket, looking into the abyss of Mementos. His mask returned with an eruption of blue flame as he mentally shifted to Lucifer, though the mask his younger self held was still there. "Your journey isn't complete." He said softly. "So live for the now. Enjoy the journey in its fullest. Maybe your destination is different from mine, but no journey is about its destination." He began to step forward.

"What will you do?" Yu asked.

Akira didn't break stride as he continued walking. "I'm gonna go off and do my own thing. If I stick around the kid any longer, I might try to kill him again." All to see his friends. When was the last time he smiled with Takemi while she ran her clinic? The last time he fished with Kawakami? Played Shogi against Hifumi? Talked politics with Toranosuke?

No, it was better if he faded into the void and nothingness. He turned the corner so his friends wouldn't see his actions.

He pulled his handgun out and rotated it in his hands a moment before he brought it up to his head. "I wouldn't have minded seeing what Satanael turned into." He mused to himself before one last gunshot echoed throughout Mementos.

 _Take Your Time_

"It is most impressive that you managed to survive against such a Persona." Margaret's voice directed Yu to look on at Satanael who's bulk was almost completely taking up the ceiling of the Velvet Room. "Its power is that of an ultimate Fool."

The Demon Lord was covered in the cloth that bound its form, chains wrapping around and shrinking it. No matter the size and force of the personality, all were treated equal by that cloth. Absently, Yu gently touched his stomach where the new scarring had formed. It wasn't quite the size of a fist and it wasn't horrible. Already, Izanagi-no-Okami had healed the scarring to be mostly faded.

But it would still forever be a reminder of Satanael's power.

"Do you feel discomfort?" Margaret asked, turning to face him from her spot on a wooden high back chair near his cell. The back and seat had a plush blue velvet cushioning.

"A bit of Phantom Pain." Yu said softly. "It was the most damage I had taken with Izanagi-no-Okami up." It had felt like his organs had been put through a meat grinder. And Margaret had explained something regarding sympathetic pain. While his organs were ultimate unharmed and unhampered, it still felt like he had been shot at point blank range to what might as well have been a hunting pistol.

Margaret nodded her head a moment and she sighed, touching the thick tome in her lap. "I'm afraid that what you ask is… difficult to answer and grant." She said simply. "Quite simply, you have completed your Compendium to one hundred percent. There is no blank page to be had in this tome." She lifted it up. "Your Personality and Soul have grown to the extent of what they will based on what we can help with."

Yu sighed. It had been a shot in the dark. He had asked Margaret as the rightful holder of his compendium if it would have been at all possible to strengthen Izanagi-no-Okami. Despite the strength of his Persona, Yu was worried it wouldn't have been enough to defeat Satanael. There was no way to tell one way or the other, the battle had pretty much ended in a draw after all. But it didn't change the fear that had clenched his stomach tight when he recovered from the Sin Shell that had blown through Izanagi-no-Okami.

Margaret gave a slight smile. "That is not to say that there is nothing we cannot do." Margaret explained. "However, it would require releasing Izanagi-no-Okami. And there is simply no way to register him within the Compendium. The Compendium is incapable of accurately recording and representing a Persona of the World Arcana."

"What's the catch then?" Yu asked.

"You would lose the ability to use Many Myriad's True Words." Margaret said. "Izanagi-no-Okami is… extraordinarily powerful. To Fuse him would require a Dodecagon fusion." She turned the compendium over and opened it up, letting Yu look at the absolute monster requirements it would take to fuse Izanagi-no-Okami once more. "The benefit of doing this would allow Izanagi-no-Okami to take on some of the benefits of the fusion materials. It is quite curious as to how Izanagi-no-Okami managed to have physical nullification when it should have simply resistance."

Yu shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure myself." he said simply.

"Regardless, this would allow Izanagi-no-Okami to obtain more skills than its current skill set might allow."

But it meant giving up on Many Myriad's True Words, a skill that had just recently come in handy twice. And it would require dumping a fair chunk of his roster of Persona, and gaining the others. He'd also have to carefully fuse, level, and empower the Persona that went into making Izanagi-no-Okami in order to give it the best chance possible. And there would be no redos. It wasn't like when Margaret had asked him for a Trumpeter with Debilitate and he had screwed up the process at the last fusion.

That had been embarrassing.

No, with Izanagi-no-Okami, if he released the Persona, he would lose Many Myriad's True Words for good. And there was no guarantee that whatever he came up with as a new skill set would allow Izanagi-no-Okami to become better than it currently was.

' _Izanagi?'_ Yu mentally called upon the Persona in question. _'Your thoughts?'_

' _I am Thou. Thou art I. I would understand if Thou felt it necessary to release me back to thine Sea of Souls. And my sealed state would be with Thou whilst Thou accrued the necessary strength. However, I would prefer if Thou would keep me.'_

Well, there it was. "No… It's alright Margaret. Thank you for the assistance." Yu said politely, offering a smile to the attendant. "Izanagi and I would both like to keep him as is for the time being. If you'll excuse me." he said and stepped past the woman to head towards the desk where Igor sat.

"I cannot help you with your problems." Igor said Yu stopped at the table. "Margaret has offered the only option available to us."

Yu shook his head. "I wasn't going to ask." He said. He could admit to having some curiosity as to what powers Igor had. Ultimately Yu had decided he wasn't going to ask the Master of the Velvet Room for something he had declined Margaret's suggestion about. "I have a different question that you might be able to help with."

"I will be of what assistance that I can possibly be." Igor said, turning with a toothy grin.

"How is it Akira doesn't have… what did you call them? Seeds of possibility?" he asked curiously. "I remember plucking Persona from the ether, or coming across some skill card. Yet Akira…"

"And yet my other most esteemed guest does not have these Seeds of Possibility. One could argue that it will ultimately make his journey a harder one." Igor turned away to watch as the Justine and Caroline strapped the bound Satanael into the electric chair. "Mementos is a different aspect of the Metaverse than the TV World you are familiar. Both are similar in that they lie just beneath the view of the world, both allow gifted individuals the use of Persona. At one point, there was even a twenty-fifth hour of the day between Midnight and 1 AM. This was yet a third aspect of the Metaverse."

Igor glanced over to Yu a moment. "The young man I assisted then was similar to how you and young Akira are. He lived a full life, up until his last." Igor touched the center drawer of the desk a moment. "I do truly hate when my guests return their keys." For a brief moment, the aged and almost goblinoid figure of Igor seemed older than his appearance let on.

How many guests had Igor seen come and go? How many of them returned their keys in their final moments? Yu wasn't certain that he honestly wanted to know.

"But I regress." Igor said after a moment and straightened up. "The Seeds of Possibility do not belong within Mementos. They do not exist there. The Shadows, the true selves, have manifested as possible Persona. But because of the lack of the Seeds of Possibility, I have made more rituals available." The Master of the Velvet Room waved a hand towards the chair where Satanael was bound. "Case in point."

Akira handed over a black stone dagger. It was more an ornamental dagger than anything. Useable within Mementos, but certainly with its limits. It was a transmutation dagger apparently, though Yu wasn't entirely certain what that meant.

Before Caroline could flip the switch on executing Satanael, the Persona spoke up. " _You have a long and treacherous road ahead of you, Akira Kurusu. It is full of temptation to stray you from the path of your Rebellion."_ Yu was only mildly surprised to hear the voice of the powerful Persona. It was regal in a sense, it demanded attention and respect. It was a voice of authority. " _I lend you my strength as a favor to my other Self. Should you stray from the path of Rebellion, my power will no longer be of aid to you."_

Yu thought the words a bit ominous, if Akira were to stray from his path, would Satanael instead fight against him? Caroline flipped the switch and the electric chair came to life, surging the covered Persona with energy. It exploded into motes of light that were then drawn into the black stone dagger.

The stone transformed into a metal dagger with a curved blade that gleamed silver. Calling it a dagger was a bit of a stretch, but it was a one handed blade not quite the length of a standard wakizashi. Perhaps some on a smaller side of things, but not by much. It had an ornate handle with a guard coming down over the hand of a grinning skull.

"We present you with the Paradise Lost." Justine said as she held the dagger out towards Akira. "Use it well in your rebellion."

Akira accepted the dagger and glanced at Caroline and Justine who, to Yu's eyes, looked expectantly. Akira eventually reached out and patted the both of them on the head. They both perked up and preened. "Yes, that's right Inmate, praise us for our hard work!" Caroline said in a somewhat haughty manner. Inmate of course had become something of a pet name from Caroline for Akira.

Yu shook his head and began to head over to his cell so he could go back through to Mementos where the rest were waiting on them.

"You never praised me for my hard work." Margaret said as he began to pass by her.

Yu glanced over to the woman. "You also never asked for praise." He countered. "And you're supposed to be the mature one."

"That does not mean I wouldn't appreciate such praise. My oh my," Margaret touched her cheek and offered an airy sigh. "You've become so cruel since our parting, dearest Fool." she said.

Yu didn't know how Margaret had been able to worm some concessions out of Igor of all people, when she was apparently the one meant to be punished for helping the Phantom Thieves in an overt way, but it allowed her to be a little more true to her feelings.

"Something tells me you don't want a pat on the head either." He glanced over his shoulder where Caroline was still demanding head pats from Akira.

"It is good that they can act like the young girl that they are from time to time. So long as it does not interfere with their duties as attendants, there is no harm in it." Margaret shifted to look at Yu for a little bit. "But no, pats on the head are for little girls seeking affection. And since Master has banned me from leaving the Velvet Room until Akira's journey is finished, what I would ask for has to be more mundane."

"Please also keep into consideration I'm in a relationship with Naoto-kun." Yu stipulated. "While your kiss wasn't wholly unpleasant, it's not something that can be repeated. Ever." he said.

"Such a cruel man." She seemed to almost pout, not that Yu would ever say that about the woman. Anyone that could take the Reaper on by themselves and walk away literally unscathed deserved the utmost respect and fear.

Margaret turned to face Yu a moment. "Bring me something sweet." she said. "Something soft and moist for me to bite into and a sweetness to be savored like a lingering memory of that day." She said with a soft smile on her face. "And I would most appreciate it if you made it by yourself."

Yu shook his head. "Alright, I'll see what I can whip up." he said. Better than making the woman become unbearable because Akira had to give praise towards the two wardens for their duties. He stepped through the cell door and soon came back out to Mementos.

"We can see the door and everything now and it still only feels like you're through there for a few seconds." Makoto said as he came out.

Akira came out three seconds later with his new dagger and he tapped it on his shoulder. "This is a nice knife." he said.

"How long did the twins demand praise for making it?" Yu asked in front of everyone.

Akira's shoulders slumped and his head hung down. "Soo long! Caroline's enjoying it more and more now that she doesn't have to treat me like some violent criminal."

Yu shook his head. Tsundere loli twins, Akira had it rough since he had to interact with them more than Yu did. He patted the other Fool on the shoulder. "It's alright." he said. He just had to deal with a woman that was quite… interested in him. He was curious what she would have asked if Naoto wasn't there in his life to act as a buffer. "Everyone ready to go home?" he asked.

Haru nodded and offered a tired smile. "Please? I feel like I could sleep for a long time." She admitted.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Meh… This chapter. Not sure how I feel about this chapter. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.**


	21. Chapter 21: Transitions

Chapter 21: Transitions

Whether it was by coincidence or design, the living room of Yu's home was nearly quiet. Every now and then there was the hard click of plastic being cut or the gentle scrape of a page being turned. But other than that, there was nothing else going on. No loud music, no rambunctious Phantom Thieves. Just two lovers and the peace and quiet.

Spread out on the kotatsu, Yu had some plastic model out with the tools needed to put it together. Post clippers, a model knife, he even had various markers, paints, adhesives, everything was there that he would eventually need. He simply sat there working on the model, slowly clipping away the various pieces. It was a slow process, one that someone could watch take shape over time. He just worked at the pieces, carefully snapping them together as needed once he had cut them out.

Likewise, Naoto was also in the living room. She was lounging on the couch, literally taking it over. One leg dangled off the edge, she rested her head on a pillow. If it wasn't for the subtle rise and fall of her chest, or the occasional shifting of a page, one could think her unconscious or worse with how still she was. Though, on the rare occasion, she did sit up and drink from the mug on the edge of the kotatsu that Yu hadn't claimed. It was the most recent in a detective series that she had enjoyed, though as she was reading it she realized that it had not been worth her money.

It was a type of calm. They knew when the storm was hit, but they had obligations before it would hit. And before the storm hit, they were just trying to find some semblance of peace and calm.

Naoto offered a frustrated sigh and closed the book, half tossing it onto the ground, half just letting it fall from her hands. She should have known better than to get it based on the last one. This time she just couldn't force herself through the words. She glanced over to Yu who hadn't even looked up from his model. She turned onto her side to look at him, bringing her other foot up onto the couch. "Senpai?" she asked softly.

"Mm?" Yu acknowledged her while he carefully slotted the pieces he currently had together.

Naoto was quiet for a while, thinking how best to word what she wanted to ask. The fight with the Reaper was still fresh in her mind. She could feel the way things had been, a slight tremble to her hands that hadn't been there before, the difficulty falling asleep. She was jumpy at the slightest thing that might have sounded like chains. "I…" It wasn't the first time seeing a friend fall, but what happened with Ryuji had been so much more visceral. She swallowed a bit thickly, glancing to one of her hands. It trembled even then. She hadn't seen so much blood in a while.

Apparently sensing something might have actually been wrong with her, Yu set his model down and look to her. He went over to the couch with her and sat down on the floor, leaning his head back to be up against her stomach. She smiled softly and reached out, gently running her fingers through his hair. It comforted her to have him close. "How is it you know just what to do in every situation?" Naoto asked softly.

Yu shook his head. "I don't know what to do in every situation. If I did, we wouldn't have almost thrown Namatame into the TV." he said softly.

Naoto winced slightly at the reminder of when she had been at her most cold hearted. But given what had almost occurred with Nanako, she felt somewhat justified. And she had more knowledge on the situation. It wasn't like they were going to be able to go before a judge regarding a man kidnapping people and throwing them into a TV. "You still performed remarkably well in that situation." Naoto reminded him. "You talked us down. Yosuke, Kanji, and myself." She wasn't going to pretend she hadn't considered throwing Namatame in. "And you had to have been exhausted. I can hardly fault you for what you did." Really, with the knowledge she had now, she knew Yu must have been running on the very dregs of adrenaline.

"You would have hated yourself for doing it. Regretted it." Yu told Naoto. "I doubt Adachi would have stopped once we took his source of entertainment from him and when you realized it wasn't Namatame, you would have felt awful."

Yu was right of course. It didn't make Naoto feel very good about the entire situation. She stroked her fingers through his silver locks a bit more. He would have to brush his hair afterwards, but somehow Naoto doubted he would have cared too much, especially if it meant it comforted her.

Naoto closed her eyes a bit. "I almost saw Ryuji die." she whispered softly. "And there wouldn't have been any bringing him back. It was just so much more visceral, there would have been no chance of stabilizing him. We've… we've seen others fall, getting knocked unconscious or hurt. My Shadow blew my Reflection's head off… But this… I can't help but wonder if it was my fault. Had I done something different, had I managed something differently…"

"He didn't. And that's what matters." Yu said softly. He turned his head a bit to look at her a little more. "I learned early on, you can't focus on what you could have done. What you should have done. All you can do is look at what you did do and the outcome of it. You gave orders based on what you knew, you did everything you could, including a Shield of Justice. I know how much that spell takes out of you Naoto, but you didn't hesitate to use it. And I know if they had been a little stronger, you would have used it a second time. But they needed your strength. What happened with Ryuji is regrettable, and he will likely bear a scar on his chest the rest of his life for his selfless act." Naoto noted Yu touch the spot where he himself had a new scar. "But they are alive because of you Naoto. Don't belittle your own accomplishments."

Naoto frowned a bit as she considered what Yu was telling her but nodded her head. They fell into another comfortable silence. Yu took a drink from her mug of coffee, polishing it off apparently before he went into the kitchen to refill it. Naoto sat up from her position on the couch. "Senpai, another question?" she asked.

"Always Naoto-kun." He said over the clinking of the dishes as he prepared the coffee.

"Do you think it's wise to take the Phantom Thieves to Inaba?" Naoto asked. It was a question that held merit after all. Even if the trip was already planned, Inaba was an incredibly small town with not much to do for the likes of Ryuji and possibly Ann, even if they were going to a festival. Okina helped, but it would require the others to be able to get there. Her scooter was still in Inaba, and she had a feeling Dojima would let Yu borrow his scooter if Yu just asked. "While I can understand wanting us to meet as fellow Persona users to an extent, very rarely does crossing circles of friends work that well. And more of our group was hot headed than are in the Phantom Thieves."

It was a genuine concern to be had. Naoto didn't want to see anyone getting burned because of the presence of the Phantom Thieves. And the members of the Investigation Team had been more hot headed, a bit less logical. That wasn't to say that the Phantom Thieves didn't have their own hot heads, but Chie, Yosuke, Kanji, even Rise were all people of less disciplined passion. It wasn't a bad thing, but they might not be thinking logically when meeting the Phantom Thieves.

At worst, Naoto could see them accusing Yu of trying to replace his team. But the bonds he made were… they were etched into his heart. That was the best way that Naoto could think to explain it. Should anyone need anything and ask it of him, Yu would have been there in Inaba to offer it, responsibility be damned. Yu didn't deserve someone saying they thought he was trying to replace them.

And it wasn't like Yu just hung out with Akira either. He hung out mostly with Akira. Just the other day, Naoto had come home to Ryuji leaving, apparently having been studying with Yu for the upcoming finals. Yu treated everyone as their own person regardless of background, looks, title, or anything. To have Yu's friendship was to have a friend for life.

"I am aware of your concerns Nao-chan." Yu said as he came back and set her cup of coffee down on the table before sitting beside her. "I can't say that I haven't thought of them myself." Yu simply looked at his hands for a while. "Even if everyone doesn't get along that well, and I really don't believe everything will go perfectly at first, I have to believe that we can at the very least work in a professional manner. I know Ryuji will open his mouth and likely piss Rise off. Yusuke is going to be odd to most the people there, he is dedicated to his art, that is to be expected. At the same hand, Chie is a bit brash and forthright, and Teddie… well Teddie is Teddie and might resort to some of his hijinks towards the girls of the Phantom Thieves." he said.

Naoto conceded that point. Teddie was very likely to be an issue. "And Yosuke-senpai might gush over Ann." She added politely. "Ann is a popular model. I would considerably doubt he wouldn't recognize her. Which if he does gush over Ann, then Chie-senpai will also likely get pissed with him."

"Their relationship is that rocky?" Yu asked a little curiously.

"Yes and no." Naoto said. "They are very happy with one another, much how you and I are happy with one another. But they don't have the same sense of logic and maturity that you and I have. Yosuke-senpai is capable of learning, and Chie-senpai has been getting more tempered as she works to become a Detective, but there is still conflict between them over little things."

That wasn't to say Naoto and Yu's relationship didn't have the same hangups. But Yu was a good man. He corrected his mistakes when they occured, something Naoto was grateful for. He also didn't let his passion overrule him. Even still, their relationship had their rockier moments. Whether it was from stress of work on her part, stress from school, or stress from their extra-curricular activities, there were a number of times where they had snapped at one another.

On an unrelated note, Naoto found out that it was an amazing sensation having Yu 'makeup' for their fights.

But logically speaking, both of them knew when one of them did something wrong and tried their best to fix it from ruining their relationship. They sat and talked, they tried to keep their relationship from becoming poisonous by trying to be able to clear the air with one another. And while Naoto could hold a grudge, and she was certain that Yu could as well, they didn't hold them against one another. They were unhealthy, they made things difficult and tense, and honestly Naoto much preferred snuggling with her boyfriend than arguing with him.

Also, Yu was hard to argue against. He was better at speaking than Naoto was.

Naoto reached out and grabbed her mug of coffee. She took a sip, glancing over to Yu a moment and saw him looking at her with a curious look on his face. She looked to his eyes. "Senpai?" she asked politely, wondering what was going through his mind. It was always a difficult task figuring out what Yu Narukami was thinking.

Yu stood up suddenly from the couch. "Come on, let's go get ready." He lightly patted her leg.

"S-senpai?" The sudden declaration caught Naoto off guard. "Where as we going?" She took another big gulp of her hot coffee and set it down on table. She wasn't necessarily unprepared to go somewhere, but her clothes were a touch more casual than she might have preferred. Quickly, she followed Yu up the stairs where he went into his room.

She slipped in with him. After their nights of passion and even lying naked beside one another, it seemed silly that she keep her clothes in a separate room. It wasn't anything Yu hadn't already seen after all. She reached up to take the bra she was wearing off to swap instead to one of her chest binders.

"Nope." Yu caught her hands in his and pulled them away from the clasp of her bra. He leaned down and kissed her, catching her off guard a bit. "I want you going as a girl Nao-chan." he said. The admission surprised the blue haired sleuth a moment and she looked up at Yu a bit more. "This is Shibuya, not Inaba. No one will connect the dots between Nao-chan and Naoto Shirogane." he said.

"But this is the first time we've…." Naoto tried to argue. She didn't know if she was ready to go out as a girl with her boyfriend.

He kissed her again. "It's fine Nao-chan. I promise." he whispered to her. "It'll be fine. I know you want to go see that Detective movie that's out. And this is something I've wanted to do for a while. Please?"

It was the please that sealed it. Naoto was going to do it before he had even said that. He never asked for something like this. And if it was just to go see the new movie, then she could definitely acquiesce to that request. But that Yu went so far as to offer that almost small, quiet please at the end, it made Naoto wonder if she couldn't dress more like a female during their time in Inaba so that he knew she wasn't ashamed to be seen with him as one.

"But you don't like detective movies." Naoto pointed out. She'd rather see a movie they both wanted to see.

"I don't dislike them either." Yu said. "But it's the only thing out that I know you want to see and I honestly don't have an opinion about." he said. He was right of course, she did want to see it and Yu had not once complained about a detective movie if they watched it together. He had said that by himself, he didn't particularly care for them, but he never complained when they watched them together.

Naoto shook her head and smacked her boyfriend in the stomach. "Alright, alright." she said with a slight smile. But she went and pulled on a nicer blouse, buttoning it up quickly. She swapped the casual pants she had been wearing to a pair of jeans, tucking her shirt in and quickly looping a belt on.

She glanced over to Yu who was dressed in a nice collar shirt with a pair of jeans as well. He gave her one of those teasing grins that instantly made her suspicious, especially since he was coming over to her. He kissed her and immediately untucked the shirt.

"Hey!" she said, but was smiling at the action. Yu grinned and led her over to his desk, sitting her down. He then grabbed a small container. She had just enough time to recognize it as a hair product before he was unscrewing the top and getting a bit out. "Yu-senpai!" she scolded as she felt his hands in her hair. "Do you even know how to style hair?"

"A little." His cheerful comment did not inspire confidence. She felt his fingers tuck and jerk through her hair a bit before doing more delicate work. "There we go, all done."

She quickly escaped her boyfriend, shooting him a bit of a dirty look. She had a feeling she knew precisely what her boyfriend had done. Sure enough, as Naoto looked into Yu's mirror, she could see that he had taken her hair and spiked it up, giving her an almost punk look. She gave him a look that clearly said how unamused she was.

Yu simply smiled that easy going smile as he approached her. "Come on." He kissed her. "Now no one will connect the dots between Nao-chan and Naoto Shirogane. After all, Naoto Shirogane is a prim and properly dressed special investigator that wears a hat."

Naoto shook her head, sighing a bit. "Senpai…" she said a bit exasperated. But she couldn't deny the small smile tugging at her lips. Leave it to Yu.

 _Take Your Time_

"Hey, Akira," Said frizzy black haired teen turned to see Ryuji jogging up in approach. It was the second day of their exams, just after school really. Mentally, Akira wasn't certain if he was able to do much more than go home, eat some curry, and go to bed. From his pack, he pulled out a soda and popped it open before drinking it. The caffeine would allow him to handle Ryuji just a little bit more than he would be able to in his current state.

"What's up?" He asked as he finished. He passed a drink over to Ryuji as well. "Shouldn't we be getting home?" It was a sort of general consensus of the group that during Exams, they wouldn't go into Mementos. The drain from the exams was bad enough, they didn't need the drain from Mementos on top of it.

"Yeah, but I want to talk to you. Let's get some ramen, my treat, and it'll help for after the exams. Gotta keep thinkin' right?" Ryuji said, bouncing on his toes a moment.

Akira chuckled but he nodded his head. "Alright, alright." he said, conceding to the offer. He finished his drink and waited for Ryuji to do the same, pitching them in a recycling bin. Together, they headed for the train and began to ride up to Ogikubo. Akira had since been there a time or two. It was good stuff.

While they waited in the smaller line, Ryuji decided to strike up the conversation he wanted to have. "So, Yamauchi got taken down pretty quick. Track team's back to runnin' too. Takaeishi's mom's the PTA prez and he told her all about what he heard. She was pissed and came stormin' in with the other parents." He laughed a bit, shaking his head and having his shoulders slump. "Wish I coulda seen his face."

Akira reached out and pushed Ryuji's shoulder with his fist. "You did good." Akira said. Sure, some of the plans were a bit ass backwards, but there was no doubt that Ryuji's plan to listen in on Yamauchi's dinner talk hadn't been a good one.

Ryuji grinned. "Yeah… They got our old coach back to fill in for the time bein'. They'll go pretty far in the meet." He looked up, a look of nostalgica on his face.

"I look forward to it." Akira said. "But you know we can't lose either." Akira wasn't much of a fan of spectator sports, but he could be enthusiastic for his friend.

"Hell yeah." Ryuji said and nodded his head. He let his head drop and his shoulders slumped. "To tell the truth… I was scared of facing the team." he said. "I couldn't stand how much they hated me. It reminded me of how stupid I was, how much of a bad kid I was to my mom. I told her I'd be better, and I'm workin' on it. Even got with Yu to help study for exams. He's a smart guy."

Akira nodded his head. "He is a smart guy." There was no denying that simple statement, and honestly Akira was glad he was on their side. If Yu was working with someone else, Akira doubted the Phantom Thieves would have gotten even half as far as they did.

"Thanks." Ryuji said, his tone a little more somber.

"What for?" Akira asked curiously.

"I… I've started to change for the better because you've stuck with me." Ryuji said. "You've stuck with me, I got you wrapped up in all this shit, but you never complained, you never bitched. And you've stayed with me 'til the end of it. No one's really done that. So thanks."

Akira smiled a bit at that. "You're welcome." He said calmly. "You did your own part."

"It's funny. This started as us training for the PT," Ryuji said. They had agreed to shorten the title of their group when in public so that they could try and keep people from knowing who they were. "But then it turned into that mess. Either way, I got your back from here on, no matter what you need." Ryuji said confidently.

Ryuji jolted a bit straighter, his eyes turning wide. "Kidd…" he whispered as he touched his chest. "To think… I still had this much growth inside me. I can feel my new power… Seiten Taisei…"

Akira pinched the bridge of his nose. Whatever was happening with Ryuji was something he had no experience in. "I think we'll need to talk with Yu about this as well." he said. Still, Akira had felt something as well. Something in his spirit telling him that with Ryuji… It was something he'd tuck away for later to think about. Or talk to Yu about.

The more experienced Wild Card certainly helped in certain regards like that.

They got inside and ordered their ramen. Ryuji went with a beef bowl while Akira went with a bowl of miso. They sat together at the bar, eating the noodles mostly quietly. There was some slurping but that was to be expected.

"Hey, so… I think I'll actually ask Ann out." Ryuji said after a moment. "I've been hanging with her a bit more, tempering some of the more perverted urges around her. She's got a mean swing of her hand when she wants to." He said, shaking his head.

"Good for you." Akira said honestly. Really, he didn't have any plans to go after Ann, so Ryuji making an attempt not only to better himself but also try and have a serious relationship, it was a good thing to consider.

"Yeah, but what about you man?" Ryuji swatted Akira's stomach.

"What about me?" Akira asked. He wasn't certain where Ryuji would go with the conversation. Again, the boy's perverted antics were known to the dark haired teen. He didn't want to be offered any advice from his friend in that regard that both of them would likely come to regret.

"Do you have your eyes on anyone special? Come on! There's a lot of cute girls at our school. Ai-san of 2-E is quite the looker." Ryuji said with a bit of a grin.

Akira shook his head and sighed. Fine, if this was what Ryuji was after. "First, I'm not going to go after Ai-san. I barely know of her, nonetheless know her. Second, if you have to know, I do have an eye on…" Damn, it was embarrassing to talk about.

"Come on Akira, I manned up and told you about Ann." Ryuji said.

Akira sighed again. "I have a thing for Haru and Makoto, okay?" he said finally. "I don't know which one to pick though and I know I have to pick one. Geez, I already had this talk with Yu."

"Wait. You had this talk with Yu before me? Aw man." Ryuji shook his head. "But good on you, good choices." Ryuji grinned a bit and drank some broth from his ramen. "Both are good lookin' girls, definitely cute."

"I still have to pick one." Akira said a bit forcefully.

"Semantics." Ryuji said.

"I'm surprised you even know that word Ryuji." Akira said.

"Oi! That was uncalled for." They continued ribbing each other like that for a while when Ryuji turned to look at Akira. "Can I ask what you see in 'em?" The blonde asked.

Akira sighed a bit and thought about what Ryuji asked. What he saw in them. "Makoto's… smart. She's driven. Focused. Watching her work through a problem is… It's incredible really. And when she's working as Queen it's like all of that turns up tenfold." Akira shook his head. "I have a date with her coming up after the exams so she can meet her friend's boyfriend that's apparently a host. I asked if I could take it seriously, and she thought I was talking about making sure Eiko-san was safe."

"Ouch." Ryuji commented as he continued eating the noodles from his ramen.

"Haru's… She's hard working. Diligent. And she's kind. I've known her less time than Makoto, but Haru's…" Akira was having difficulty coming up with the words he wanted to use. "I'm not sure the words I want to use." He finally admitted.

Ryuji nodded his head. "Nothin' wrong with that. I'd be hard pressed to describe Ann in more ways than just fun." He said. "I doubt I can offer any advice Akira." The blonde looked a bit put out by that too.

Akira shook his head. "It's fine." he said. He finished up his ramen, enjoying the noodles and the brothy goodness. The pair then headed out of Ogikubo and started to head towards the train station. Akira had thoroughly shot down the idea of racing to the train station also. He didn't want to throw up the ramen.

Once on Central Street, Akira grabbed Ryuji's attention. "Come on, quick detour to Yu's place. Maybe he knows what's going on with Kidd."

"Oh yeah, that's a good idea." Ryuji quickly fell in step alongside Akira.

Together the pair headed to Yu's place and Akira knocked on the door. He worried about the hour briefly before the door swung open, showing Yu standing there. "We got a question for you about our Persona." Akira said. Yu nodded his head and opened the door a bit more, letting them inside. Akira could smell the scent of food that had been cooked and he offered a bit of a sheepish look. "Sorry to interrupt your meal." he said

"It's fine, what's wrong? Shouldn't you both be home resting for exams instead of in Mementos?" Yu asked, a bit curious and a bit rebuking.

"We went out for some ramen and somethin' happened to Captain Kidd." Ryuji said, speaking up and surprising Akira a little bit. "He… changed. Now he's Seiten Taisei." he said

Yu nodded his head. "And let me guess, you felt a shift inside of you as well." Akira was surprised when Yu addressed him. "Look, it's like Igor said, your bonds are your strength. Congratulations, you got your first Blood Vow. Kidd transmogrified into Seiten Taisei. He'll be stronger, he'll have better resistances. It's a sign of your resolve, your rebellion even." Yu said. "Every one of my teammates went through similar, I would expect your members to go through similar."

Akira looked down at his hand, thinking about what Yu said. "Blood Vow…" he murmured a moment. "So it's nothing bad?" he asked.

"On the contrary. For you and I, our bonds are our strength. Congratulations, your friendship with Ryuji is nigh unbreakable." Yu said.

"He's right." Ryuji said, speaking up seriously. "You're the first person who didn't see me as a delinquent since I got my leg busted by Kamoshida. You need anything at all, I'll be there." He said. "Call it whatever you want, but you've helped me out with so much, I doubt I'll ever be able to repay the debt I owe."

Akira shook his head. "I didn't do it because I wanted something out of it Ryuji. I did it because it was the right thing to do. You don't owe me a thing.' he said seriously.

"That's all well and good, but do you two mind?" Yu asked with an amused smile on his face. "I have dinner on the table calling to me if you two don't have anything more to ask about."

"Oh!" Akira started and headed out of the house with Ryuji. "See you this weekend!" he called out, getting a wave in return as the door was closed.

Ryuji grinned. "Well, my food's settled! I'm running to the station! Later!" The track athlete took off at a good run and Akira was glad to see his knee wasn't bothering him.

Akira thought on what Yu said. A Blood Vow? Sounded like something Igor would have come up with and not the other Wild Card. Akira decided to think on it later.

 _Take Your Time_

"Fire in the hole!" Haru's loud declaration was punctuated by a low 'swoosh' followed by a much louder explosion. " _C'esta ca._ " Haru said, turning away from the hallway that had been filled with Shadows coming running at the team of Thieves.

Makoto's French wasn't quite up to the task of translating what Haru said, but she could admire the destruction of the Shadows. She shook her head. How Akira decided that Haru Okumura, a rather innocent looking girl most days, _needed_ a grenade launcher and a battle axe of all things was beyond Makoto's comprehension.

But, the explosion took care of the Shadows rather neatly, so Makoto couldn't complain too much. Except Haru also had a tendency to use the thing when people were a little closer than that with about just as much warning.

That was to say very little

Makoto looked around the labyrinth that was Futaba's Palace. The pyramid was constantly shifting, constantly changing. They had to backtrack, they had to double back. They took new routes through old rooms.

"This is troubling." Haru said as she moved up beside Akira. "You said that a Person's Palace is the state of their Heart, yes?"

Makoto couldn't help but agree with Haru's statement. "Perhaps we should discuss this at the next safe room." She said.

Akira nodded his head, agreeing Haru's assessment, Makoto's statement, or both. They continued through the hallways, working through puzzles and traps that made the place feel even more like some sort of ancient Egyptian tomb. They then came to one of the harder parts for Makoto. The murals were necessary to solve, and they helped to solve a bit of the riddle surrounding Futaba.

But they always came with some sort of memory playing around them, sounding out what Futaba thought happened. And it sounded like Futaba's mother was more interested in her work than actually spending time with Futaba. Makoto ached for the younger girl, experiencing a similar pain. With her parents deceased and Sae constantly working it seemed, Makoto had lived a very lonely life.

It was only recently that that loneliness began to subside because of Akira's actions. She actually began to feel like she was alive and not going through the motions of living. Her time spent in the Metaverse was scary, terrifying even. Her legs ached, her chest burned, and then there was the fact the fight with the Reaper kept playing in her mind. She had scarcely believed that Ryuji had survived, yet the blonde boy had.

And recently his Persona got even stronger!

But the fact of the matter was that because Akira put his trust in her, she was there helping the Phantom Thieves already. Most days she went home starving for food, aching beyond all belief, and tired like she had just taken a hundred college entrance exams, but she was still having so much fun! She was hanging out with people she could really consider friends. Yes, she did come across as overbearing to a few of them, but she was working on it. She was actually able to try and fix some of her personality issues.

She had even had a talk about art with Yusuke and she really didn't like art that much.

But because she was able to actually relate to Futaba in such a way, Makoto felt it was necessary that they help the young girl out. Makoto didn't know if Futaba would join the Phantom Thieves, whether as an accessory or something more, but she wanted to help Futaba out. She needed to stop seeing her home as a tomb that she would one day die in.

The walls came crumbling down with a loud crash as Akira finished solving the puzzle of the mural. The group then descended down towards the safe room, heading inside. Akira brought his pack up onto the stone table and pulled out a few containers of curry that he had made. Slowly, he began to dish the meal out.

Makoto decided to speak up. "What did you notice Noir?" she asked the newest member before she took a bite of her food. As always, the curry was exceptional. Even back when Akira didn't have the right balance of spices and everything came out spicey, it was exceptional. Since he figured out the balance though, it was even more sublime. Unbidden an image of Akira cooking curry for her in the apartment she and Sae lived in came to her.

Makoto was glad for her mask, she knew she was blushing underneath it.

She barely dismissed the image when Haru spoke up. "This place. It's… horrible. If it represents what is in Futaba-san's heart, then…" She shook her head before sipping a bit of the coffee she had. "There is no clear route except from the entrance to the Treasure. How many rooms shifted while we were in them? How many traps did we disarm only for them to arm themselves once more? How many routes did we take only for them to lead into a dead end, even though we backtracked from another dead end? This place is as Distorted as Mementos. Always shifting, always changing, never staying the same. And the distortion is supposed to get stronger as we get closer to Futaba-san's Treasure. The traps are already getting more and more dangerous. Shadows lurk, ready for us to drop our guard for the slightest instance before striking. It almost feels as though Futaba-san isn't even in control of the Palace. That it listens to someone else that is manipulating it."

"I've noticed that as well." Akira said. "It's as though someone is, for want of a better term, hacking the place and changing it to their own designs. Like they are taking the concept of what Futaba knows in regards to manipulating electronics, whatever she might know based on her mother's research, and then applying it to Futaba's Palace."

Makoto took a sip of the coffee. It was good stuff, plenty to get them energized for the next part. "Leaving isn't an option. We're here, we need to handle it." she said. "Does anyone have any suggestions?" Makoto was the team strategist. That did not mean she thought she could come up with every plan. There was merit in what everyone had to say.

"So far, we've been playing it smart. And Skull's new Persona has definitely been working in our favor." Morgana said from his spot, eating some of the curry. "But I estimate we have another gateway to go through, and then our path to the treasure is clear."

Makoto nodded her thanks to the feline. Information helped to make up more plans.

"Dumb question!" Ryuji held his hand up. "Can't we just blow through these gates? I mean, sure we've been workin' through the rest of the Palace, but I dunno, can't we just… blow it up?"

"Doubtful." Yusuke said. "I thought similar with heating and then cooling the gates. They appear to be made of metal after all, so if we could force a weak spot, then we might be able to get through them easier. The gates are almost a half meter thick when I investigated the previous gates. It would take much more than what I am capable of."

"Same here." Ann said. "Carmen's flames are brief, more flash and explosion than concentrated. Something like what Fox is thinking would need more concentrated fire over an extended period of time."

Makoto noticed everyone turning to look at Ann regarding that. Even Makoto was left blinking a bit.

"What?" Ann asked, tilting her head a bit.

"It's… surprising coming for you Panther." Akira held his hands up as he said that. "Not saying you don't know things, but you've repeatedly said you're pretty much only good at English. That's not exactly an English bit of trivia."

Ann blushed a bit and dipped her head down. "I've been trying to get better, to be better. Not just so I can be a better model but also a better friend for Shiho. I've been studying a bit more and also talking to the other models. They have interesting bits of trivia." she said.

Makoto glanced over to Yu who seemed to be contemplating something. "Fool?" she asked.

"Why not try?" He said. "At worst, we waste a bit of energy for me and Scientist. We're hanging back anyways so you guys can get stronger and better trained. We can take a crack at blasting the gate open."

Naoto looked over to the silver haired adult, as though trying to contemplate what he was considering. "Hmm, yes, I think I get what you're getting at. It's quite unorthodox, but then nothing about this has been."

The Phantom Thieves stood up as one and followed Yu and Naoto outside of the safe room, the curry and coffee forgotten for the time being. The pair moved some distance away from the metal gate that had been pulled down and they both looked over it. Makoto noticed the swirl of tri-colored lights surround both of them. A second later, they both seemed to be bursting with energy as they cast a second spell upon themselves.

"Uhm, I think we should get back in the safe room." Morgana said panicked. "Those two have a lot of power charged up right now!"

That was all Makoto needed to know to push everyone back, especially as blue tarot cards formed up in front of both Yu and Naoto. She shut the door and held it shut, hearing the twin shouts of the more powerful Persona users. "Megidolaon!" The explosion rocked the door and the walls, a thermos of coffee actually spilling over as the room was rattled.

But just like an explosion, it was over in a flash and Makoto slowly opened the door, trying to look through the dust and sand that had been kicked up from the attack.

"Well… That answers that." Yu said.

"Indeed. This gate is quite sturdy." Naoto spoke.

Makoto could finally see the impact point of the spells hitting. The surface was dented inwards a bit, but not nearly enough to make an impact on the structural integrity of the gate. Makoto was glad that the doors rose to open instead of falling, it'd make things more difficult if they had to somehow climb over the gate in order to bypass it because of that dent.

"What in the Hell was that?" Akira asked suddenly.

"Heat Riser, Mind Charge, Megidolaon. An extremely powerful and reliable combination against just about everything." Yu said. "Heat Riser buffs your attributes, Mind Charge surges all your energy into your next spell. Megidolaon is Severe Almighty Damage. Morning Star could have been used, or Black Viper, but I've found that Megidolaon is a touch stronger from a Persona dedicated to the more magical arts.."

Akira pinched the bridge of his nose. Makoto wasn't certain all of what Yu said, though she had a feeling it might come into play later on in her life as a Phantom Thief. But she did note that Yu was talking a little faster than he usually did.

Everyone returned to the Safe Room now that they knew they needed to rest up and just prepare. Makoto took a moment to eat some of the delicious curry that Akira had made before she spoke up. "To answer your earlier question Skull, no it's not a viable method to simply blow our way through the door. It would take more firepower than we currently have available or it would take too long. Plus, we don't know what sort of defenses might be mustered against us."

Ryuji nodded, eating some more of his own curry and drinking some coffee. "Got that, thanks." he said.

"So we must traverse through another labyrinth of twisting halls trapped beyond all belief." Haru said. She shook her head and drank some more coffee. " _Merde._ " She spoke that under her breath. "Oh! Uhm, excuse my language." she said.

"Don't apologize." Yu said. "We've all felt that way."

"We don't do anything by half-measure, do we?" Haru asked with a bit of dry humor tinting her voice.

Makoto smiled. "Yes, I do believe you have had a rough introduction. First that monster without any weapons, and now a run through a trapped tomb to help a girl most of us have never even met." She noticed Akira was about to speak and she held a hand up to forestall his statements. "Don't Joker." she said, trying to be kind. "We would not be here if we did not all agree to it. You didn't drag any of us into this."

Akira settled down a bit. "Sorry, it's just… Having met her, she needs help. I don't know if a change of heart will be enough, but it's as good a start as any."

Yu went towards the door and peeked out of it, looking around for shadows. "We should probably get moving again. We all know we're on a bit of a time crunch." He said.

Makoto finished her coffee and the last bite of curry she had before she stood up. She checked her revolver, frowning a bit. Another speed loader and she'd be out. And Naoto's Anaconda replica used .44 rounds where her Diamondback used .38 Special, so she couldn't just ask the sleuth for some of hers. "Joker, I'm going to need a new revolver." she said after a moment of thought.

"What's wrong with that one?" Akira asked, coming over and looking at the nickel plated revolver.

"Scientist's revolver uses .44 rounds. This one doesn't. We can't share ammo and I have a pretty small ammo pool. Not as bad as Noir's however still noticeable." Makoto said simply as she started to take point, heading to the next hallway that would lead them into the labyrinth they would traverse.

Yu chuckled behind her. "Just nod and look into it." He said.

 _Take Your Time_

Morgana bolted awake, breathing a bit heavier and looking around worriedly. However, he slowly came to the conclusion that he was within Akira's room. Slowly, his breathing began to come under control. He glanced up at the human sleeping in the bed and he decided that he needed to step away for a moment. Carefully, he stepped down onto the floor, circling around the foot of the bed before he leapt up onto the window sill and jumped down onto the low wall outside.

Being the middle of summer in an attic without air conditioning, both he and Akira needed to have that window open.

Morgana then turned around and looked up towards the rooftop. He leapt up onto the rooftop and padded around, taking a seat on the ledge as he just looked up to the moon up above. His mind drifted back to the dreams he had been having as of late and he couldn't help but wonder.

A Shadow.

While the idea to him wasn't exactly an appealing one, especially considering they were fighting against Shadows, Morgana couldn't help but acknowledge the similarities and parallels between himself and the Investigation Team's Teddie. Morgana was found within the Metaverse, Kamoshida's Castle to be exact. Teddie had been found within the TV World. Morgana held few memories outside of Mementos and Kamoshida's Castle. Teddie held no memories of anything but the TV World.

But Morgana didn't want to be a Shadow. He wanted to be a human. He wanted to be a human more than anything, even more than he wanted his memories back. If his memories told him that he wasn't a human, could never be human, then Morgana didn't want them.

He glanced down to his paws. And then there was his form. He was a cat outside of the Metaverse. Then he could turn into a bus within the Metaverse. How could he honestly call himself a human with these things working against him? He had tried to teach Akira how to transform, to change at least something about himself. Morgana had hoped that if Akira could, then he could validate that it wasn't something unique to him.

"I WANT TO BE HUMAN!" The feline cried out. Of course to others that couldn't hear his voice, it would just sound like a cat yowling, but it was the deepest parts of Morgana's heart that wanted to be human. He needed to be human. "I want to be human." He choked back the sobs that threatened to spill forth. "I want to do human things. I want to talk to Boss, I want to do things with Lady Ann. I want to play video games with Akira and Ryuji. I want to go to museums and art galleries. I want to ride the subway cramped in with everyone else. I want to go eat sushi with my friends."

Morgana's shoulders slumped and his head drooped. Slowly he stood back up and leapt back down onto the wall. He should get back inside, go back to sleep. They had too much work to do for him to be bellyaching about what he could and couldn't change. He looked to the open window and leapt up after judging the distance. He landed on the window sill before he dropped down onto the floor and began to circle around the foot of the bed. He didn't want to wake Akira.

Their leader needed his strength after all.

Morgana climbed up onto the bed and moved to settle in when Akira spoke up, half scaring Morgana. "Want to talk about it?" The teenager asked.

Morgana glanced at Akira. "Talk about what?" he asked, feigning ignorance. He didn't want to burden Akira with more problems. How many people was Akira helping by that point? No, Morgana wasn't going to add more to that number.

"You kick your legs when you're having nightmares and your claws aren't clipped Morgana." Akira said. "I've been up for a while and I heard your loud proclamation. Come on, talk."

Morgana looked up to the frizzy haired teen. When had Akira's eyes gotten so mature? He remembered him and Ryuji being wide eyed fresh faced Persona users. He remembered the pallor of their skin, and the way that they breathed harder from the running they had to do. Now… Now Akira was looking at him with sharp eyes that picked up on things that Morgana could only begin to guess at.

And that wasn't even mentioning Ryuji. Honestly, leaping in front of that monster and then enduring the pain and blood loss long enough for Morgana to get there and heal him...

"I… I keep having these dreams. Memories? Nightmares? I don't know." Morgana said. "I'm somewhere dark. It looks like it's deep inside Mementos. There's this… membrane around me and no matter how much I struggle, no matter how much I fight at it, it doesn't release me until suddenly it just ruptures. I'm alone, I… I don't know where I'm at. I'm covered in some ink like fluid. The Shadows begin closing in on me and all I can do is run. I… at some point I hear Zorro call to me, he's not strong enough. The rattle of chains closes in."

Morgana knew his voice sounded so small at the moment. He had been so scared. He didn't know if they were memories or if they were dreams. Even just thinking about what he had seen… Morgana wasn't certain if he wanted to know what was at the bottom of Mementos.

Mogana glanced up as he felt a heavy hand on his neck, looking to Akira who had reached out to scruff his neck. The teen offered a smile. "It's okay." He said.

"No it's not!" Morgana hissed, batting at Akira's hand and making him pull it away least Morgana draw blood. "I don't know who or what I even am Akira! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be stuck like this? I have to be carried everywhere! I hate it! I hate it! I can't even order curry from Boss. I can't go out and get my own damned fatty tuna! I hate this!"

Akira grabbed Morgana and pulled him in, wrapping him up in a hug. "It's okay!" Akira said again, holding Morgana close. "Because I am your friend. Because the rest of the Phantom Thieves are your friends. I don't care Morgana. Human, Shadow, I don't care. You're my friend. It's okay to be angry, to be frustrated by your situation. I know that better than anyone." Morgana went a bit limp at Akira's words. He did know what it was like to be in a bad situation. "We'll help you find out what's in Mementos. I've chained myself to a path of rebellion Morgana, I'm prepared to pave a way into hell itself. If it takes going into Hell to find out the truth about you, then I'm going to do it."

"But what if-" Morgana tried to argue.

"Morgana, we're going into the depths of Mementos." Akira said firmly. The sheer ferocity of the statement actually gave Morgana pause. "If there's nothing down there, then there's nothing down there. If there's something there, there's something there. We. Don't. Care. We are your friends Morgana. We're there to help you, no matter what. But if we don't, if you back out, you will regret not going down there for the rest of your life. And as your friend, I refuse to let you have such a regret."

"But what if I find out I'm not human?" Morgana cried out. "What if someone gets hurt because of my selfishness?"

"Then we deal with it." Akira said sharply. "I don't like it any more than you do Morgana. But we're already being selfish. A little bit more won't hurt. And if you're not human, it won't change the fact that you're my friend."

Morgana couldn't help the choked sob. It was… It was almost too much for the feline. How could he react to such passionate words? He didn't know how to respond to them. That Akira was willing to go to such lengths for him spoke of how true his friendship was. "You ass." The cat managed to get out. "Making me feel all mushy like this."

Akira laughed a little bit. "Well, the other option is to tell you to start doing push ups and sit ups inside Mementos until something grows inside of you." He said. He let Morgana go and the cat moved to sit at his spot, looking towards Akira.

"Thanks Akira." Morgana said softly. "I don't know if that's a nightmare, memories, or what. I can't even begin to translate what's dream and reality with that."

Akira reached up and tapped his temple. "I know that one too thanks to Futaba. But Haru-chan gave me some good advice. If it's a dream, make it a good one. If it's reality, live it to your fullest."

Morgana felt a smile forming, even if the muscles of a cat's face didn't translate to a smile properly. "Yeah, that's some good advice. Let's get back to sleep. We need our rest."

"Night Morgana." Akira said as he laid back.

Morgana situated himself at the back of Akira's legs. "Goodnight Akira." he said. Things weren't perfect. And in fact, Morgana had more questions than he had answers. But he knew that if he stuck with Akira, he'd find some semblance of closure.

"Oh, also, we're going to be meeting Teddie in like a month, so there's also that to look forward to." Akira mentioned after a moment.

Heh. Yeah, yeah there was. Even if there was no answers to be gained, there was at least the fact that they could write off the source of information. "Fireworks festival is tomorrow right?"

"Mhm."

"Can't wait to see Lady Ann in a yukata." Morgana mentioned. Ah… better thoughts to go to sleep to than his own insecurities.

"Sure buddy."

In the end, things weren't perfect. But, for once, Morgana felt as though he really did have a place he belonged to. Akira's friendship was worth as much as being human some days.

Chapter End

 **A/N: You know, I wanted to write more this weekend, but this chapter actually fought me. And I realize that it might seem boring to write out the social links, especially to the people that have played a ridiculous amount of this game, but I want to at least write out the rank ten links with the Phantom Thieves.**

 **To my American viewers, I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. To my non-American viewers, cheers!**


	22. Chapter 22: Fireworks

Chapter 22: Fireworks

Naoto slowly adjusted the hat on her head as she looked herself in the mirror. After some prodding, she had agreed with Yu to go with the Phantom Thieves to see the fireworks. The girls had, apparently, decided to wear yukatas, but Naoto had not brought hers to Shibuya and she was honestly quite fond of hers. That wasn't to say she only had one, but they were of similar design and colors. She wasn't about to try and get a new one to wear to the fireworks in Shibuya. She already had quite a number of things to box up and send home to her apartment in Inaba.

Still, the hot and humid day made Naoto almost want to dress as feminine as possible and go with Yu, following his philosophy that no one in Shibuya would recognize her as Naoto Shirogane the Detective Prince. She had already used a set of bandages to wrap around her breasts to compress them down as best as possible. While not an ideal use, and she'd rather the more secure chest binder, the bandages she could get remarkably similar results with less skin being covered.

She smoothed out the blue dress shirt, glad for its design. It was able to breath, and she knew in the heat of mid July, she'd want to be able to be as cool as possible. She even forewent a tie, not even having one for some semblance of professionalism.

Naoto stepped out and headed downstairs. Yu was waiting on her. She had showered second and thus he had a head start getting ready. Naoto was pleased to see that he had both of their umbrellas at the ready. She put her boots on and laced them. If it did rain as the weather was calling for, then she would be glad for the boots' water resistant and slip resistant properties. She accepted her umbrella before they left.

The pair walked over towards the subway station, people busily making their way along as well. "I missed the fireworks festival when you were in Inaba." Naoto said softly. Granted, back then, she hadn't been dating Yu, in fact when the festival had been underway, she had initially been suspicious of him to an extent.

"It's alright." Yu said as they walked. "We get to spend this one together at least."

Naoto nodded her head. "And then there is the festival." she said. Honestly, she was excited about that one. More excited than she'd let Yu know. There was something satisfying about the idea of being able to have her boyfriend to herself during such an event. The last time she could really say she had been able to be alone with her boyfriend had been during the ski trip on the second day. She had half expected Yu to go with someone else, but he had come over to her, regardless of how bad she had been doing.

That said, she still could not skii. She'd have to see about going with Yu sometime during the winter.

"What are the chances of the others not bringing umbrellas?" Yu asked.

"I would say fairly high." Naoto said. "You lived a year by the weather report. And I lived a fair number of months by it as well. That doesn't go away, every morning we're watching the weather report to know what we can possibly expect for the day. On the other hand, the weather isn't as adverse to the efforts of the PT." She said. "It effects the Shadows in Mementos to be certain, but lives aren't on the line based on continuous rain and fog setting in."

Yu chuckled and Naoto glanced up towards him. "I've said it once, I'll say it again. I love listening to you talk and reason things out." He said, dropping his voice to a lower whisper.

Naoto flushed slightly. "So if it does rain," She had to get away from the topic of thought, Yu would flirt and tease relentlessly if he thought he could get away with it. "Are we loaning an umbrella to the girls?" she asked.

"Yes, I think we will." Yu said. "It's not the first time we've shared an umbrella, right?" Not to mention, by his own admission, every one of the Investigation Team at one point or another had forced their way under his umbrella. It was something Naoto felt was extremely amusing. But then again, Yu had quite a bit of height over the girls of their group, her more so than the others. He just had the height to hold it and keep two people covered.

Naoto nodded her head regardless. Admittedly, she did enjoy standing that close to Yu. She tilted her hat down a moment. "If it does rain, we might get back home late." She smiled a little. "And it might be a little cold from the rain." She let her voice slip to a lower whisper.

She was pleased to see Yu's lips quirk up as he figured out what she was talking about. It would be an excellent way to celebrate the end of exams and a way to blow off some steam. The pair headed down into the subway station and spotted Ryuji and Akira standing there.

"Yo." Ryuji greeted, holding a hand up. "We're trying to decide what this guy can do to make the fireworks a bit more special. He doesn't have a yukata."

"Yeah, didn't think about it." Akira said, rubbing his neck a bit. "Else I might have brought one when I came to Shibuya. Didn't really think I'd be doing anything that would really call for it."

Yu motioned towards his own clothes. A pair of jeans and a gray and blue baseball tee was what he had on. "I think I'm hardly one to talk. I have a yukata and didn't wear it. Course, I also have a more formal business suit and a more formal traditional kimono as well. Dad told me it's smart to have both."

Naoto looked up towards Yu blinking, noticing that the Phantom Thieves were doing the same.

"What?" Yu asked.

"It's just… You don't really talk about your parents." Naoto said. That wasn't to say he didn't, but Yu's parents weren't the best of topic to talk to the silver haired adult.

"Oh. Right." Yu said a bit sheepishly.

"What's with the umbrellas? Expecting rain?" Akira asked.

Naoto smirked a bit. "Of course. Don't you check your phone? There's like an eighty percent chance of rain tonight. Most smart phones come standard with a weather app."

Both teenage boys blinked before in a flash they were pulling their phones out. They both checked their respective apps and Ryuji's shoulders slumped. "Oh man!" He called out. "And we totally forgot umbrellas!"

"Why would we need an umbrella?" Yusuke's calm and collected voice came from behind them. Naoto turned to look at him and saw that he was wearing a dark blue, but fashionable men's yukata with a gold obi wrapped around his waist. It had a simple design to it and he even wore a pair of geta to go with it.

"There's a pretty good chance of rain tonight." Naoto said just as amused as before. Ah, this was fun.

"I see. And I forgot my umbrella. Unfortunate. Perhaps we can stop by a convenience store and pick a spare up?" Yusuke thought aloud.

"You look entirely too comfortable in that yukata." Ryuji said glancing over towards Yusuke.

"Indeed? I have had others tell me similar. Why don't all of you have yukata on?" Yusuke asked the group.

"I left mine in Inaba." Naoto said calmly. "And I don't see the point in going out to buy another."

"Wearing a yukata in the rain doesn't sound like a good idea." Yu said.

"I don't have clothes like a yukata." Ryuji groused.

"And I left mine back home." Akira said with a shrug. "Didn't expect to come to a fireworks festival. It happens."

Yu glanced over to Ryuji, Naoto noted he was looking at the blonde with a critical eye. "Ryuji, do you want some help getting a yukata, kimono, and suit?" he asked.

"I'm not poor!" Ryuji snapped.

Yu held his hands up. "I'm not saying you are." He said politely. "But you don't exactly have an older male figure in your life to help you pick stuff out."

"He's quite correct. Madarame helped me pick out my things." Yusuke said. "All three have their place."

Ryuji grunted a bit and kicked his foot. "If I can pay for it." He groused out. "I can't get anything pricey though."

Akira glanced between the males of the group. "Would it be alright if I tagged along? I got the yukata, but the kimono and suit are two that I don't have." he said.

Yu nodded his head. "Sure, I'm sure I can impart some of my dad's wisdom down onto you guys. If not, I can always ask Sensei. Maybe Uncle Ryotaro, but I kinda doubt that. I've never seen him out of his work suit."

Naoto shook her head a little bit and glanced to the side as two females were coming over. They were both in rather spectacular looking yukata that were very feminine. "Oh hey, are you going to the fireworks festival?" She carefully stepped to the side and just a little bit behind Yu. She hated to think that she was hiding, but she was still a relatively famous individual. And the media loved playing about her exploits, especially whenever Akechi was on. And because the majority of the population still thought she was male, she did tend to get quite a few female admirers.

"That's right." Yusuke stepped around, blocking her a little bit more. She was glad he was able to pick up on her discomfort around others.

"Us too! Wanna go with us?"

"C'mon, let's go together." The one in the pink yukata said.

"Do you happen to be a model? You look great in that yukata." The one in the black said.

"That's enough." Yusuke said, clearly annoyed by his tone.

"Okay, okay." Yu stepped in and touched Yusuke's shoulder, apparently reading everything. "It's all good, no need to get cranky."

Akira cleared his throat and stepped towards the two girls. "We're actually waiting on a couple of friends of ours to change into their yukatas. The girls should be here any second." Though he offered a smile, Naoto could see the venom behind it. It was intended to make the girls jealous.

The two girls offered each other a look and then headed off quietly without any words.

"They were disgracing their yukata. If they wish to act like that, they should tie the obi in the front." Yusuke said.

"Woah." Yu looked at the artist a bit shocked. Even Naoto was taken aback by the statement. To say they should tie the obi in the front was to equate them to prostitutes. "Relax Yusuke, I get it. Tone the artist back a notch."

"Sorry we're late!" Ann's cheerful voice came along and Naoto turned to face them. Ann was wearing a fashionable light blue yukata with multicolored spots as a pattern with a red obi. Makoto wore a white yukata with red flowers and black leaf designs. Haru's was light pink with a white flora design and a white obi wrapped around her waist.

"My apologies!" Haru bowed. "My father was attempting to push attendants on me, but I wished to come with friends." she said.

"It's fine." Yu said.

"At least Haru has the right idea." Naoto said. Haru was the only one of the Phantom Thieves to carry an umbrella.

"My father pushed it on me." Haru admitted, holding it out. "You don't really think it's going to rain, do you?" she asked a bit worriedly.

It was such a paradox between the Haru within the Metaverse when she donned the guise of Noir and Haru on the outside. Haru was polite, even a bit meek, and very respectful. It was with some luck they managed to convince her to not call them 'Senpai' as a collective because of their experience in being Phantom Thieves. Noir on the other hand was a bit more brash with a touch of sadism. And she was much more willing to swear, though often times resorting to French to do so.

"Eighty percent chance." Yu said a bit amused. Naoto could see why. It was without a doubt interesting that all the Phantom Thieves forgot to check a basic thing like the weather. "Here." He held out his umbrella towards Ann and Makoto. "Fits about two, and since Haru has hers, that leaves it for you two."

"Yusuke, if you'd like to share if it does rain, I wouldn't mind." Haru said.

"W-wait, why do they get the umbrella? Why does Yusuke get to share?" Ryuji was surprised at that, and glancing between the umbrella, the girls, and Yusuke.

"One," Naoto began. "Senpai and I have had to share an umbrella before. We are perfectly capable of doing so again. Two, Makoto and Ann are wearing yukata and Senpai happens to be a perfect gentleman when it comes to these things. Even if we had only brought one umbrella, he would have given his up to Ann and Makoto. Third, Haru can pick whoever she wants to share with, but I would assume that she chose Yusuke because he is also wearing a yukata. They aren't something you can just toss into a dryer after all."

Makoto stepped over towards Akira a moment, looking him in the face. Akira leaned back a bit, blinking at the older girl before she reached up and took his glasses off. "There. I think you'd look better without them." She said.

"How long have you guys been standing there?" Akira asked as he took the glasses and tucked them away.

"Long enough to watch Yusuke shoot those girls down." Ann said amused. "He's such a pretty boy but misses out on a lot because he doesn't watch what he says."

"But you can't deny that he sticks to his guns." Naoto said. "Shall we get going? It's getting to be quite crowded as is. We should find a good spot."

Together the group of teenagers headed for the stairs and started to head down towards the riverside. They couldn't get too close obviously, getting close generally involved either getting there early or living within the area.

The area was cramped with the group, and they had a bit of a blockage from one of the buildings. But even still, they got to enjoy the fireworks going off. Yu had, teasingly and so none of the others, offered Naoto a ride on his shoulders so she could see. She had promptly elbowed him in the ribs for the jibe at her height.

However, it was only minutes into the event that the rain started to come down. Within the first few drops, she and Yu had stepped away from the crowd and he opened her umbrella, holding it up over them as it started to come down.

Haru, Yusuke, Makoto, and Ann all got a little wet before they could get their umbrellas out. Ryuji and Akira on the other hand quickly got soaked to the bone as the summer shower came in with a nice downpour.

They stood in front of a convenience store for the sake of the two boy's hoping to wait out the storm a little bit. Yu continued holding the umbrella over them, the pair only having a few splatters of rain on their clothes and the cuffs of their pants.

"So how come you two were so prepared? I get Haru's dad wantin' her to have an umbrella." Ryuji said.

"People lived and died by the weather." Yu said a little more quietly, glancing around a moment. "We had to keep a close eye on the weather. It's become like second nature to wake up, turn the weather channel on, make a pot of coffee, all before I even begin brushing my teeth or using the bathroom or thinking about starting breakfast."

"He really does." Naoto said with a smile. "Inaba had been… quite crazy. Usually it is more relaxed. I quite enjoy it."

"It's your hometown right?" Makoto asked.

"The Shirogane estate is a brief train ride away, so essentially yes." Naoto said. "Inaba is the closest, largest city. The city closest to the Shirogane estate doesn't even have a High School, so children would have to go to Inaba regardless to attend Yasogami High."

"And calling Inaba large is a bit of a misnomer." Yu said.

"Naoto-kun!" Naoto turned to look at the girl that had called out to her and was coming up with another girl, both having an umbrella. The girls were admirers of hers from Shujin Academy. Immediately, Naoto could feel her lips pulling themselves into a frown. "We didn't know you were coming to the festival." The girl that called out to her was named Hana Ito and frankly, Naoto didn't like her. She was chasing an ideal, thinking she could learn more about Naoto and declare her love. Naoto had dealt with types like her in the past, but this one was more persistent than most. Dressed in a bright red yukata with white floral designs, she reminded Naoto a bit of Yukiko with her long dark hair drawn back into a braid.

"That's because I didn't tell you, Ito-san." Naoto said, trying to be as polite as possible about that. "We are classmates, not friends."

"Narukami-senpai, it's good to see you again." Hana's friend, Sara Sato, spoke to Yu a bit flirtatiously. Naoto narrowed her eyes a little bit. The girl had a head of brown hair pulled into a neat braid and tucked over one shoulder. She wore a white yukata as well with various blue spots, similar to Ann's own yukata.

"I'm sorry, I don't recall you." Yu immediately shot her down. "I wasn't exactly the most personable person during my last year at Shujin."

"Oh! Niijima-san, Haru-san, you're here as well?" Hana asked, probably pretending to just notice them for the sake of appearing polite..

"We came with Naoto and Yu." Haru said with a very polite smile. So polite Naoto could tell it was faked. "As well as the rest of our friends."

"I should have made a point to cover my more discernible features." Naoto said, pulling her hat down on her head a bit more. Jeez, the price of fame.

"Detective Prince!" Oh no. It just went from bad to worse. A reporter was coming over with a cameraman. And not a reporter Naoto could tolerate. Interestingly enough, she thought Ohya to be a refreshing breath of air.

"How do you want to handle this?" Yu asked her quietly.

"I'm thinking on it." Naoto said. Really, this was annoying to the detective. She couldn't even enjoy a festival, even if it was rained out, with her boyfriend and friends? Some days she really did hate that damned title the media gave her. She hardly took any credit for her work with the police. Really, she was already being paid for her efforts, she didn't need the praise.

"How did you enjoy the Fireworks festival Naoto-kun?" The reporter asked with a friendly smile.

Naoto turned those cold eyes on the man. The same eyes she had given the Investigation Team before they were her friends. "Please don't refer me in such a familiar manner. The same goes for you Ito-san." She said. "I have not given you leave to do so. And frankly, you're ruining the experience for me."

"Aw, but I was hoping we could spend some time together." Hana said. "Narukami-senpai can spend a bit of time getting to know Sara."

"And abandon mine and Yu's friends? I think not." Naoto immediately shot the idea down. She truly hated these type of girls, and Hana was more persistent than others. Obstinate girl wasn't getting it through her head that Naoto wanted nothing to do with her. Even if she had been interested in girls as people were led to think, she didn't care for them.

"Oh? Does the Detective Prince perhaps have a crush on one of the other girls here?" And then there was the reporter. Sniffing about for a scoop because the fireworks festival was cancelled. "You're Haru Okumura!" The man seemed excited at the prospect of interviewing the Okumura heiress.

Akira stepped forward and actually stepped into the rain, getting between the reporter and his cameraman and Haru. "Please don't harass my friends." he said, his tone a little frostier than Naoto could remember hearing.

The man looked at Akira. "Kid, you're interfering with my job, so get out of my way." he said.

Naoto glanced over at the reporter and then over at Hana. She inhaled deeply. Neither were getting it across their heads, and frankly she was getting tired of it. She could already hear the awkward conversation she was going to be having with her grandfather, especially as she considered the only option that came to mind on how to fix it. And then there was Hana's friend that was giving doe eyes at Yu. "Senpai?"

"Naoto-kun?" Yu gave her his full attention almost immediately with that one word.

"Forgive me for dragging you into my mess." Naoto reached up and grabbed Yu's cheeks and half dragged him down before kissing him full on the lips. She had to stand on her tiptoes just to make it happen, but she kissed him with the usual passion that she would kiss Yu with.

Yu returned the kiss, hesitating only briefly. His arm wrapped around the small of her back. It was a very public display of affection that was very rarely given. And given Naoto's status as a bit of a celebrity, she knew the image of her kissing Yu would go viral very quickly. Her grandfather would likely call the next day at the latest. Not that he didn't know about Yu being her boyfriend, but the actions could be considered a bit concerning for the Shirogane reputation.

"Wow." Makoto commented, but Naoto barely heard it, focused as she was on kissing and exploring Yu's lips. It didn't matter how many times that Naoto kissed the man, she thoroughly enjoyed the softness of his lips.

Naoto slowly pulled back from the kiss and looked Yu in the eyes, a faint blush blooming across her cheeks. She then looked at both Hana and the Reporter, glancing between the two before she stepped a bit closer into Yu's side. "As you can see, I already have a boyfriend that I am extremely invested in." Naoto said. Let rumors fly about her supposed homosexuality. It would hopefully reduce a lot of strain on her at school from having to deal with admirers. A different sort would certainly come out, but hopefully she could handle them easier.

The police might be a bit funny about it, but Naoto had already proven herself to be a consummate professional several times over. When at work, Naoto considered herself an investigator first, a person second. A bit strange, but it kept her focused on the facts before her so that she could look at them objectively and without any bias or assumptions.

"Kindly, Leave. Me. Alone." Naoto said, trying to be as patient with the others as possible.

Yu touched his lips a moment with his free hand. "Been a while since you kissed me like that Naoto-kun." he said. He likely knew her game and was more than willing to play along. They were still getting surprised looks from the Phantom Thieves.

But the reporter whirled on Yu, bringing up a microphone. "What's it like being the Detective Prince's boyfriend?" Naoto could see the frown forming on Yu's face. "How long have you been dating? Is there anything you want to say to his adoring fans?"

Yu reached up and clapped a hand on the microphone and forced it down. He stepped forward. "Get. Out. Of. My. Face." Yu said a bit harshly and in a lower tone. "Or I will be pressing charges for harassment. I'm sure whatever news studio you work for will be happy to know they are being slapped with a lawsuit for invading the privacy of me and my friends. I have not agreed to an interview, I will not agree to an interview, and if you decide to deflame me, or my friends, I will see you slapped with a libel charge instead."

Naoto was surprised, only slightly. Let it be know that Yu Narukami did not like people twisting the truth around to their own ends. And he would protect his friends fiercely. But then, she could hardly be surprised by that. He was always fiercely protective of his friends.

"I think now would be a good time to part ways for the evening." Yusuke said. "The storm is starting to let up."

Naoto glanced up from under the umbrella that Yu was still professionally holding. Indeed it was. She wrapped an arm around Yu's arm and leaned into him. "Let's go Senpai." she said politely, gently tugging. She was glad to feel him coming along. She wanted to get away from the gobsmacked girls and the reporter desperately wanting to get some sort of scoop.

"Makoto, Ann, bring my umbrella by when we hang out next." Yu said, even as he walked with Naoto.

Slowly, the Phantom Thieves began to split apart, with each of them trying to get away from the two girls and the reporter and his cameraman as quickly as possible. Makoto and Haru, who had practice ignoring the reporters and paparazzi based on just who they were related to, just ignored them outright. Akira and Ryuji were not that interesting in their own right to the media and the two girls, making them able to slip away easily enough. Ann and Yusuke were following the lead of Makoto and Haru.

And as they made their way down away from the festival, Naoto felt a sense of relief. Unburdened by the need to act like she wasn't madly in love with her boyfriend. She was certain there would be repercussions for what she did, but for the moment she didn't have to keep up appearances that she was some untouchable individual without emotions like a robot.

She leaned into Yu a little bit more, squeezing his arm. "It's freeing." she said softly.

Yu smiled. "I imagine." He said. They didn't have to have long drawn out conversations to understand each other. And she had his trust, so he would help her regardless of what she did. He wouldn't question her reasons. "Not that I'm complaining, never about you kissing me like that Naoto-kun, but why did you do that?"

That said, he would probably still try to ask about her reasons and why she did something. Especially something so extreme as kissing him like that. "It was a multitude of things." Naoto admitted. "Honestly, had it not been for the reporter starting in on the others like that, I would have left it alone. I could tolerate Ito-san and Saito-san. Thank you for that by the way, ignoring Saito-san's blatant attempts to flirt with you was kind of you." Not that Naoto necessary blamed the girl, there was a definite appeal to Yu. He was handsome and he was fairly kind.

Yu shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have eyes for anyone but you Naoto-kun." he told her. She couldn't help feeling that mushy feeling that wormed into her heart whenever he said something like that. Cheesy and cliche, a bit, but she couldn't deny that she quite enjoyed knowing Yu only wanted her.

"But, I've been wanting Ito-san to leave me alone. And I could tell the girls were getting to be more and more upset. I had to do something, I just couldn't think of anything that would get them to stop. I imagine it'll be in the news soon in some tabloid magazine." Naoto shook her head. "I probably could sue for libel as it would potentially hurt my reputation," And Japan was certainly a nation about their reputation. A few years ago, a tabloid had even gotten busted by a sumo wrestler stable for writing that they had been fixing matches. It later came out that the stable _had_ been fixing the matches, but the damages had already been done. "But I can deal with a few cracks, and work will be easier when they realize I don't have eyes for anyone but you."

Yu smiled a bit at that. "Just let me know if you need help relaxing after work." He told her. Naoto flushed slightly. Yu's massages were absolutely heaven.

When they got home, they took a moment to take their shoes off and put the umbrella away. Naoto then threw a look over her shoulder to Yu and offered him a smile. "Well, I do suppose I should make it up to you for dragging you into my problems. Plus, the water's made things a little chilly, so I might want to be extra close tonight." She said in a somewhat suggestive tone.

She loved the look of surprise on Yu's face. It never got boring when she could surprise him with her own forwardness and need. She slipped away from the entryway and went up the stairs. Her smile broaded as she heard Yu's hurried footsteps to follow.

Naoto spent a long time with her boyfriend.

 _Take Your Time_

Medjed. Akira had never expected the hacker group to come after the Phantom Thieves, declaring war the night of the Festival. They wanted the Phantom Thieves to reveal themselves or they would begin to hack financial institutions within Japan. It could very well bankrupt the economy, destroying the future of the nation.

And the Phantom Thieves thought they wouldn't get another target like Kaneshiro in publicity.

Akira finished getting ready for the day, thinking about what he could and would do. He already had the calling card for Futaba. It wasn't even twelve hours since he had come home soaking wet after Naoto's display. And thankfully, most of the more credible news media outlets were showing information regarding Medjed rather than doing specials on the Detective Prince's love life.

Akira couldn't help but shake his head. Naoto did make for a very convincing boy.

"Boss!" Akira called out as he came down. "I need a mild chicken curry to go please." He said. Akira then stepped up to the counter, looking at Sojiro who looked like he wanted to say something, likely along the lines of telling Akira to make it himself. "It's for Futaba." he said in a lower voice. "I've managed to get her to open the door at least."

Sojiro nodded and offered a slight smile. "Is that so?" He asked. "Alright then, one order of chicken curry." He headed to start working on the curry. There was no shortcuts, and it was going to take a bit of time. "You said you managed to get her to open her door, is she alright?"

"A little pale and a little thin." Akira said. Even accounting for the fact Futaba was fourteen, he could tell she wasn't meant to as necessarily thin as she was.

Sojiro sighed a little bit. "Help her if you can, please." The older man said almost desperately. He was a bit more refined to actually call him desperate, but Akira could tell Futaba's condition weighed heavily on the mind of Sojiro Sakura.

"I'll do what I can." Akira assured the man. Just what he could do could be called illegal and dangerous to some extent. He accepted the order of curry with Sojiro's keys when it was finished and headed outside of Le Blanc.

He headed around to Sojiro's house and headed inside quietly. He made his way over to Futaba's room and knocked gently on the door to get the girl's attention. "I need your help with something." He told her.

"Medjed, right?" Futaba's voice came from the other side of the door. Slowly it opened and she peeked through, but didn't really let Akira inside.

"That's right." Akira said. "I'm not claiming to be some social justice warrior, but I can't sit by idly and think about Japan getting rolled under by a group of hackers." he said. He held out the curry that Sojiro had made. Interestingly, for a brief moment the door swung open wider and she snatched it before the door was slammed shut in front of Akira's face. It left the frizzy haired teen blinking and staring at Futaba's door. "Uh… Futaba?"

"S-sorry. I… I haven't had Sojiro's curry in a while. But it reminds me of Mom's…" There was such sadness in Futaba's tone, and there was a slight thump that Akira was able to figure out meant she had slumped down against the door and was sitting with her back to it.

Akira frowned a bit. "Futaba…" he said softly. It hurt to see her like this. He took the calling card out and slotted it through between the door and the frame. "Listen, we need you to read this. It'll manifest the source of your distorted desires but we'll then be on a time crunch. We're doing this today."

"T-t-today?!" Futaba asked suddenly panicked. "But I'm not ready! It's too sudden!"

"You don't have to do anything Futaba." Akira said. "Just read the card and we'll take care of the rest. I can't say you'll be a normal girl after this, but hopefully you won't blame yourself for your mom's death." he said.

He heard Futaba's whine through the door. Slowly, she stood up and opened the door, sticking a hand out through the small crack. He placed the calling card in her hand and watched it draw back into her room.

"I'll be along as soon as we're done. I promise." Akira said.

"And I promise that I'll take care of Medjed. I did create it after all." He heard rustling and knew Futaba was settling in to eat, likely under the idea she was going to need her energy.

"Just make sure to read the card first." He told her.

"Yeah. 'To Futaba Sakura, for your great sin of sloth?'" She sounded confused by the card.

Akira shook his head and headed for the door. He took his phone out and sent a text to the rest of the Phantom Thieves. ' **Card delivered. It's showtime.'** He tucked the phone away, knowing his friends would be making their way over to Yu's house.

Akira dropped the keys off with Sojiro and offered the man a wave as he headed out. Morgana hopped up onto his shoulder after a moment. "Hey, hey, we doing it today?" Morgana asked hopeful.

"That's right. It's time to get to work buddy." Akira carefully took Morgana from his shoulder and slipped him into his bag. He was extremely excited about doing this. It felt like they were really doing some good for someone that needed it.

 _Take Your Time_

If there was one thing that Futaba Sakura was, it was a genius. At the age of six, she had built her very first computer. It hadn't been much, but the fact that it powered on and everything worked had been quite the milestone. At the age of eight, she optimized her mother's computer to be a smooth operating machine that wouldn't need work for likely the next five years as long as her mother kept to just work related things.

At the age of ten, she had been successful in remotely hacking into someone else's computer without them finding out about it. It hadn't been particularly encrypted, but the school had almost shut down for the day with every computer in the building going haywire with the Badger Song playing any time someone booted it up.

"Badger Badger Badger, mushroom mushroom." Futaba sang softly under her breath as she finished the curry and then moved to her computer. She was putting her faith in Akira and his friends. She didn't know why she was putting her faith in them, maybe it was the way Akira actually talked to her, even if ninety nine percent of their conversations were via text. Her fingers began to fly across her keyboard, tapping keys as she wrote out strings of information. Already she was working on finding who was using the name of Medjed to threaten the Phantom Thieves. Akira left probably three hours ago by that point.

She looked at her phone a moment. Akira had mentioned a smartphone App was what let him go into her cognitive world. She had a smartphone. It couldn't possibly be that freaky App that appeared the other day.

And then there was that… other her. Dressed up as a mummy, it had been more than a little odd to see someone just show up in her room and Futaba had been on the cusp of freaking out about it.

' _ **How long will you continue blaming yourself? How long will you continue shutting out the outside world?'**_

Her other self's words rang in her head again and Futaba reached up, clasping her head, sinking fingers into her hair to dig at her scalp. The pain helped with the hallucinations from time to time, though she never took it to an extreme.

She had once while living with her uncle.

"I'm trying." she whispered. "I'm trying, I'm trying. I'm already helping Akira-kun. Please… Please."

' _ **Are you going to avert your eyes from the truth?'**_

She whimpered a bit more and Futaba curled up onto her chair a little bit more. She opened one eye, the hallucination wasn't there. But her smartphone seemed to linger on the edge of her desk ominously, as though she knew what she was supposed to do, knew how to make it happen. But she was scared. She was so scared.

She grabbed her phone and pulled up the App on her phone a moment. "Vocal input?" Futaba bit her lip as she swallowed a bit. "Futaba Sakura." Her words were a little shaky. "Sojiro Sakura's house. And… distortion?" She closed her eyes. What could her distortion be? If she took a dive in, she would be able to see the truth for herself right?

' _You killed her!'_ No! Not again. ' _Plague! Monster! You should have never been born!'_ With each word, it felt like a knife to her heart and Futaba felt fresh tears spilling from her eyes. _'Murderer! It's all your fault! You're the one that should have died!'_

"NO!" She cried out. "This place will not be my tomb!"

' _Input accepted. Searching for route to destination.'_

Wha- Futaba glanced at her phone as the Metanav seemed to pulse. "I can go in?" she asked a bit, hesitating some more.

' _You're the one who killed her! Don't come near me! It's your fault Wakaba is dead!"_ Futaba reached up and grabbed at her hair again, wanting to scream at the unfairness.

' _Beginning navigation.'_ Futaba gagged as she felt the jerk that originated somewhere behind her navel.

When she could see again, Futaba was standing on some rough stone work, glancing about. All around her, she could see streams of data drifting about the air, though not in any code or language she could recognize. She walked forward slowly, turning about as she moved. The stone wasn't exactly comfortable on her bare feet, but it was only a mild thing.

"This… This is my cognition?" Futaba whispered. "This is inside my heart?" It was beautiful to an extent. A representation of how Futaba felt as well as her knowledge. It was also ugly in the same vein. It was a tomb, a horrible disgusting tomb that would be her monument to her death.

She took a few more steps forward when a large mural fell in front of her. She winced at the reminder that it brought. It was of the men in black suits, reading her mother's suicide letter. Another mural dropped and she took a half step backwards, tears starting to form at her eyes. It was of her mother jumping in front of the car. A third mural fell and Futaba could not bear to bring herself to look at it, crouching down on her feet and bringing her knees to her chest.

" _ **Look at it. Don't run.'**_ She could have sworn she heard her own voice telling her to look at the mural. " _ **You have averted your eyes for long enough."**_

Futaba choked back the sob that wanted to escape and slowly raised her head up to look at the mural, pushing herself to stand. She felt those hot tears spill down her cheeks. "Mom scolding me for bothering her. I was a nuisance to her. It's just like I remember, she hated me. I'm the reason-"

Slim and slender arms wrapped around Futaba and someone pressed up against her back. Orange hair the same shade of her own tickled her cheek and shoulder. " _ **Are you sure? Don't look away. Remember everything. The truth is within your grasp. When did this happen? What did Mom say?"**_

Futaba closed her eyes, remember, searching. "I… I whined about wanting to go on a family trip. She scolded me about it. 'I'm almost done with my cognitive research' she said. 'I need to finish it up as soon as possible.'"

" _ **And what did you do?"**_ Futaba wasn't certain what the point of all this was. The proof was right there, that her mother hated her, killed herself just to get away from Futaba. The pyramid shook roughly as Futaba tried to think.

"I threw a tantrum. I said that she thought her research was more important than me." By now the tears were flowing freely from her eyes and splattering to the stone floor.

" _ **And what did she say afterwards? There is more you're not remembering."**_

More? Futaba screwed her eyes shut more, trying to think, trying to remember. She had been blocking it out for so long, trying so hard not to remember it. It was there, a vague sliver of a memory. "I… I need to finish my research. It's really important and I need to finish it, even if it costs me my life… Once I'm done, we'll go anywhere you want, okay? We'll even drag that lout Sojiro with." She spoke the words her mother had said. "She… she smiled at me."

" _ **Did she hate you?"**_

Futaba collapsed to her knees. "Agh… my head!" she clutched at her head as the sharp pain shot through her. "Which is true?!" she sobbed.

" _ **Your memory is…"**_ The slim arms around her vanished. Another loud explosion boomed and the pyramid shook once more. Futaba glanced up as she heard something echo about the area. She pushed herself to her feet and began to run towards the area. She had a feeling she needed to be there.

 _Take Your Time_

It was official for Yu Narukami. The cognitive monster that Futaba's Palace created in place of Wakaba Isshiki sucked. He was the only one standing of all of his friends, even Naoto was tired, breathing heavily with her hands on her thighs. Izanagi-no-Okami and Yoshitsune really were unfair Persona when combined.

The Sphinx with Wakaba's head was circling around, just outside of range of most of their guns and was moving too fast for them to keep up with their spells. Yu had taken the chance, and Yoshitsune's ability to nullify physical attacks, to attack when it dive bombed, but now it was just keeping its distance.

He glanced behind him as he heard footsteps padding up to the level of the Pyramid they were at. He blinked at the girl wearing short shorts and a t-shirt over a black and white striped long sleeve shirt, with a pair of headphones hanging around her neck. "Futaba?" he asked. It had to be the real one. Then… Where was the Shadow?

"You came into your own cognitive world?" Makoto asked sounding surprised. Even Akira was attempting to find some strength to stand up and face the girl.

"Mhm."

"The person themselves coming into their own Palace?" Morgana asked. "If that happens…"

Yu frowned a bit. Would her Shadow make an appearence? Would they have to fight a second enemy like Wakaba Isshiki? Or would Futaba accept her Shadow? Was it possible for her to gain a Persona? Wakaba's shriek got Yu to ready his sword. He was still on Yoshitsune so he could handle a beating if it came to it.

"That's…" Futaba stepped forward a few more spaces.

" _You killed her! Murderer! Monster!"_ And again with the voices shouting at Futaba. Yu was getting pretty tired of those as well.

"No!" Futaba hugged herself around the waist, desperate to fight off the voices.

" _Why don't you say something? It's your fault!"_ Futaba fell to her knees on the ground, clutching at her head.

"It's… my fault. It's my fault that Mom…" She zoned out and Yu wanted to swear. She needed to snap out of it.

" _That's right!"_ The shrill voice of Wakaba's monster sounded out. " _You KILLED me!"_

"Wait, is that monster supposed to be Futaba's mother?" Yusuke sounded so surprised.

"You're just not figuring that out?!" Yu shouted out. He had figured it out within moments of seeing her. But then again, he had also seen a picture of Wakaba Isshiki, courtesy of Naoto's research, and could connect the dots a little better.

" _You're a demon spawned to stand in my way! I wish you had never been Born!"_ The Sphinx went rocketing up into the sky.

"Damn!" Yu snarled as he saw the shadow of the monster moving. He rushed over towards Futaba and just in time too as a Sphinx came crashing down on him. It drove him to his knees, even as he hunched over Futaba, the stones cracked from the sheer force of the impact, but Yoshitsune kept everything from shattering upon impact. He grunted as he saw Futaba looking up at him with wide eyes.

"B-But…" Futaba started

"That's enough." Yu grunted as he slashed at the Sphinx, forcing it away. "That's enough out of you Futaba. That thing isn't your mother. I don't claim to know what your mother was like. I don't claim to know what you are like. But if all you do is avert your eyes and break down at the slightest hint of adversity, you will never know the truth. You're fourteen, your mother died two years ago. If you have the slightest hint of doubts at your mother's suicide note, then grasp onto them until you find out the truth."

" _ **Futaba Sakura! Remember!"**_ Yu went on guard immediately as the Shadow appeared and drifted over. " _ **What made you think it was suicide?"**_

"The note… The suicide note filled with things about me, complaints about me." Futaba whimpered.

" _ **The men in black suits read it. They read it in front of your relatives. The shock and pain of everything caused you to avert your eyes. But would the mother you loved so dearly, our mother, ever write things like that? Would she have died like that?"**_

"No…" Futaba whispered. It was a whisper, but it was the beginning of a roar. Futaba slowly pushed herself back to her feet, steadying herself on Yu's arm a moment. "Thank you." She whispered to him as she glanced at the Sphinx that had taken a stationary position, just out of range. "You're not my mom!" she shouted at it.

Futaba's Shadow floated behind her, particles of light coming from her form. "Here we go." Yu said. He continued with his defense position in front of the young girl. He was the best one for it. He didn't know if her Persona would be worth anything in the fight, but Futaba was the owner of this Palace, that had to be worth something.

A glowing UFO of all things appeared and spun overhead of Futaba, metallic tendrils came down and wrapped delicately around her arms, waist, and legs and began to slowly pull her up inside. Everyone was stuck looking at it, it was so unexpected to be seen. She was slowly taken inside.

"Futaba?" Makoto asked worriedly.

"I'm okay!" Her voice came out digitally, and it rang in their ears. "Please, help me. That imposter has to go."

"Right!" Yu said. "Futaba, pull back. Your Persona is more support based, but it should have a pretty effective range. That creature wants you, don't make it easy on it. Can you give me control over your cognition?" He thought if he could summon Izanagi-no-Okami, the World Arcana would allow him to bring that monster down.

"I… don't think so." Futaba said, even as her UFO moved a bit. "Still trying to figure everything out… But I should be able to…" A ballista appeared off to the side, even as the Sphinx began to fly higher again.

"Scientist!" Akira shouted out and Naoto headed over to the ballista. She was the best shot of them all.

"Senpai! Can't move it!" She shouted.

"Roger!" Yu moved over and slipped under one of the arms to grab the body of the ballista.

"Ninety degrees left, thirty degrees up!" Naoto ordered.

Yu groan as he moved the ballista, forcing it to the left as she asked and then getting up under it to push it upwards. He then quickly fell onto his back.

"Joker! I'm all lined up back here! Corral it!"

"You heard her!" Akira barked out. Almost immediately, the air was filled with gun fire and spells exploding in the air, forcing the monster to bank away from its flight path and right into the path of the ballista.

Naoto's aim was true. The arms snapped forward a bit as the trigger was released and the bolt went careening through the sky, the blunted tip of the bolt slamming into the cognitive monster's side and forcing it down to the pyramid with a heavy thud. Attacks happened in earnest, actually doing damage to it.

But there wasn't a fresh bolt, and the sheer force of the bolt being launched had forced Naoto off her feet and onto the ground. The beast began to rise once more, wings outstretching to try and take off.

Oh… bad idea. Bad idea. Bad idea. "Bad idea!" he shouted as he charged at it. "Scientists, Heat Riser!" he called out. The swirl of tri-colored lights that surrounded him told him that she had been able to make it happen. He mentally summoned a Charge from Yoshitsune, putting his energy into his next attack.

He jumped up onto the sphinx's paw and raced up its arm as quickly as he could, leaping onto its back even as it flapped its wings to try and take off. He felt it raising up and he could see the ground leaving him. This was a terrible, awful idea! He swung his sword as hard as he could, aiming low and cleaving into the wing where it met with the back of the monster.

It roared in agony as black ichor splattered Yu and he brought his sword around to finish the cut from the other side. The Sphinx went crashing down into the pyramid, thrashing and throwing him into the stonework. This time however, he ached as he slammed into the stones. Yoshitsune saved him from physical attacks, less so from impacts with the environment. That was going to bruise.

The Phantom Thieves were quick to take advantage of the downed creature, attacking as swiftly as they could. Even Naoto managed to get up and pump a couple of rounds into it, and they were able to dispatch it relatively quickly.

Futaba's Persona dropped her off, showing her to be in some skin tight outfit with glowing green lines around it. "Futaba!" Makoto rushed to her side quickly.

Futaba pushed herself to her feet and glanced herself over. "Woah… it's totally skin tight." She twisted and moved in it.

Adrenaline surged through Yu as he saw Wakaba Isshiki formed some distance away, though she appeared to be translucent. The thing offered a smile. "Thank you Futaba, for choosing to remember the real me."

"I'm sorry Mom. I've been so selfish." Futaba said, sounding contrite and bowing her head. She took a step forward.

"Don't come over here." Wakaba scolded. "This isn't where you're supposed to be, is it?"

Futaba swallowed a bit thickly. "Um… I love you Mom." she said, almost on the verge of tears again.

"I love you too Futaba. Now, you should get going." Futaba's mother dispersed into particles of light.

Futaba offered a sigh and tucked her hands behind her back. "Oh… Right. Medjed." She turned and began to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Makoto asked.

"Home. I know how to use the Nav now." She continued walking without stopping.

"That girl marches to the beat of her own drum." Yusuke commented as Futaba disappeared.

"What about her treasure?" Morgana asked.

"Oh right!" Haru said a bit interested in this part. The group headed over to the sarcophagus that had been the source of her treasure. It was on its side, the lid busted. 'It's…. Empty?" Haru commented.

"Senpai? Getting Hallowed Forest flashbacks." Naoto called out. Just then the Pyramid rocked and shuddered.

"Everyone Run!" Yu shouted and headed for the side of the pyramid and starting to run down. Naoto was right there with him and the others were quick to start to catch up.

"What the hell!?" Ryuji shouted. "Wasn't the treasure supposed to be there?!"

"She thought she was going to die! Now she's not. No use in a tomb if there's not a corpse!" Yu shouted. "So shut up and run!" he pumped his legs faster.

Ann grabbed Morgana and threw him ahead, making him transform into a bus mid flight and land heavily. Yu made it to the base of the pyramid and headed to the driver's side with Naoto getting in on the passenger side. The others got sucked into Morgana somehow, Yu didn't want to think about it.

He floored the gas and began to drive like a madman. "Someone, activate the Nav!"

"But we'll-" Makoto said.

"This entire place could collapse before we make it back to my place, activate the damned Nav!" Yu shouted out.

' _Returning to the Real World.'_

They all came stumbling out and Yu barely caught Naoto before they slammed into a concrete wall. The others collapsed into heaps upon the ground as well, but they were there, they were alive. And Ryuji began to laugh a little bit.

"Hey, everyone okay?" Ryuji asked.

"I think." Haru said. "I landed wrong."

"You landed on me." Akira said with a slight grunt.

"Oh!" Haru was quick to get off the dark haired teen.

They slowly dragged themselves to their feet. Yu shook his head and quickly tucked his gear away, thankful that they were in front of Sojiro's house instead of in front of his shop. Everyone followed suit, making sure their equipment wasn't seen.

The door opened to Sojiro's home and Futaba was stepping out, yawning as she worked her foot into the shoes she had. "Huh? What are you guys doing here?" she asked tiredly.

Yu shook his head. "I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm getting some curry." He said and wrapped an arm around Naoto's shoulders. She curled into him.

"Count me in for that. And some coffee." She said.

"Oooo… Curry sounds good. I'm coming too." Futaba moved over, stumbling a moment and catching herself on Yu's other arm. "Sorry." She said, letting go quickly. "I'm pretty tired." She said while she yawned and covered her hand with her mouth.

Yu shook his head. "About the thing Akira asked you about?"

"Oh, that? That's done." Futaba said. "Was working on it for the three hours you guys were doing your thing, so when I got back I just needed to start it. Medjed won't be a problem soon enough."

Yu shook his head a bit. "Alright then, let's go get some food."

Chapter End

 **A/N: Well this was fun. I don't know where my brain spawned these things, but I enjoyed writing it regardless. But Futaba's Palace is coming to a close, and Medjed is about to be getting it stuck to them.**

 **And the whole Futaba sleeping for fucking ever thing isn't happening. There's no point to try and build tension like that when we know the outcome. It seemed silly to me to give you 2-3 weeks for a deadline, and players are plowing through Futaba's Palace in 2-3 days, and then she sleeps the rest of the time until the deadline. That's not a light stupor and exhaustion from lack of exercising, that's a god damned coma.**

 **Anyways, enjoy. And I realize Naoto might of seemed out of character kissing Yu as she did, but there was a number of factors that went into that.**


	23. Chapter 23: Repercussions

Chapter 23: Repercussions

Days had passed since they rescued Futaba and she awoken to her power of Persona, even going so far as to integrate herself with the Phantom Thieves and call herself Oracle. It was the 29th of July Akira and the other Phantom Thieves were helping Futaba open up to the world around her, but it was going to be a slow progression. Interestingly enough, it was Yusuke Kitagawa that had so far elicited the most of a reaction out of the girl when he had scrambled her limited edition Phoenix Featherman R models.

She had damned near gone ballistic from what Yu heard.

Yu prepared a pot of coffee, he had slept in just a little bit longer than he might normally do so. But then, he like the others, was on Summer Vacation. He needed a few days to rest and recover before the second semester. His grades had already been posted and he was pleased that he managed to get all above average grades.

"Onto the weather, Reika?" He heard the news playing on the TV in the front room.

"Thank you very much, Ren!" The bubbly personality of the female meteorologist was heard. "Today's going to be a scorcher, so for those of you going to the beach, remember the sunscreen. We're looking at a high of thirty two today with about fifty percent humidity." Yu began to tone everything else out giving a grimace. It sounded like he was staying home, he really didn't want to go out in that heat.

He came out of the kitchen and turned the TV off. Naoto was off already at work, dedicating a bit more of her time, now that she was on summer vacation, to look at some of the cases she was working on. The exact details of the contract she had with the Police Prefecture was a little vague to Yu. Still, it meant that he was without his girlfriend for the day, and it was too hot to be trying to go outside for anything that wasn't necessary.

Mementos would probably also be scalding hot so that was out.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and took the time to add cream and sugar to it. He opened the fridge to look at what he could whip together for some breakfast. "Gonna have to do a big grocery shopping trip soon." He muttered as he looked in the fridge. It wasn't to say that he was out of food, but a majority of his staples were running low.

But he wasn't going that day. He wasn't leaving the house unless he absolutely had to.

He went to sit down at the kotatsu with his mug of coffee. He sipped it quietly, just listening. He heard the clock ticking in the silence, his own breathing. It was… oddly peaceful. He liked it. He felt more relaxed than he had since his time in Inaba. Naoto's presence helped immensely, but there was something satisfying to the work he did with the Phantom Thieves.

He could momentarily forget the demons that had plagued him.

But it was when things were lulled like this, a quiet peace, that his mind began to wander. He knew he had to confront the demons that plagued him, that had sunk their claws into him.

When he had returned from Inaba, he had been riding high on the feeling of friendship, camaraderie, of actually being something, someone to people. He had gotten himself a serious girlfriend and friends that meant the world to him. He had learned what it meant to live in a home and not a house, even if he had to work with NAnako and Dojima in the beginning. He had learnt what it meant to be there for people, not only as a friend but also as a 'Senpai' and even a 'Sensei' to an extent with Teddie.

He had learned that all the dedication in the world to a job wouldn't bring happiness. He learned that the pressures of being the best could be daunting. He learned to loosen up a little and take a bit of a moment to relax, even if the teacher of that lesson had been a lying, murdering asshole. He learned how to hold his head high through people's preconceptions in order to find the truth of the matter. He learned how things should be made of his own decisions, even if he was choosing to do the same thing people expected him to. He learned what it meant to chase a dream and make sure he lived up to that dream as well. Naoto was still impressive for what she did.

But most importantly of all, for Yu Narukami, he had learnt what having family was like. He loved his mother and father. There was never going to be any doubt about that. And if he got a phone call saying his father was in a hospital overseas, he'd be on a plane within the next few hours to go. But work had kept them from really being a family. Kanji, Yosuke, and Teddie were like brothers to him. Kanji a younger brother, trying to figure out his place in the world and seeking guidance from an older sibling that seemed to have it figured out, even if Yu was trying to find his own place. Yosuke was like a twin. They were a pair. They might not have had the same interests, but they were of similar enough personality that they managed to get along swimmingly. And Teddie was like that lovable, albeit annoying at times, little brother that he just wanted to pull into a headlock and wrestle with. Yukiko and Chie were like sisters to him. Chie an overprotective sister, even if she made a few mistakes in the path along the way. Yukiko a sister trying to get better at whatever she did for her family.

Rise was a bit of a conundrum at times. Sometimes he felt like she was a close friend, as close as Naoto, others he felt like she was a sister to him. His relationship with the idol was an odd one at best and one that he wasn't entirely certain on at all times. Had circumstances been different, he might have even gone for Rise Kujikawa rather than Naoto Shirogane.

Naoto… Well, Yu was proud to call the Detective Prince his girlfriend. She had her moments where she was sweet as candy. Other times, he could see why she was as successful as she was. She was driven, she was focused, and she was wickedly intelligent. She had once made the comment that in modern society, a Private Investigator like her grandfather wasn't as necessary anymore. But Yu pointed out that plenty of people would still need someone like her, someone with the skill sets that her grandfather had helped her cultivate. It might not be as glamorous as novels and television made it out to be, but people still had needs to go to a Private Investigator to look into matters that the police were less inclined to look into.

A man looking for his wife and son after they had left him for instance. Not really a job for the police to do, especially if they didn't suspect foul play.

But all of that, all those things, the lessons and the feel of having family, it had made it difficult to leave Inaba and return to Shibuya like there was nothing different. He had gone to Inaba a child, and as Dojima said, he left with the eyes of a man. He had experienced more in that time in Inaba than he had ever had. It had tempered him into the man that he was now.

He'd always be a polite, intelligent, and oftentimes quiet individual. But now, now he had a backbone to go with it, to be able to stand up to things and people that he didn't think were right. He wasn't just going to roll over and let something wash him by. Such as with Akira's situation. He wanted to help the young man and the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

Yu's musing was cut out when he heard his cell phone ringing. The ringtone was one he didn't hear that often. His father was calling him. He picked up his phone and moved the slide to unlock it. "Dad." Yu said politely.

" _What am I looking at Yu?"_ His father's tone was almost angry. It was tight like he was barely controlling himself and keeping himself from shouting.

"I'm not a mindreader Dad, you're going to have to tell me what you're looking at." Yu said a little cooly. He wasn't going to be playing this game, trying to figure out why his father was angry with him. Would it get him in more trouble to be a smart ass? Absolutely. But he was already in trouble as it was.

" _I'm looking at a certain picture. Would you care to guess of what?_ " Yu's father asked, the heat of anger now definitely coloring his tone.

Unfortunately, that anger was starting to trigger Yu's own anger. It was not something that reared its ugly head often, but it was definitely there. "No, Dad, I don't want to guess." Yu said. "I want you to tell me what you're looking at so I can know why you're angry at me instead of playing twenty questions."

" _I'm looking at a picture of you kissing another man!_ " His father shouted.

Oh. Oh… Oooohhh… Yeah. Yu winced. His father came from a very, very traditional family. It was why he had been able to get along so well with Kou Ichijo so well. Much of the things Kou lamented about were some of the same things that Yu had, at one point or another, lamented about as well. While it wasn't to the point where his grandmother was the majordomo of the family, Yu usually had to dress quite nicely whenever he did visit his grandparents, even if he barely knew them.

"I didn't take you for a homophobic, Dad." Yu said calmly. Oh, he just knew he was poking that sleeping beast, right in the ribs and not a gentle poke either.

" _Whatever happened to you having a girlfriend?!_ " The man asked angrily over the phone. Yu was getting to the point he had to pull the phone away from his ear or else he'd have his ear ringing.

"That's Naoto Shirogane." Yu said, trying desperately to jog his father's memory. He had come home, practically over eager to talk to his parents about the friends he made, about the girlfriend he had. Surely his father had to remember some of that.

" _I don't care if you've found yourself some celebrity boyfriend Yu! I thought you were-_ "

"Thought I was what?!" Yu shouted back finally. It was one thing for his father to be angry and think he was gay. But what burned Yu was that his father not only thought he could control his life, but that his father had clearly not listened to anything he had said when he returned to Inaba. "By all means, Dad," He said the word almost mockingly. "Tell me how I'm supposed to live my life. Tell me what gives you the right to tell me how to live my life. How often have you actually been there for me? How many mornings were you and Mom gone before I woke up and returned after I went to bed? Do you even know what happened my final two years of High School? Do you even know what I've gone through? Did you even listen to me when I came back from Inaba?"

Yu was furious. Beyond furious. His father was attempting to control his life, his father didn't even know the first damned thing about him anymore.

' _Of course I-_ "

"Don't you lie to me." Yu said sharply, even if he would get in trouble with his father for it. "You don't know the first thing about me anymore, Dad." He hung up the phone and tossed it on the counter.

Pacing back and forth in the kitchen, Yu grabbed at his hair and tried some breathing exercises to get back under some semblance of control. He was going to get scolded for that later, but he was also an adult, it was time he reminded his father of that fact. He tugged his hair harder, making it hurt. He was so angry! He didn't mind his father being angry at thinking he was kissing a guy. He understood, his father came from a strongly traditional family. A homosexual couple would be extremely frowned upon, especially since Yu was an only child. But that his father didn't even remember one of the few times Yu spoke and spoke so passionately with his family, talking about his time, his friends in Inaba.

He needed to do something, anything. He had to get out of the house, even in the sweltering heat.

Yu grabbed his phone and then grabbed his kendo gear. He almost stormed out of the house, heading for the train so that he could head to the dojo. It didn't take long to get there and he quickly changed into his armor and uniform, grabbing his _bokuto_ out of preference before he paused at the entrance of the Dojo. He saw a few other students there, as well as a few Sensei. But Yu was already a _Shodan_ with his second belt test coming up soon, he was allowed to use the equipment rather freely.

He went to one of the training mannequins and pulled it over to a corner. The mannequins were dressed up in some spare kendo gear and were generally used to allowed a newer student to get used to striking a humanoid target instead of shying away from it. It was why they had armor and padding after all. It was also a good method to learn control for those that swung too hard.

Yu abandoned all that and just used it as a method to vent. The hard crack of the wooden _bokuto_ smacking against the mannequin was heard, over and over and he pushed himself, pushed past the point of his body protesting the pace he set. He lost track of anything but the rhythmatic crack of the _bokuto_ against the mannequin and the ache in his arms as he swung his sword with ferocity.

He was about to go for another swing when he felt resistance against his _bokuto._ He turned quickly to look at what had stopped his swing, glancing at his Seseni holding the wood in his hand. Yu quickly pushed the _men_ up over his face to look at his teacher better. "Homura-sensei." Yu said politely, even as he breathed heavily.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to stop beating up on my poor mannequin, Narukami-kun." Homura said politely. "Perhaps you would be willing to face off against an opponent that can actually hit back?"

Not really. But Yu was able to see that his sensei was garbed in sparring equipment and held a _bokuto_ of his own in his hand. Yu offered a nod of his head and brought his _men_ down to cover his face once more. The pair moved to a more open area of the dojo, away from the corner that Yu had been working in.

"Three minutes." Homura said. "No points, we simply go for three minutes. Some of the other Sensei will act as judges to make sure we don't hurt each other."

"Yes Sensei." Yu said as he got himself into a ready position. Together, they bowed to each other, bowed to one of the Sensei that was acting as the central judge, and then turned to face one another.

Homura held his _bokuto_ out in a two handed grip, facing forward in the ready position that Yu had been taught. Yu reached out with his own _bokuto_ and clacked the side of it against against Homura's before taking a step and a half back into his ready stance.

The spar, if it really could be called that, was completely one sided and showed the difference in skill that still remained. Yu had put his blade to work, no doubt about that. But Daishi Homura had lived his life for Kendo. His stance was stable, steady, and allowed him to react. But it forced Yu to calm down from his rage and anger. He couldn't begin to try and hit his Sensei if his mind was clouded. Yu struck hard, and he was adaptable, but there was still a difference of the time Yu spent fighting in the Metaverse and the long, long years of practice that Homura had put into his art.

The clacking of wood on wood was heard for the three minutes, loud and echoing. Not that Yu ever hit Homura, the old man was surprisingly spry for his advanced age and was able to redirect the blows almost effortlessly.

One of the judges called for the time and Yu removed the men once more, half tearing it off fully so that he could breath. It was sweltering hot, even with the fans going in the room to try and keep the dojo clear.

Homura chuckled at Yu's actions, even as they went through the actions of finishing the spar. Bowing to each other, bowing to the judge, and crossing _bokuto_ as a sign of respect. "When you're finished cleaning up, Narukami-kun, please come see me." Homura said as he walked off.

"Yes Sensei." Yu said, still breathing heavily. Yu then went about doing as he was told, cleaning up the mannequin that he used as well as his equipment. He then headed towards the front where Homura was watching over the Dojo from, but the man turned and began to lead the way back towards a back office.

It was not a place that Yu had been before, so he began to look around, even as Homura sat down behind a desk. The desk was simple, more a place for the man to do the various paperwork involved with his position of owning and running a Dojo. There was some file cabinets in the back behind him. Yu carefully took a seat in front of his Sensei. The chair was simple, straight backed but with a cushion. He almost felt like a child being brought into the Principal's office.

"Sensei?" Yu asked after a few moments of silence.

"What brought about this anger, Narukami-kun?" Homura asked. "I want to know if this is something I will have to deal with in the future. Usually, I would let a student work through their anger, but the ferocity that you attacked the mannequin was something else entirely and you are usually much more composed than this."

Yu wasn't surprised that his Sensei had picked up on the anger. He wasn't surprised by the concern either. Yu thought about how he could explain it to his Sensei. "It… was my father, Sensei." he said. "We talked earlier today and… he said something that I reacted poorly to."

"I would imagine so. But then he likely said something far outside the scope of what you would normally allow as well. You're usually very composed Narukami-kun."

Yu nodded his head a moment and he clenched his hand. "I do not know how much stock you put into gossip news rather than more factual stories, but Naoto Shirogane rather publicly kissed me. And my father reacted poorly to the picture in the news."

"Shirogane you say?" Homura seemed curious. "Any relation to Takashi Shirogane?" he asked.

"Naoto's grandfather. Naoto was heralded as the Detective Prince for a time."

Homura nodded his head a bit. "And I can only assume that this is your Naoto-kun." he said politely.

Yu nodded his head. He carefully watched as Homura seemed to think things through. "And before you ask, Sensei, I love Naoto-kun with all my heart." he said.

Homura smiled. "It is not my place to tell you who you can, and cannot, love Narukami-kun. I am but your Sensei in regards to the art of Kendo. But if I might offer a bit of advice, call your father and speak with him again. Speak with him not as an angry child, but as a man in love. Let your passion and love for Naoto-san show. Often times, parents react in anger before they have a chance to think things through. Let him hear your passion, and let him hear the dedication. Do not so harshly judge your father because of a rash decision on his part."

Yu frowned a bit but nodded his head a moment. He thought about it for a while and inhaled, slowly exhaling. "I probably should call and apologize. I did say some rather… mean things as well, trying to be hurtful." He winced. Yu glanced at Homura a moment. "No offense, Sensei, why are you so accepting of this?"

Homura smiled a bit. "I was a real estate agent before I retired and dedicated my time to the Dojo." he explained. "I have dealt with all manner of people. Truthfully, you being in love with a man doesn't even begin to bother me after a number of the clients I have had. While Japan is indeed a more traditional land, it does not mean we don't have a number of our own eccentric individuals."

Yu blinked at that. While he definitely did get the gist of what the man was getting at, he definitely found himself focused on something in particular. "You were a real estate agent, Sensei?" he asked. "I… I don't mean to pry, but do you think you could give me pointers to someone that you think is reliable and fair?"

Yu didn't want to ask the man for direct help. If he was indeed retired, then there was no point in dragging him out of that retirement. The man had earned his peace and quiet in his later years.

Homura shook his head with a bit of a laugh. "I can call around, see if there might be someone. I did not think you were so ready to get away from your parents, Narukami-kun."

"I enjoyed Inaba a great deal, Sensei." Yu said softly. "And I would like to return there, I want to put my roots down there. My friends are there, and I don't know if they will always be there, but there's just something about it that calls me to call it home."

"Then make certain you leave your parents with a positive relationship. They can be of a great help." Homura said.

Yu nodded his head and slowly stood up since it seemed like he was dismissed. "Thank you Sensei." he said politely before he turned and headed from the office.

Yu took the train home, thinking over the words of his Sensei. The man was, naturally, correct. Yu really didn't want to leave home for Inaba and rarely see his family again on such a bad note. He hoped to be able to call his father soon, but with the seven hour time difference between Tokyo and San Francisco, that would be difficult.

He was opening the door to his home when his phone started with another ringtone and he pulled it from his pocket. He undid the lock. "Hi Mom." he offered. "Going to scold me?"

" _Of course not._ " His Mother said. " _Though I will say you shouldn't have hung up like that, I thought I taught you better._ "

"You did." Yu said as he tossed his keys into the bowl and took his shoes off. "But I couldn't stop myself."

" _So tell me about Naoto-chan._ " His mother said, sounding quite the dichotomy from his father. His mother sounded happy for him, his father had sounded angry.

"Wait… How'd you-?"

" _Yu, I'm your mother._ " she said. " _I listen to you. When you returned from Inaba, it was all you would talk about. You talked about your friends so much, and even mentioned a girlfriend. You would always talk the most about Kanji Tatsumi and Naoto Shirogane. Yosuke may have been your best friend, but Kanji seemed like a brother to you by the end of your time there. But you also never explicitly stated Naoto-chan was a boy or girl. And that kiss? That wasn't the kiss of a new couple, that was the kiss of a couple that has been together for a while and have worked through some problems. So I put two and two together, made a leap of logic, and came to the conclusion that Naoto Shirogane is a girl that the media has done a poor job of figuring out about._ "

Yu smiled a bit, laughing a bit. "Guess I'm busted then." He said. It would figure that his mother had listened, and wanted to know more. "I should probably start with the fact she's helping me out with something here, and I offered her the guest bedroom." Yu was glad his mother seemed to be on his side.

 _Take Your Time_

"Ready to go?" Makoto looked up at the voice as Akira approached her from in front of the school. His usual bag was missing, and she noted that he seemed to have taken his glasses off. His hair was still a mess, but it sort of gave him an untamed sort of look. He wasn't scrunched up like he usually walked when he was at school. Instead, his back was straight and his shoulders pushed back. She never really knew that he had broad shoulders like that. He had definitely cleaned up for this mock date.

He was dressed in a pair of casual khaki slacks and a nice, dark blue dress shirt that hung untucked. Akira didn't just look charming, he looked mature and quite attractive.

Makoto nodded her head and offered a smile, brushing some hair back behind an ear. "Yes, thank you for this Akira-kun."

"Not a problem." He said and offered a smile.

"Forgoing your glasses?" She asked as they began to walk. They had agreed to meet at Shujin, even though the restaurant they were going to meet Eiko and her boyfriend at was on Central Street.

"Figured I'd try and up the charm as much as possible. Don't want Eiko-san and her boyfriend thinking you have some stick in the mud, boring boyfriend." Akira said, offering a slight smirk. He was just letting a hint of his Joker out.

Makoto nodded a bit, inhaling a bit carefully as she walked. She had gone with a nice black skirt. It fell to just before her knees, she wanted it to seem like she was comfortable with Akira. And on top she wore a white blouse. Still, she couldn't help but feel quite hot in the blouse, and it had nothing to do with the heat overhead.

Had… Had Akira been serious when he mentioned taking the date seriously? A bit of a blush formed on Makoto's cheeks. It would certainly take a level of bluntness like that to get through to her on the matter of romantic interest. And Akira was certainly good looking, and sweet. There was certainly appeal to her for the idea of him being romantically interested in her.

But did he really feel that way? That was a question that eluded Makoto and she wasn't certain of her own feelings towards Akira.

Certainly she felt something. But that could just be teenage hormones flaring up. And the fact most people kept their distance from her, it was few and far between when a sweet and decent looking boy took notice of her. It could simply be stemming from her loneliness.

After a brief train ride and a walk to the restaurant, Eiko waved them over from the table she and her boyfriend had picked out. Makoto saw that Eiko's boyfriend wore a white suit, with a darker burgundy colored shirt under it. His hair was brown and hung long and loose. He sat with a bit of a slouch, one arm on the back of the booth seat, a hand touching between Eiko's shoulder blades.

Makoto offered a polite smile as she slid into the booth across from Eiko's boyfriend. Akira slid in beside her and took the outer seat. He sat with good posture, not slouching and encroaching on her space.

"Yo, I'm Tsukasa." Eiko's boyfriend offered. His voice was smooth, and he spoke in a friendly and casual manner. "I've heard all about you from Eiko-chan. So you're the Student Council Prez, eh Makoto-chan? Wish I could be one of your members."

Makoto felt her skin crawl at the way he spoke. The almost flirtatious way he spoke. It definitely led her to believe that he wouldn't be a productive one if he was a member of the student council. Immediately she began to write him as bad news for Eiko. "I… I am." She stuttered on her words slightly.

"And Frizzy hair-kun is your boyfriend?" Tsukasa asked, glancing over towards Akira.

"Yes." Makoto said attempting to be confident with her answer.

"Huh. You two don't look like you get along all that well. Love level is rock bottom. Ya seriously datin'?"

Akira finally offered that sly smirk. The same one Joker usually had whenever things were going according to plan. Makoto felt her heart flutter at the sight of that smirk. "The name is Akira." He said politely. "And of course, I wouldn't expect you to understand. Makoto-chan doesn't need someone supporting her every decision. That's a crutch. On the same hand, she doesn't need someone clinging onto her, texting and calling day and night. That's a leech. She needs someone that will let her make her own decisions, but offer insight to the pros and cons of those decisions. Someone that will be there for her when she needs comforted, or wants comforted. I don't need her making doe eyes at me because that's not who Makoto-chan is. She's a strong, confident, and independent young woman." Akira turned to look at Makoto. The small smile on his face actually made her face flush, she could feel the heat rising. "After all, Love comes in many forms, and you just need to find the right one that fits."

Love?! Makoto's mind raced. While she felt like it was likely an act, she couldn't help but feel her heart racing at the aspect. But she just tried to offer a smile, one that was likely a little more pleased than she intended to. How could she not feel pleased? Akira had hit the nail on the head.

And had insulted Tsukasa at the same time.

"Huh… Seems like you two don't got any affection between you, not like us." Tsukasa glanced towards Eiko.

"Mmhm!" the bubbly girl said rather cheerfully. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." she got up and headed off.

Makoto watched her go before she leaned in towards Tsukasa a bit. "Are you really interested in pursuing a serious relationship with Eiko?" she asked. She wanted to be as straightforward about it as possible.

"And I was wondering when our Honor student was going to show her true colors." Tsukasa grinned. "Eiko-chan said you were real pumped to be meeting me, why was that?"

"I want to make sure you'll be good for Eiko." Makoto said a bit coolly, not at all impressed by the boyish charm he had going.

"Daaaamn girl, you really care about your friends. Good stuff, good stuff. Good friends are super important and shit. Speaking of, a friend of my girl is a friend of mine, how about you give me your digits?"

"Huh?!" Makoto was taken aback by the difference in conversation.

"C'mon, give me your number." Tsukasa said with a grin.

"Back. Off." Akira said. The usually easy going look to his face was dropped for a more serious look. He wasn't glaring at Tsukasa, but Makoto could tell that he was just one wrong word away from acting up the delinquent.

"No one asked you." Tsukasa said, looking over to Akira. For just a moment, Makoto saw underneath the charm of Tsukasa. "'Sides, Eiko-chan already gave me your number, so we good Mako-chan." he said.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" Eiko returned from the bathroom, Makoto glanced towards the girl. Her timing was impeccable.

"Nah, nothing's wrong babe." Tsukasa said as he got up. "But I gotta run, my shift starts soon." He said.

"Okay!" Eiko said as he walked out. She glanced towards Makoto. "Talk to you later Makoto!" She headed off after him.

Makoto sighed as the door swung shut and her shoulders slumped. "Well, that seemed like a waste of time. I hope he's not tricking her. No matter what I think, I don't have any proof and Eiko seems super happy."

Akira shook his head. "He's a sham." he said bluntly, making Makoto take notice of him. "Notice he never directly answered your question about if he was legitimately serious about Eiko. He just avoided it and then changed the topics. We might want to dig a little deeper." he said.

Makoto's phone began to ring and she pulled it out. "It seems the host has already sent me something." She said and then winced. "I can barely make this out, it's full of emojis and text speech." Makoto saved the number but deleted the message before she got too far into it. "It's barely coherent. But I suppose I'll just have to get used to it if I want to help Eiko."

Akira shifted towards her and she glanced over to him. "You did good." Akira assured her.

She smiled. "Thanks, and thank you for being here. I would have likely embarrassed myself if I was here alone." she said. She winced a bit. "I hate how immature I can be sometimes." she said. She hated it, hated the feeling of not being able to change. But then Akira was there to help her.

"Don't mention it. I was happy to help." Akira said quietly.

"We should probably get going as well." Makoto said, brushing her hands against her skirt. She felt like her palms were sweating.

Akira surprisingly shook his head, making her eyes widen. "Let's hang out a little while longer." he said. "We haven't gotten to hang out much outside doing work for the PT, and school or work generally keeps us busy."

Well… he was right. Still, there was a bit of a nervousness to Makoto's stomach that wasn't there before. She squirmed a bit. "S-sure. Akira-kun… Can… I ask you about what you said earlier? About… being there for me not as a crutch or a leech but as a partner?"

Akira shrugged his shoulders a bit. "To me, that's what you need Makoto." He said. "You need a partner, someone that can discuss with you the good and the bad of what you want to decide to do. If it's a truly bad decision, he'll talk you out of it. If it's a truly good decision, he'll support you in making it. But at the end of the day, it's your decision, and it should be made as an informed decision. You don't want some guy clinging onto you, touching you all the time or texting you the first chance he gets, but at the same hand you want to know you can go to the guy when you're feeling a little affectionate."

Makoto blushed a bit. "I didn't know I was that easy to get a read on." She said. But she couldn't deny the fact that Akira had definitely pegged the type of guy she wanted. There was more to a relationship than just supporting whatever the partner wanted.

Support helped, but always being a support made a person a crutch instead.

Akira shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Admittedly, you were a tricky person to figure out." He said. He slid out of the booth and stood up, offering a hand to help her up. "There's a new kung fu movie out, would you like to go see?" he asked.

Makoto smiled and she slid out. "I'd love to." she said honestly, taking the hand to help her stand up.

Okay, so there might be a little bit more there to her attraction to Akira than just plain loneliness.

 _Take Your Time_

It was the day after Yu's father had called, and subsequently the day after Yu's mother had found out about them, and Naoto was working on her gun at her desk. It was just mostly general maintenance, taking it apart and giving it a thorough cleaning. She had felt the trigger sticking a little bit the last time she had used it, and it seemed like as good of time as any to try and clean it up.

Her phone buzzed and she glanced over to it on its spot on the charger. Rise was trying to start a video chat with her.

She wiped her hands of the oil before she grabbed the phone and unlocked it. She then propped it up as she accepted the video call. With her phone being connected to Yu's Wifi, there was no need to worry about her data plan being charged. And judging the video that came up of Rise sitting at home in her room, there was a good chance Rise didn't have to worry about it either, so Naoto knew it was going to be a longer conversation.

"Naoto-kun~!" Rise said, bubbly and excited, practically bouncing on her bed as she held the phone. "Got a moment to talk?" she asked.

"I wouldn't have answered if I didn't." Naoto said with a smile on her face. Despite her tin ear, and her lack of social graces, she had managed to get along well enough with Rise and Kanji after Yu left. Rise more so than Kanji, but nonetheless she had gotten along with both of them.

Rise pouted out her bottom lip a moment. It might have worked better, but Rise looked as though she had been working in the Tofu shop, so she was in her work uniform with all that red hair drawn back. But almost immediately, Rise perked back up and offered a dazzling smile that immediately set Naoto on edge. "So what's kissing Senpai like?" she asked mischievously. "It's been all over for a while ever since that MedJed stuff was taken care of. 'The Detective Prince kisses his boyfriend!'" She made an extravagant show of her hand like she was showing some headline.

Naoto shook her head a bit. "Rise, you know I've kissed Senpai before." she said. There was no way Rise wouldn't know.

"Well yeah, but I mean it's not like you've ever told me, and I'm not going to ask about it unless I have proof." Rise said and pouted. "So come on… What's it like?"

Naoto felt a sharp spike of something ugly rearing its head. She frowned slightly at the feel of it. "Rise." she said carefully. "Where is this coming from?"

Rise sighed a bit and for a bit, the bubbly idol act was dropped. "Look, I still kinda have a thing for Yu." she said. "Not likely for anything to happen, but even you have to admit that Yu is… a catch. He's sweet, he's kind, he's patient, and frankly, he's good looking. You and Yukiko picked up the best guys of our group. No offense intended to either Yosuke or Teddie, but neither are my type. Yosuke still has his moments of being a fanboy for Risette, and Teddie… is Teddie. Sweet and endearing, but only to a point. And as an Idol, I don't exactly meet a lot of guys that do end up hitting my buttons. Do you know how many of my fans are actually twice my age?" The girl shuddered a bit. "And then they send things to my agency for me." She shuddered quite visible.

Naoto felt for her friend, she did. But she couldn't help the little pang of possessive jealousy that was inside her heart at the idea of Yu being with Rise. Had she not encountered the rather… dangerously possessive Reflection of hers, she might have reacted badly. She inhaled a moment and counted to ten before exhaling. "Rise, I don't necessarily mind you having a thing for Yu." She said.

"Oh don't worry Naoto-kun, I wouldn't do anything to ruin your happiness together." Rise said quickly, apparently picking up on Naoto's ire. "I mean, if there was a girl I'd be willing to share with it'd be you." She even gave NAoto a wink. Naoto wasn't entirely certain how to respond to that. "But let's be honest here, you're not the sharing type, so I want to live vicariously through you and want all the sordid details of your relationship with Senpai." Rise flashed another dazzling smile. "Sooo… Does he use tongue? Teeth? What's he look like in just boxers?"

Naoto couldn't help it. Rise was just too bubbly to try and be angry at. She laughed a bit as she shook her head. "Fantastic." She said bluntly. "He's got just the right definition in the pelvis that if the briefs ride low enough, it is a truly mouth watering view." Okay, maybe her own feminine side was coming out a little more, especially since she had made love with Yu on multiple occasions in an act of intimate acceptance she couldn't even begin to describe. And it was worth telling by the way Rise's eyes went wide. "And because of all the running around we do, his backside is quite the view as well."

"Naoto!" Rise said as though she was scandalized by what Naoto said. "What have you done with my shy bestie?!"

"She has spent several exceedingly wonderful months with her boyfriend who she missed very much." Naoto said with a smile. The smile turned a touch sadder. "And realized just how much it hurt Yu to do the right thing in returning from Inaba." she said a bit more somberly.

"Woah, talk about a tone change. Everything okay with Senpai Naoto-kun?" Rise asked, turning a bit more serious.

"It's getting better." Naoto said. "When we faced Izanami, he ended up defeating her after everyone else was dragged down." She saw Rise shudder.

"It was horrible what she did to him." Rise said softly. She had seen what had happened longer than everyone else. Naoto wasn't surprised that she shuddered at remembering the events.

"Regardless, he didn't get to decompress, ensure that it was all real, that we had won before he was shipped off back home." Naoto explained. "And then being without us, his first real friends, it wore on him. I've been helping him, I think, by just being there to talk."

"So how's that thing you've been helping Senpai with?" Rise asked. That was all anyone knew, that Yu asked Naoto for help with something.

"It's… frustrating most days." Naoto admitted. Being considered part of a group that called itself Thieves grated on her. "But it does have its pluses."

"Sorry to hear that." Rise said. "But at least you get to be near Senpai, so that's a plus. You still haven't answered my question." she said.

Naoto shook her head a little bit. "He's a very thorough and considerate kisser. He says it's often like lighting is jolting through him whenever he kisses me, whether it's a gentle peck or a slow and thorough exploration of my lips. And it is also thoroughly enjoyable to be picked up by him."

"He can pick you up?" Rise asked, eyes wide a bit.

"Of course he can." Naoto said simply, scoffing. "Yu is a rather athletic individual after all." Running, kendo, Yu took great care of his body. And then there was the stuff happening in the Metaverse.

"Okay, so have you seen him naked yet?" Rise asked excitedly.

Naoto was about to politely decline answering that when her phone flashed and she had good enough reason to do so. She had given enough sordid details about Yu to Rise as it was. "Excuse me Rise, but my grandfather is calling me. Perhaps we can pick this up another time." Naoto offered.

"Oh… alright. But I'm pestering you about this more Naoto-kun." Rise pouted.

Naoto smiled and ended the video call a moment before she picked up the line with her grandfather, bringing the phone up to her ear. "Grandpa." she said.

" _Naoto._ " The elder Shirogane said. " _I saw a particular picture circulating the media not too long ago._ " he said.

"Yes, I was wondering about that." Naoto said with a slight frown. She had expected the phone call almost a week ago at its latest. "I honestly had expected you to call sooner." she said.

" _I would have but I was in Hong Kong working a case._ " Her grandfather said with a chuckle. " _So am I to take it that is the young man that helped you with my little game?_ "

"Yes, that's my Senpai. Yu Narukami." Naoto said, a faint smile coming to her lips as she thought of all the things that Yu had done for her in Inaba. One of her favorites, even if it hadn't been all that major, had been being worried about a love letter being another letter from their Phantom Thief.

" _I would like to meet him._ " the elder Shirogane said. " _Preferably soon._ " he added.

"Grandpa, you're not threatening my boyfriend with a shotgun." Naoto said bluntly.

" _It's my right to threaten my granddaughter's boyfriend with a shotgun._ " The elder Shirogane said, his tone light and teasing. He'd never actually do it, Naoto knew that much already. Regardless, she didn't want her grandfather threatening and interrogating her boyfriend.

"We're making a trip to Inaba soon, Grandpa. I'll try then. At the very least, I'll be visiting the estate. Unfortunate Yu-kun has a lot of friends from Inaba he hasn't seen since he left, including an uncle and a cousin that might as well be a little sister to him." Naoto said, trying to placate her grandfather. She wasn't surprised the man wanted to meet her boyfriend, and truthfully she wanted them to meet.

" _That will suffice for now. But I would still like to meet him properly soon enough. I'm sure you two will be able to come up with something._ " Her grandfather said.

"Of course." Naoto said and she paused a moment. "You're not angry though?" she asked carefully.

" _That you kissed your boyfriend? I wish you hadn't been so public about it, but I can hardly cast stones at it._ " He said. " _What brought it about?_ "

"A pair of girls and a reporter." Naoto said, blushing a bit. "In hindsight, it seemed silly. But I was tired of one of the girls pestering me about a date, I was possessive of another girl making doe eyes at my boyfriend, and the reporter was getting on my nerves, starting to ask members of my current circle of friends questions. I just… I figured if I publicly declared that I was taken, I might be able to get out of the situation. It worked as a temporary stopgap." She said.

It also unfortunately meant she likely wasn't going to be able to go with Yu on a date anytime soon dressed up more femininely.

" _Still hiding your gender?_ " Her grandfather asked neutrally.

"Less hiding it and more not mentioning? My current circle of friends are aware of my gender as well." Naoto said. "It's not important for work, so I don't really mention it."

" _As long as you're not hiding it from your friends, I suppose I can't be upset. And I'm glad you're making more friends Naoto._ " Her grandfather said. " _Has there been any difficulties with the Police Prefecture since your little public display of affection_?"

"Thankfully no," Naoto said. "Most of the attention as been on MedJed and these Phantom Thieves." She said. "I've been tasked with some of the less sensational cases which is fine by me. I simply want justice to be done, not the credit for finishing the cases."

" _That's my girl. Well, I have to go now Naoto, Yakushiji has a few more cases for me to look at_." Her grandfather sounded so proud. " _I love you._ "

"I love you too Grandpa. Stay safe, please." Naoto said and she hung the line up. She leaned back in her chair a moment, just looking up at the ceiling.

A knock sounded on her door and he turned towards it and smiled. "Come in." She said. She watched the door open to Yu walking in with a cup of coffee. She smile gratefully as she took it and took a sip. She just smiled at him. For a brief moment, she wondered what might have been. Where would she be if Yu had fallen in love with Rise?

And the idea of sharing Yu with Rise was also there, though that idea was a bit more… risque than Naoto wanted to think about.

"What?" Yu asked her, apparently seeing her thoughts on her face.

"Nothing. I love you Yu-kun." She said softly.

"I love you too Nao-chan." Yu said, giving her a smile in return.

The future was uncertain and the past couldn't be changed. All Naoto had was the present and she planned to live it and enjoy it with her boyfriend as much as she could

Chapter End

 **A/N: Happy Holidays folks. I'll try to have the next chapter up much faster than this one did. Next one should be a bit of filler before we get to the group going to Inaba.**

 **Enjoy!**


	24. Chapter 24: Appreciation

Chapter 24: The Appreciation of the Downtrodden

Haru stared at the phone in her hand, re-reading the last message for what seemed like the dozenth time. She… she didn't know how to respond to it. So many emotions roiled around inside of her. And for what seemed like the dozenth time, she felt the hot tears come down from her eyes, streaming down her cheeks only for her to brush them away.

She sniffed a bit and looked at the gardens sitting on top of Shujin Academy and she sat down. Tucking her legs under her, she just sat there, looking at the various vegetables starting to come up. She put a lot of effort into cultivating them.

She quickly brought her phone up, glancing at the chat with the Phantom Thieves a moment before she switched to the private one with Akira. ' **Can we meet up? The group, I mean?'** She sent to him after just a moment's hesitation. She simply didn't know how to respond, how to react, maybe talking it out with her friends would give her a better idea.

Moments later, her phone buzzed with a message for the group. She smiled a bit. ' **Meeting today. Nothing bad, I want to go over the rest of the requests.'** Haru smiled more. It figured Akira would even come up with a plausible excuse that wouldn't make it sound like she was being selfish.

Now if she could just figure out what to say.

Standing, Haru made her way to her bag and picked it up. She headed down from the rooftop, taking a moment to lock the door behind her before she went to the bathroom and quickly got changed from her P.E. uniform into her more casual wear, washing up from the dirt as she did so. She brushed her hair out from underneath the sleeveless lilac colored top and brushed her hands across the creme colored skirt that went with it. Matching lilac pumps finished the ensemble.

She pulled her phone out and looked at the message on the cracked screen. Even now, she didn't know how to actually react to the message. It was… She didn't know. She tucked it back into her bag once more, the small backpack holding her change of clothes as well as a few other various essentials.

She did however grab her wallet from the backpack as she approached the train station. Seeing as she had a few minutes to wait for the train to Central Street, Haru went ahead and got a can of Dr. Salt. She popped it open and took a deep drink, drifting into thought.

Not a week prior, she had a fight with her father. She had actually argued with him, yelled at him and stood her ground against what he was saying. Even if it didn't seem to be getting through to the man, she had argued with all the passion that she could muster.

All because of a train card.

She looked at the laminated bit of plastic in her hand, flipping it around. She wasn't going to always be able to catch Akira and the others when they went over to Yu's home when they had something going on. So she had to be able to either afford the train herself or, like most students, get herself a pass that allowed her to use certain trains free of charge.

Her father had been obstinate in his refusal. He kept asking why she needed one. That she got picked up by either his driver or by Sugimura. One would report to her father about her comings and goings, the other she had enacted a change of heart in. She had argued that there were places she wanted to go on her own time.

To an extent, she realized that she had acted like a child, but she wasn't always going to be under the heel of her father. She needed to have some semblance of control and independence in her own life, and she couldn't just have others dictate that control for her.

But she must have gotten through to her father in some manner. Almost the next day she had the train pass that she wanted. Of course, to some extent having the pass made her feel paranoid about the lengths her father would try to go to, but she had to believe that he was better than that.

She tossed the can away into the recycle bin when she was finished with it. Her train arrived shortly after and she stepped on, finding a place where she could stand. The train wasn't too full, most kids either staying home or at work during the summer vacation. It made it more tolerable. Haru was still getting used to being in a train packed full of strangers like they were sardines in a can.

Thoughts flit through Haru's mind, and inevitably they were drawn to the rather interesting leader of the Phantom Thieves.

Akira Kurusu. Haru had done her homework on the younger man. She had done her homework on him before she had even known he was the leader of the enigmatic Phantom Thieves. He was intelligent, he was relatively kind, and, at least to Haru, he was rather handsome. But there was more to it than that, there was a sort of charismatic feel to him that had come forward whenever he spoke. Usually he seemed content to just fade into the background, to be another face in the crowd, but if he really wanted to, Akira Kurusu could have been one of the most popular guys at Shujin Academy.

The train came to a stop and Haru walked out. Her footsteps were a bit slow as she made her way up towards Central Street and then beyond. She owed a lot to Akira. More than she could even begin putting into words. But she didn't know how to express her gratitude. He was truly a one of a kind individual, kind and without any schemes towards her or the Okumura name.

And for Haru, such people were few and far between. But with the introduction to the Phantom Thieves, she had many such people.

She arrived at Yu's home and went up to the door. Politely, she knocked on the door. Naoto answered and ushered her in. Haru was, surprisingly, the last one to arrive. Even Futaba was there, crouched up on a chair while she worked on her laptop at something.

All the emotions came surging forth however when Haru saw Akira, standing there and tapping his phone. Haru raced over and half tackled herself into him, wrapping her arms around him tight. The tears came again, hot and freely down her face. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" she said, her words rapidly slurring together.

Akira hesitated before he wrapped his arms around her, lightly patting her on the back. "Uh…. You're… welcome?" he said, clearly confused.

Haru released Akira and took a step back, blushing brightly. "I'm sorry!" she said. She then bowed to the room in general. "Thank you, thank you all so very, very much!" she said.

"What brought this on Haru?" Makoto asked, looking as surprised and confused as the rest of the group.

Haru offered the brightest smile she could muster, the feelings inside finally coming forth, even as tears streamed down her face. "Sugimura, he's broken off the betrothal!" she said. She was free! She was free from the burden of the lecherous man and his designs. "The Change of Heart worked!" She no longer had to marry into a loveless marriage, and worry about her virginity being violently taken by a brute that wouldn't care about her pain.

"Congratulations!" Ann declared, clapping her hands.

"Aw man, that's totally awesome!" Ryuji said, a grin forming on his face.

Haru still didn't know how to properly feel her excitement, her gratitude of being free. It was all so sudden and new, but she was more than happy to enjoy it. "I don't know if I will ever be able to express my gratitude enough, especially since it was such a selfish request, but thank you, thank all of you so very much."

Naoto shook her head. "No thanks are necessary Haru." she said. "We are your friends, especially now. We would do it again with just as little prompting as before."

"She's quite correct." Yusuke said. "The man's personality was quite repulsive, we would have done it even if you did not join us."

Akira gave a bit of a lopsided grin. "Like they said, we were happy to help. And that goes for the rest of you, if you all need some help, some selfish request, it's okay to ask." He said.

Haru continued smiling brightly. She knew it had been Akira, it had been all him. He was the heart of the Phantom Thieves. That wasn't to say that the rest of them weren't vital either, but without Akira, they wouldn't be there. Akira brought them together. Akira had brought her in. Akira would have likely been quite willing to help her alone if he had to.

But then she frowned a moment and wrung her hands a little. "That brings me to… another thing." she said. The tone shift was sudden, and everyone was looking at Haru because of her somber tone. "I… have another selfish request. Well… less selfish than Sugimura, but it still feels like it is being made from selfish desires."

"I just said it was okay to ask." Akira said. "We might not do it, we're all pretty much in agreement that we should only take on cases that we unanimously decide on. If you have something, say it."

"He's right." Yu said as he stepped from the kitchen where he had been doing dishes. "There's nothing wrong with making the request. Just understand if we say that we won't do it. And again, that goes for everyone." he said. "This is a dangerous power we have, but let's try to make sure we use it for good."

Haru inhaled and held the air in her chest a moment before exhaling slowly to steel her nerves. "My father has a Palace."

"What?!" Morgana bolted up a little straighter.

"No." Yusuke said, his voice a more bare whisper.

"This is troubling." Naoto said, looking more alert, her eyes narrowed as she thought.

Haru thought she saw Makoto wince, but didn't know if it was the revelation or something more. "I… understand if-" She started.

"Shelve it." Yu said firmly. "We're going to put that on a shelf." Everyone was looking at the eldest of the group like he had grown a second head. "I know it's important, especially someone like Haru's father that owns a large corporation with plenty of workers that are probably overworked and underpaid. But we can't just go gallivanting off into Palace after Palace after Palace. Futaba's nearly killed Akira." There was winces all around and Haru looked worried over towards Akira. "But we need to rest, we need to recover. We're still just teenagers. Let us have a bit of teenage responsibility for once, not the responsibility of a group calling themselves the Phantom Thieves."

"When do you suggest then?" Akira asked.

"Most of you have a trip to Hawaii coming up, we'll take care of the Palace after that." The middle of September. But it would give them time to settle back in after summer break. A little under a month and a half away. "This will also give us time to make a couple trips into Mementos to train. I'm not saying we take a full month and a half off from working as the Phantom Thieves, but we've been going almost full throttle, we need to relax a little."

"Haru?" Akira asked, glancing over towards her. "Does that work for you?"

Haru nodded her head. "Yes, I just wanted to bring it up. Even if we don't decide to handle it, I'm glad to have been able to talk about it." Really, her father needed the change of heart. Ever since her mother had returned to France after their split, it was just one thing after another as her father changed into someone she didn't recognize.

She just hoped that they could help him.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira shouldered his bag as he headed down the stairs of Leblanc. He stepped outside, offering a wave over to Sojiro as he walked outside. He had no real plans for the day, and was thinking about exploring more of Shibuya to find out what all there was. He had a couple of books that he wanted to get.

However, just as he turned to head up towards the train, Futaba bounced up from her crouched perch in front of the curry store. "Akira!" she said. "Just who I wanted to see." She said. She maneuvered her hands behind her back. "I…" She flushed a bit.

"What is it Futaba?" Akira asked patiently. Even though they had worked with the girl to get her more comfortable with people, she still had some difficulty expressing herself.

"Thing is… I want to buy a game." she said. "But… well… I'm a little scared to go on my own. All those crowds of people." She made a slight distressed sound. "Think you can help me out?" she asked a bit meekly.

"Sure." Akira said, offering a smile. "Know a good place to go?"

"Yes!" Futaba jumped, pumping one hand into the air a bit. "Akira has joined the party!" She grinned a bit. "Akihabara of course is the place to go."

"Alright, might be able to find some stuff for that old game system I bought." Akira said and he began to walk alongside Futaba who stuffed her hands in her pockets as she walked with him.

"Yeah? What sort of games do you have right now?" Futaba asked. "What sort of system is it?"

"Star Forneus." Akira said. He saw the incredulous look she gave him. "Yeah, yeah, I know, it's Retro. Really retro. But then, I just bought the system at the second hand store and got it for free."

Futaba pushed up her glasses. "I might have an old cheat code book lying around, or I can dredge them up online. Man, we need to get you a computer, pronto. Get some real games."

Akira chuckled a bit. "I got a desktop back home. Eight gigs of ram, about a terabyte of space… I don't quite remember all the specs, but it's nice." he said.

"Eight gigs huh?" Futaba said. "Seems a bit of a baby computer to me."

"Oi!" Akira said sharply. "I love that rig. Don't talk bad about it. It's sole purpose is to play games." He didn't like people insulting his hard working machine.

"Baby. Rig." Futaba said, sticking her tongue out at Akira. "Mine has thirty two gigs of ram, it's a smooth operator."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Akira shook his head. "I put a ton of effort into Devil Busters(1)." He said. "After Innocent Sin Online, those guys really put some effort into their next game. Man, that thing is hefty."

"Devil Busters huh?" Futaba said. "Good choice. Bit chunky at times, but there's just so much to do in it."

Together the pair got on the train, with Akira paying for them to get up to Akihabara. Futaba said that Sojiro had given her money, but he wanted the younger girl to keep it. Futaba was all excited, and Akira was glad for it, even if she spoke in mostly game terms. He was versed enough in games though that he could keep up with it. She did after all call the major electronic store the quest objective.

Once inside, Akira glanced around at a few things, looking some stuff over. He'd probably come back on his time off to actually look at things a bit more, but he could see a couple things that he could get a little on the cheaper side for his computer back home.

"Hey, where'd Futaba run off to?"

Akira glanced around at Morgana's warning. Shit. Sojiro was going to kill him if something happened to Futaba. He began to move about, half tempted to put Morgana down so the cat could go and actually see if he could find her. He was glad for his height, even as he stood on tiptoes to look around over people's heads. He then heard the telltale sound of Futaba's distressed whine. It was quite a noticeable sound.

"Are you all by yourself? Where did you come from?" Someone was trying to speak to Futaba in a manner that was meant to be soothing. "Did you run away from home little girl? Do you think you can come down to the station with me?"

"Futaba!" Akira called out, pushing past a few people. "Excuse me, excuse me." He saw her and she quickly rushed over, moving behind him and practically glueing herself to his back.

A police officer came walking over. "Do you know this girl?" he asked. He wasn't asking in an accusatory tone, but just trying to get to the bottom of things.

"Yes." Akira said and offered a smile. It was time to put the lessons of Yu and Toranosuke to work. "She's my adoptive sister. I apologize for any trouble that might have occured."

"You're not lying are you?" The officer asked carefully.

"No sir. Ever since her mother passed she's had a slight case of agoraphobia, but she's been trying so hard to overcome it and wanted a game. We got seperated in the crowd." Akira wasn't certain if it was his fault or Futaba's, but he knew he wasn't about to let her get lost again. "After all, would she be clinging to me like this if I was some total stranger?"

"Alright." The Officer nodded his head. "I trust you'll keep a more careful eye on her."

"Absolutely." Akira said. He then turned to Futaba. "Come on, let's go find your game." He said. He carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her away from the officer. Futaba clung closer to him, actually shivering like she was cold.

"S-sorry… I thought I conquered my fears on the beach." Futaba said, shuddering. Her steps were shaky as he led her towards the games. "I-I thought that you were still with me. Then I was surrounded by people I didn't know, and I suddenly I'm curling into a ball and police are showing up."

"No, I'm sorry Futaba." Akira said. "I got distracted when I shouldn't have."

Futaba took a couple of shaky breaths. "I feel kinda calm when we're this close. Is this okay?" The orange haired girl asked.

"Of course, I don't mind." Akira told her. "But are you sure you're not a remora?"

"Maybe!" Futaba said a bit more animatedly. "Couldn't even buy a damn game." she muttered.

"Oi, language." Akira said.

Futaba rolled her eyes a bit and looked thoughtful. "I feel okay outside with you." She said. She frowned a bit. "Wait. Are you some kind of key item?!" She looked up, grabbing Akira's arm as she looked to his eyes. "Akira, please be my key item."

"Done." Akira said and he offered a smile, even as she looked ready to say more. There was no need for her to say more, he already was going to do it to help her out.

"For reals?!" Futaba's eyes widened. "Awesome! Now that's over with, let's gooo!" she said, half hauling Akira along.

"Wait. Where to?!" Morgana said from inside the bag.

"Need. Buy. Game. Now. Monarch Fighters Twelve(2) isn't going to buy itself!" Futaba said, heading towards the game. "Man, what was that though? Is your speech maxed out or something? Highest Charisma?"

Akira rubbed the back of his head a moment. "Ah… That wasn't much. Just putting some lessons to use that Yu and Toranosuke taught me about how to speak."

As they walked out with the game, Futaba clutching the bag to her chest, she gave another distressed whine. "The officer was way too high of a level for me." she said.

"Relax." Akira said as they headed towards the train station. "Look at it like this, that's a repeatable quest with an optional boss that you now know about. You didn't the first time, now you can get better. Especially since I'm apparently a key item."

Futaba's eyes widened as she looked at him. "You're right!" she said. "Oh yeah, this is gooood! I'm going to grind until I'm at your level!" She looked at the game in her hands. "Maybe after a few days with this though."

Akira chuckled a bit. Together they rode the train, Akira getting her to talk about the fighting game she got. Not that he was ever particularly interested in Monarch Fighters, but he could at least talk with her about it. He was more into RPGs than fighting games.

As they entered Leblanc, Futaba went and plopped herself onto a stool. "Sojiroooo! Feeeeed meeee!" She thumped her head down onto the countertop.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." The older man went and began to prepare a plate of curry. "How'd it go?" he asked.

"Got myself a key item!" Futaba said, much to Sojiro's confusion.

"She means me." Akira said. "Apparently, she feels less anxiety around me, so I get dubbed as the key item."

"Uh… Huh…" Sojiro took an inhale of his cigarette before he exhaled, away from Futaba and Akira and the food. "I'm not going to pretend to understand."

"Probably for the best." Akira said.

"Right, anyways…" Sojiro put the food down for Futaba to dig in. "Yu Narukami called me while you were out." he said.

Yu? What did Yu want? "About?" Akira asked. And why did he call Sojiro?

"About your guys' trip to Inaba. I don't mind you going of course, but he called to get permission for Futaba here." Sojiro motioned to the girl who was shovelling the curry into her mouth.

"Mm?!" She looked just as surprised as Akira felt.

"I've already said okay." Sojiro said. "Just wanted to let you know. He won himself a lot of points by calling and making sure it was okay, plus I know you and your friends will be around Futaba."

"I imagine he's been calling all our friends' parents and guardians." Akira said softly. "Makes sense, he is the adult of the group and he's wanting to take all of us to Inaba for that festival. He's a good guy, but I don't get him some times." Akira admitted.

Really, Yu's plan to take them was… odd. But he couldn't deny a bit of wanting to meet other Persona users, or to see what sort of place had forged Yu into the man that he was. Would Shibuya do much the same to him? Plus, Akira could probably get Yu to make a brief detour for an hour or two on the way back to Akira's hometown so that he could introduce his friends to his mom and vice versa.

Akira felt his phone buzz and pulled it out to glance at it. "Well, Yoshida-san asked for my help. I'll be back later." He said and offered a wave, heading out to catch the train over to Central Street.

Once over at Central Street, Akira could see the aged politician already in the middle of a passionate speech, standing on a stage with banners. Akira just sat back and listened as the man conveyed his hope for the future, that the old guard needed to be there to help push for a brighter future and put their trust and faith in the newer generation.

And he even spoke of the Phantom Thieves, how they were addressing the world's problems. He spoke about how, regardless of the righteousness of the Phantom Thieves, they had the ability to move a person's heart through their convictions. That they pursued justice for others and that they had no choice but to disguise themselves.

Akira hung back, just listening to the speech. And not once did he accuse Kuramoto Instead, he spoke of how he was able to understand the weak, the downtrodden because he was accused of the embezzlement. It was awe inspiring really, listening to how Toranosuke Yoshida spoke.

He even ended on a powerful note, stating how he would be happy and proud if he could just be a meaningful stepping stone for the future of the youth of Japan. Even Akira was brought to applause as the rather large crowd began to clap for the politician.

And the other politician, Matsushita, seemed to think his efforts were for nothing. However, before he left he promised Toranosuke the backing of the party, something that surprised Akira greatly. Slowly, Akira began to approach the older man.

"Great speech." he said. And he meant it too.

"Thank you my young friend." Toranosuke said with a smile. "You and your friend have given me the conviction to speak my beliefs so strongly now. I owe you a lot."

"You don't owe me anything." Akira said. "I've learned a lot from just listening to you speak and the few pointers you've offered me." From Toranosuke, Akira learned how to make it sound like he really meant what he said. How to convey that conviction.

"Hmm. My candidacy though… what an unexpected turn." Toranosuke said, crossing his arms.

"Not backing out are you?" Akira asked.

"Of course not. I wouldn't have run if I didn't actually intend to see it through, for better or for worse." The politician looked down to the ground. "The Phantom Thieves…" He then turned and straightened his spine, looking at Akira. "Maybe it's an effect of you moving my heart."

Akira was a bit surprised, trying to hide his reaction and jerking back a bit. He had not expected it. He had not elicited such a thing with anyone around Toranosuke. The promise of candidacy backing had been from the efforts of the politicians. "You had a change of heart." Akira said carefully.

"That must be it." Toranosuke's eyes closed and the politician nodded his head as he smiled. "Still, I have you to thank for all this." He looked down. "The power to change people's hearts… Well… I don't possess some special power the way they do, but I won't lose to them in conviction!" He said boastfully. "Speech is my weapon of choice, my words and my voice. It is how I will win people over."

Akira glanced about. Toranosuke hadn't come out and directly said that Akira was a member of the Phantom Thieves. But the aged politician had figured out what Akira was without Akira ever having done anything to help the man through the Metaverse. Screw Goro Akechi, Toranosuke was a more dangerous person with the way he figured things out.

Toranosuke offered a smile and held a hand out. "Thank you Akira Kurusu. I do believe this will be our last time working together."

Akira looked surprised but reached out and took Toranosuke's hand in his, squeezing firmly. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"I have nothing left to teach you about the art of public speaking." Toranosuke said. "Now, it's up to you to take what you have learned and use it for your… 'work'. And if you ever find yourself in trouble, I'll be there to support you to the best of my abilities, without question. Let us part ways for now as equals, comrades that will reform the world. Together."

Akira nodded his head and squeezed Toranosuke's hand one more time. "Good luck in your election, Toranosuke Yoshida. I look forward to hearing of your victory on the news." The two men then parted ways, and Akira began to head down to the subway terminal.

However, it seemed Akira's night wasn't yet through. As he was waiting for the train, someone came strolling up to him and he put his phone away, turning to see Goro Akechi himself walking up. "Ah! I thought it was you." The other boy offered a smile. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure." Akira said, turning to face the other boy. He was standing, less than a meter away from their Prime Suspect as to who the Black Masked Persona user was. It was time to really put to the test the lessons he learned from Yu and Toranosuke. How to speak and make himself sound convincing and believing his own words.

"... Did I bother you?" Akechi looked a bit downtrodden. "My apologies."

"No, sorry if I seem a little tired." Akira said. "I volunteer to help Toranosuke Yoshida with his speeches, and today's was a little longer than I expected." Not that Akira really did anything but hold a placard, but he had to stand still and stand the entire time without moving.

"I recall you from the TV station, and I was thinking you were quite the wealth of information, or at least a fresh perspective regarding the Phantom Thieves. Could I perhaps pick your brain a moment?" Akechi asked, taking Akira's words at face value seemingly.

"Sure, at least until my train gets here." Akira glanced at his phone. "I probably have another ten to fifteen minutes."

"I find it a little odd that Medjed was taken down so swiftly after their announcement." Akechi said. "Do you think there is a skilled hacker within the Phantom Thieves or it was a supporter of their actions?"

"It's difficult to tell." Akira said. And really, it was. With all the publicity that they were gaining, it was almost impossible to tell whether it was an avid fan or not. At least from an outside perspective.

"You live at Leblanc, right? With Sojiro Sakura? Sae-san has told me a bit about him, and his daughter Futaba. Have you met her?" Akechi asked.

"Yeah, good girl. Likes video games, bit odd around people." Akira said. There it was. Lies hidden within the truth. Akira had said nothing but the truth, but had given a lie of omission regarding Futaba. He didn't mention she was good with computer. He wasn't going to bring it up with Akechi unless he had to.

"Do you know if she's a fan of the Phantom Thieves?" Akechi asked. "Many kids her age seem to be fans."

"Hard to say, I've only really started hanging out with her." Akira shrugged his shoulders. "But you're pretty popular too, Akechi-san."

"I suppose you're quite correct." Akechi shook his head and shifted the monogrammed briefcase to his other hand. "Though, personally, I'd rather not be compared to individuals like the Phantom Thieves. I intend to bring them to justice for their crimes."

"I am a little curious," Akira mentioned. "What crimes did they commit?" Naoto might be a better person to ask, but Akechi was right there in front of him, so he figured he could ask the 'ace detective' what their crimes were.

"Allow me to pose a question to you. Who watches the Phantom Thieves?" Akechi said. "Vigilantism is a crime in most nations, I would imagine, because of the lack of checks to it. The Police still answer to the judicial system, but who do the Phantom Thieves answer to? While I don't necessarily disagree over the targets to a point, the methods are all too… dangerous in my opinion. They need to be brought in for their actions. It also seems like a bit of brainwashing in my opinion. None of the victims seemed intent on confessing their crimes until they were forced to do it. It would be like forcing someone to become a model citizen at gunpoint."

Akira nodded his head, he supposed he could see the point that Akechi was making. But he wondered if it was more to just make Akechi look better. It was a question that was often asked of their group. Were they right? No. Akira was not so arrogant as to believe that the Phantom Thieves were just, their actions were rather selfish. They were even forcing people to change, and it was only them that was keeping them from becoming some force of ill will.

But the system was allowing for men like Madarame who was threatening to press charges against his own pupil, that lived in Madarame's home, for entering a room within said residence that was unlocked, to walk away unscathed. It allowed for men like the man that pressed charges against Akira to do so. That was a black mark on his record for the rest of his life, it would never go away.

"Do you believe we share a bond?" Akechi asked.

Akira was surprised by the question but as he thought about it, he figured that, yes, they did share a bond. "Yes." And his bonds were his strengths. He wasn't going to deny a single one, not even one like Goro Akechi who he would like to deny quite vehemently. It would be like Yu denying Adachi though. It just didn't happen.

"Heh… Thank you for that." Akechi said. "Fate has a funny way of working, bringing people together." Akechi looked down the train tunnels. "It's strange, but talking to you is quite thought provoking." he said.

Akira's train came out of the tunnel and he glanced towards it. "This is mine." He said. "I will see you around, Akechi-san." he said politely before he stepped onto the train.

Morgana waited before sticking his head out of the bag slightly. "I don't like talking to him." he whispered softly.

"Makes you feel like he's sizing you up to slip a knife in, huh?" Akira asked the feline.

Indeed, Goro Akechi was an individual to watch out for. He was quite conniving and convincing. He made it sound like he wasn't all that dangerous, but then the conversations had with the ace detective were just as thought provoking for Akira as it was for Goro Akechi. He knew, he just somehow knew, that things would eventually come to a head with Akechi.

Akira could only hope that when that day came along, he would be prepared to handle it. Perhaps he needed to sit down and talk with Yu and find out what it had been like to go after Adachi. Either way, Akira would have to be careful in the future when he spoke with Akechi.

He had almost felt like he was believing the drivel that Akechi spoke. It was only the warnings of Yu and Naoto that kept Akira on his toes.

 _Take Your Time_

Yu Narukami was up bright and early on the eighteenth of August. How could he not be up early? He would be returning home that day for an extended period. He had picked up the van the day before, a rental that would take them the long journey to Inaba in relative comfort. His bags were already packed too, had been packed for a while.

He untangled himself from a still sleeping Naoto, gently kissing his sleuth on the temple before he moved away. He took a quick shower, throwing on clothes once he was dried off. He then headed downstairs and started to prepare breakfast and coffee.

Only he prepared breakfast for the entirety of the Phantom Thieves. They would be meandering to his home in time, so he wanted to have food ready for them when they got there. He was practically bouncing on his toes, ready to go and see Nanako, Dojima, and the Investigation Team. He hoped to be able to catch up with a few others like Shu, Daisuke, the others.

Really, Yu was just excited to be able to go home, to smell the fresh air of Inaba. He was excited for the festival. He wanted to relax in an actual hot spring too.

Yu was in top form in his kitchen, cracking eggs and preparing omelettes. He kept it simple, bits of ham and cheese to fold into the omelette with a dash of pepper.

"Mm… Making for an army, Yu-kun?" Naoto drowsily had come down the stairs and was already grabbing a mug of coffee. She was dressed in her pajamas, having not yet gotten about the morning routine of waking up.

"The Phantom Thieves." Yu said. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, tasting the coffee on her lips. "Figured they'll want a good meal before we hit the road for a couple hours."

"Five or so by the estimates that I saw. When are you hoping to leave by?" Naoto asked.

"No later than ten." Yu said. He shrugged his shoulders. "I made sure to call everyone's folks. Makoto's sister and Haru's father were a little difficult to get to agree to it, but they did at least return my phone call so I could try and get them to. It'll be worth it though."

Naoto nodded. "And you still plan to talk about what's been bothering you with the rest of the team?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll probably wait until tomorrow night. I figure tonight can be used for bonding, tomorrow we can get Akira to cook some curry for us." Yu leaned into his girlfriend, his lover a moment and offered a smile. "You'll be there with me, right?" he asked softly. Honestly, he was desperate to have her in his corner, but he was trying to hide that desperation.

"Of course, you don't even need to ask." Naoto said. She leaned into him a bit as well. "So everyone's going?" she asked.

"Yeah, and I think I'll take Ryuji to Kanji's place, see about getting Ryuji a yukata. I'm sure Kanji can definitely help with some of the designs and such." Designs for a man's yukata were much more sedate than for a woman's, but they were still there. "When do you plan to visit your grandpa?" he asked.

"Mm… Probably the twentieth." Naoto said. "And I'll go early so that I still have the rest of the day." She said. She leaned up and kissed Yu on the jaw. "I'm going to shower and get ready."

"Alright, I'll keep cooking breakfast." Yu said. Once Naoto was up the stairs, Yu headed out to the front door and opened it, propping it open to just have it open so he didn't have to keep going to the front door to let the Phantom Thieves in.

Yu smiled a bit as he continued cooking. There was a knock on his door. "Yu?" Ann called from the front door.

"Come on in!" He called out from the kitchen. "Pull a spot, I'm cooking some breakfast." He glanced over his shoulder as the blonde walked in. She kicked her shoes off and dropped her bag down beside his and Naoto's luggage.

"I could go for some breakfast." Ann said, walking to the kitchen. "It's… a little weird being in your house without the others." she said.

Yu passed over a plate with an omelette, chuckling. "Relax. Naoto's just up the stairs."

Ann nodded and she went to the kotatsu, sitting down to eat the omelette. "Hey, Yu?" The bubbly model asked a bit. "Do you really think we'll get along with your friends?" she asked. "It's just… I don't know how well we'll mesh." she said.

Yu was quiet a moment, even as he began to prepare the skillet for the next omelette. "I'd be lying if I didn't say the thought hasn't occurred. It's occurred to me, it's occurred to Naoto, and I'm sure it's occurred to each of you." He said. "But I can't tell you what will happen, all I can tell you is we're just going to have to wait and see. And I ask you guys to be patient. Yosuke might recognize you and fanboy over you a bit."

"Why?" Ann asked, tilting her head before taking a bite.

"You are a rather famous model." Yu pointed out.

"Yeah, but I just do that as hobby." Ann shrugged her shoulders. "I've been thinking about doing it for real, but I don't know…." She said.

"You remind me a bit of Rise." Yu said. "A bit adrift, trying to find yourself. You'll find the answer Ann." He assured the blonde.

"Thanks Yu."

Another knock sound. "Hey! Am I late?" Ryuji's voice came from the door.

"The van is still here Ryuji," Yusuke's voice rang out. "I considerably doubt either one of us are late."

"Come on in guys!" Yu called out. "Ann's already here. I'm hoping to be on the road by ten. Obviously, the earlier the better in my opinion, but that's how long I'm waiting."

The sound of the two boys coming in and kicking their shoes off before dropping their bags off sounded behind him. Yusuke came into the kitchen, going to the coffee pot and pouring himself a cup of coffee. He added an excessive amount of cream and sugar. "Ah… I can always count on you and Naoto to have a cup of coffee prepared." Yusuke said.

Yu grabbed his own cup and finished it off, it having gotten lukewarm during the time he was cooking. He got the last of the coffee before he started a second pot. The cups weren't exactly small, and the pot was a little smaller than standard. "Grab yourself some food." he said, motioning to the plates.

Ryuji came in and grabbed one. "Oh uh… Thanks, man." He said, scratching the back of his head with one hand. "For callin' my mom and askin' for me to go. She appreciates it."

Yu nodded his head. "Not a problem Ryuji. I know my mom would want to know where I went if I just up and vanished for five days."

"Yu?" Haru's voice came from the front door a little while later.

"Just come on in." Ryuji called out from his spot at the kotatsu.

"Yes, Senpai is currently cooking and can't be running to the door." Naoto came down the stairs and went to the kitchen. She grabbed her own plate.

Haru and Makoto came in together, Yu glancing over his shoulder before he continued cooking the omelettes. He was working out of two skillets by that point, but he was no stranger to having to work hard to keep up in the kitchen.

Makoto paused at the kitchen. "Yu, did you really call Sis?" she asked.

"Of course. I called your sister, Haru's dad, Ryuji's mom, even Sojiro. Ann and Yusuke take care of themselves. Ann with her parents in Sweden and Yusuke not having anyone to watch him, so I didn't have to call anyone." He glanced over to the student council president.

"How come?" Haru asked as she got her own cup of coffee.

"Well, I am an adult." Yu said as though it was an obvious thing. "And I don't need someone's folks thinking you're being kidnapped because they don't know where you're at for five days. So I took precautions and made sure everyone's guardians that I could get ahold of knew."

"I'm pretty impressed that you managed to get ahold of my father." Haru admitted.

"Sis too." Makoto said. "The Phantom Thieves case has her working so many long hours, she spends more time at the office than at home."

"I left detailed messages with the receptionists." Yu said. "I had nothing to hide." He passed off the omelettes.

A knock sounded. "The Heroes have arrived!" Futaba called out in a dramatic fashion.

Naoto leaned into Yu's side a little bit. "Phoenix Ranger Featherman R 5: Flight of Blue Swan. It was what Blue Swan said before the final battle." She whispered under her breath, much to Yu's enjoyment.

"I'll take your word for it." He told his sleuth. "Well come on in heroes. Breakfast won't wait on you!" Futaba and Akira came on inside, with Akira taking Morgana out of his bag and setting the cat down.

"So how we handling seating arrangements?" Akira asked as he took a plate of food.

"I'm driving. Naoto and Futaba are up front with me. Past that, work it out amongst yourselves." Yu said. The van he rented was a three bench vehicle, much like Morgana was. Unlike Morgana however, they would have seat belts.

"How come Naoto and Futaba are up front?" Ryuji asked.

"I trust Naoto with a map, and Futaba is a tech person. I can't use the GPS on the van worth a damn." The silver haired teen said bluntly.

Futaba rubbed her hands together. "Alright, just leave it to me!"

"I would say guys and girls, but that seems cruel." Ann said. "The guys of our group aren't exactly small." Yu noticed how the girls suddenly looked at the various guys, noting their heights and builds like it was the first time. While none of them were particularly broad of shoulder, except maybe Yu, they were each above average height.

"I can sleep in Lady Ann's lap." Morgana said, purring contently.

"Of course you can." Akira said, shaking his head. "We'll figure it out before we leave."

Yu chuckled and quickly finished out breakfast. Once everyone had food and coffee, he ate with them. It was then up to him to do the dishes, but Naoto and Akira came in to help. Akira put things away after Naoto dried them off.

Yu then went to start loading up the van. It was going to be a little tight, especially since he was taking with them the equipment for when they went into the Metaverse, but he knew they would all manage. He smiled broadly, glancing at his watch. It was a little earlier than ten, but of course he was ready to go.

Yu did one last sweep of the house, making sure windows and doors were locked. His bike was even locked down. He didn't think anyone would steal anything, his neighbors had pretty much been the same through the years, but it never hurt to be careful.

Soon they were loaded up. Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke sat on the back bench, with Ann taking a window seat. Akira sat sandwiched between Makoto and Haru. Yu watched as Futaba fiddled with the GPS from the middle of the front bench. He started the van up and started to drive.

Next stop, Inaba.

Chapter End

 **A/N: (1) Innocent Sin Online is the name of the game the protagonist plays to gain levels with the Hermit Arcana in Persona 3. In the original japanese version of the game, it was Devil Busters. So I made Devil Busters be the studio's next game.**

 **(2) This is a play on King of Fighters, not that I doubt you guys knew that.**

 **Interestingly enough, I always thought Haru's fiance needed the change of heart more than her father did. So I wanted to show this little bit at the beginning where there's a reaction from asshole getting his heart changed.**

 **Also, I wanted to give Haru a bit more character. Her parents are seperated and her mother lives in france in this story. Simple as that, there's no canon mention of Haru's mother.**

 **I'm tired. I'm getting a much needed two hours of sleep before work.**


	25. Chapter 25: Inaba Day One

Chapter 25: Inaba Day One

The trip to Inaba was thankfully uneventful. Some traffic along the way, but nothing that had delayed their arrival by any significant amount of time. Yu even showed his knowledge of Okina city and Inaba proper by taking the back roads and avoiding the popular destinations that his friends might be currently hanging about at.

He saw it soon enough, the large and sprawling complex that was the Amagi Inn. It wasn't huge, per say, but it was definitely sizeable. It acted as a popular inn, and when it was at capacity, it could get busy and crowded. It was all mostly on one floor, and as they pulled up, they could see the large walled partition of the hot springs. Yu parked the van towards the back of the parking lot, seeing a few number of cars.

The festival usually made it busy at the Amagi Inn.

"Alright, let's go." Yu said and he got out. The others soon began to follow suit, making for quite the sight as they climbed from the van. "I'm sure once we're inside, the Investigation Team will be along shortly. In fact, I'm making sure of it." He and Akira passed out everyone's bag. "Don't talk about Persona or Mementos with them. We're saving it for tomorrow. Akira, you and I will be shopping for some curry ingredients tomorrow, I want to do that tomorrow night. A sort of sit down over good food and talk. Expect my uncle and cousin there, but I'm sure they'll leave after the food. Unless I've missed something in the year and a half I've been gone, Nanako almost always gets tired after eating, and the girl has a stomach on her. Okina city and Inaba proper are just a bus ride away. I know Yukiko has some pamphlets in the inn with the routes." He paused a moment as he shouldered both his bags. "And lastly, for goodness sakes, don't go into Mementos while we're here."

Naoto gave him a look and shook her head a bit. "You're over thinking things Yu-kun." she said.

"Probably." Yu said.

Akira took his glasses off his face and tucked them away. "Well, let's see what's up, yeah?"

They must have made for quite the sight, walking towards the Amagi Inn. Nine teenagers carrying bags, walking as a group. "Yukiko has an odd sense of humor, and Rise and or Teddie, depending on who is around, will play into it. She might also be a bit stressed with the work right now." Yu said. "The Amagi Inn is almost always busy during the festival."

"It's such beautiful architecture, and the scenery is quite the sight." Yusuke said, glancing all about.

Yu stepped through the open doors to the Inn where he saw Yukiko working the reception counter. All her dark hair was piled up into an elegant bun, two ornamental sticks through it. She was dressed in a tasteful pink kimono with a flora design to it. "Welcome to the Amagi Inn- Yu-kun!" she recognized him and immediately bolted around the corner to rush him.

And he suddenly had a fifty five kilogram missile impacting into his chest, wrapping him up in a hug. A hug that Yu was all too quick to return, bending down and hugging her tightly. "It's good to see you Yukiko." he said.

"Me? Look at you." She smacked his chest as she stepped back, only lightly. "You helped everyone out, through thick and thin, and now you're here again after barely talking to us for almost two years."

Yu chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I'll be better about it, I promise." he said. "But that's a conversation for another time, alright?" He pulled his phone out, a slight grin forming on his face. "Naoto-kun, Yukiko." He motioned to them as he stepped to the side and set his camera up. He wrapped an arm around Yukiko's shoulders, with Naoto beside the taller girl for just a moment as he snapped a picture.

"A selfie, Yu-kun?" Yukiko asked, sounding confused.

"Nope." Yu attached the picture into a text. "A message."

"Ah… Yes, that would work quite clearly." Naoto said, figuring his plan out almost immediately.

Yu sent the text message to one Rise Kujikawa before he tucked his phone away. That would likely get his friends to come running. Rise would grab Kanji, Kanji would grab Yosuke and Teddie and Rise would then go grab Chie as well, and the group would come mob him up at the Amagi Inn.

Yukiko shook her head a moment. "Let's get you all settled in. I'm sure you had a long drive." She went back towards the desk. She began to type at the computer set up back there, bringing up the intended rooms before she went and grabbed the key. "Girls' room, Boys' room, and your room Yu." She set the three sets of plastic keys on the counter. "Interestingly enough, we had to get electronic key readers on the door after some complaints of screaming. An investigation led us to find out a group of boys had ventured into another set of rooms. Wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you Yu-kun?" she asked.

Yu took the plastic card up and passed the spare over to Naoto. "Nope." He said. He did know what she was talking about. Undoubtedly it had been when Yosuke, Teddie, and Kanji had decided they were going to sneak into the girls' room in an attempt to get back at them for the earlier debacle regarding the mix up of the hotspring times. Only they had found Kashiwagi and Hanako. Yu had tried to warn the guys about going into the room. "Wouldn't happen to know about hotspring times mix ups, would you?"

Yukiko gave him a bit of a glare, even as a blush formed on her face. "That's not fair." She said.

"Then, no, I don't know anything about three guys being idiots while a fourth tried to talk them out of being idiots. For like the hundredth time." It had been a recurring theme. Yu would try to talk the guys out of being idiots, the others wouldn't listen to him. It was maddening some times.

Akira took the keys to the boys' room and passed them out. Makoto doing the same with the girls. For the time being, the Phantom Thieves seemed to be just quiet and getting a feel for Yukiko at the moment.

Yukiko led them along to each of their rooms, all three rooms being near each other so that their group was dealing with their group's antics. Yu and Naoto both dropped off their bags in the room and began to walk with Yukiko back to the entrance while the others got settled in.

"Wait, Yu-kun, Naoto-kun, where are you going?!" Yukiko asked, surprised to watch them heading for the door. "What about when the others get here?" she asked.

"I'm going to see Uncle Dojima and Nanako-chan first." Yu said with a wave.

"But what about-"

Yu turned to see the concerned expression on Yukiko's face. He headed over to her and offered a smile, reaching out to touch her shoulder briefly. "Relax. I know I promised answers. Soon, I swear. Tomorrow night. Just hold out until then, yeah?"

Yukiko looked at him with her dark eyes for a while, searching his eyes. The den mother of the Investigation Team had a slightly upset look to her eyes as well before she smiled a bit. "Alright then. Give Nanako-chan my love. Just remember, tomorrow night you're going to be getting grilled."

"I know, just let us settle in today, we've had a long drive." And Yu did all the driving, even if Makoto offered since she just got her license. He then pulled away from Yukiko and headed out towards the van with Naoto. "And where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm coming with to say hello to Dojima-san and Nanako-chan." Naoto said. "But I'll then be taking my leave to head to my apartment, I have a couple of things I want to get that I wasn't really able to properly pack when I left for Shibuya, as well as a few things from Shibuya I'd rather have here."

Yu nodded as he got in the van and started it up. Naoto slipped in on the other side and they began to drive towards Dojima's residence. Yu found himself taking oh so familiar roads, roads that he had trail blazed on Dojima's scooter. He was so happy to be back, taking in the sights of people walking the streets.

He parked in front of where the garden had used to be, and he was glad to see it was still set up, tomatoes apparently being planted at the moment. He got out of the van and just looked around the neighborhood for a while. Finally, he tucked his hands in his pockets and headed towards the front door.

"You ready for this?" Naoto asked as she slipped an arm around his and leaned into him a bit.

"Yeah." He said, offering a smile to his girlfriend. Dojima and Nanako knew about their relationship, so it wasn't like they had to try and keep it a secret. He reached up with one hand and knocked firmly on the door. Oh he knew where the spare key was, hell he still had a spare key on his keyring, but he didn't want to just barge in.

Family or not, there was just some things that weren't done. Barging in on an armed cop was stupid.

"Coming!" Nanako called from inside and he smiled broadly at hearing her voice, even muffled as it was. The door knob turned and a young girl peeked through a small crack in the wall. The door was then flung open as Nanako stared up at him with wide eyes. "Big Bro!" she cried out.

Yu was assaulted for the second time that day by a ballistic female. He bent down and hugged Nanako as she impacted with his chest, wrapping his cousin up in a warm hug. "Hey Nanako-chan." he said. He slowly pulled back and got a good look at her, putting his hands on her shoulders. He gave a smile as he put his hand on the top of her head and brought it over towards his chest. "You haven't gotten any taller I see."

He got a smack to his stomach for that quip. "Don't be so mean!" Nanako said before she gave an adorable pout mixed with a scowl.

"You tell him Nanako-chan." Naoto said from his side. Ooh, he definitely didn't earn any points with his quip about Nanako's heights. Oh well.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" Nanako asked, looking up with big huge eyes.

"I wanted to surprise you and Uncle Ryotaro. Speaking of, I saw his car wasn't in the driveway. He at work?" Yu asked. As a career detective, he wouldn't be surprised if his uncle was at work.

"Mm." Nanako nodded her head. "It didn't sound urgent when he went in, so he should be back later tonight. How long are you staying Big Bro?"

"I'm staying through the Festival." Yu said as he ruffled Nanako's hair. "How's your cooking coming along?"

"Better!" Nanako said cheerfully. "I can make some grilled cheese if you'd like."

Yu nodded his head. "I definitely would." They didn't exactly stop much for an actual lunch in Yu's haste to get to Inaba. The Phantom Thieves hadn't minded, giving him some understanding assurances that it was okay.

Yu stepped inside as Nanako pulled him by his hand inside of Dojima's home. The first place that Yu could honestly call home. It looked exactly the same as it always did. Though he did note a few more pictures on the wall, Nanako with the various members of the Investigation Team, Teddie more than most, as well as pictures of her and Dojima. But he paused at the picture of him, Nanako, and Dojima taken just before Nanako had been taken by Namatame. He brushed his fingers against the glass.

He was home.

 _Take Your Time_

Rise Kujikawa washed her hands up from handling the tofu of her grandmother's shop. She gave a content sigh, humming one of her songs under her breath as she cleaned up. She removed the scarf from her hair and brushed her fingers through it, shaking it out a bit.

She stepped into her bedroom and picked up her brush, taking it to her hair before pulling it back into her usual twin ponytails. She shook her head a moment before she changed out of the work scrubs and into a pair of casual tan pants with an orange tank top.

Her phone buzzed on her desk and she glanced over to it a moment, heading over. Picking it up, she smiled broadly at seeing that it was a text from Yu. While their conversations had been few and far between, she was still pleased to see that he texted her. Opening her phone, she was curious as to what he wanted.

She paused, seeing the attachment and she opened it. Her phone loaded the picture and she frowned a moment. It was a picture of Yu and Naoto with Yukiko. Why'd he send…

Rise's eyes went wide as she realized the implication and she went bolting out of her bedroom. "Grandma! I'm heading out! Senpai's back!" she shouted as she slipped her shoes on and grabbed her helmet. She went around the side of the shop to hop on her scooter and hopped on, starting it up and pulling out to the main street of the shopping district.

She paused in front of Tatsumi Textiles and leapt off, slamming the door open. "Kanji!" she shouted.

"What?!" he shouted back at her, not even looking up from what he was working on.

"Senpai's back!" she said. "Grab Yosuke and Teddie, I got Chie. Yukiko's place, now!" She saw him finally actually look up, showing he had been crocheting something. He blinked twice at her, as though not getting it. "Move it Moronji!" she shouted as she turned to leave.

"Oi! I told you stop calling me that! I got better grades than you. Ma! Yu's back, I'm gonna go see him!" the taller boy shouted to his mother who was in the back as he rushed for the door to grab his helmet. He had since gotten an actual scooter as well.

Rise was already on hers, throttling forward before he even started his up. She turned down the street, dredging up the memories of the way to Chie's house. It had been a bit since she had gone to see her friend, but she still remembered the way.

She parked her scooter and headed up the steps, taking them two at a time. She knocked quickly on the door. "Chie!" she called out.

There was some shuffling from inside, a loud thump. "Shoot!" Chie said before she opened the door, looking a little disheveled and sweating from working out. "What's up Rise?" she asked.

"Yu's back. Yukiko's place. I got Kanji grabbing the others." she said.

Chie's eyes widened and she nodded. She went and grabbed her shoes, slipping them on with a practiced ease before she also grabbed her helmet. "Why didn't Yukiko tell us he was coming?" Chie asked as she got on her scooter.

"I don't know! I bet Senpai has something to do with it." Rise said. Ooh… He was so in trouble when she got ahold of him. And so was Naoto. There was no way her bestie didn't know about it and then Naoto had never told her either.

Even if Rise had been grilling Naoto regarding some specific things about Yu, there was no reason for Naoto to withhold the information from her!

She and Chie began to drive up towards the Amagi Inn. They had to cut back down through the shopping district and head past Junes. It was because of this that she sent Kanji to grab Yosuke and Teddie while she went to grab Chie.

And sure enough, the boys came out from the Junes parking lot on their scooters. They went as a group, heading for the Amagi Inn. "You sure about this Rise?" Yosuke asked, coming up beside her.

"Of course I am! Yu sent me a picture of him standing with Yukiko." She said. She was anxious and excited to see him again. And she felt a twisting in her gut at going to see him. A lot of mixed feelings were pouring through her.

Of course, Naoto was her best friend. Rise would never do anything to hurt Naoto, not if she could help it. But the heart wanted what the heart wanted. And hers wanted Yu Narukami. She loved him. She had no idea how true the love was, or how deep it ran, but she had never had the chance to find out. Of course she was excited to see him, anxious to see him. But Naoto had Yu. Unequivocally had Yu. Rise couldn't help the pang of jealousy that cut her heart.

But she also wanted to see her friends. Naoto had been gone for months now, and Yu had grown so distant since he left Inaba. She didn't think it was because he forgot about them. But there were tiny little doubts in her mind. She thought about calling him up and getting together for some coffee or lunch whenever she was in Shibuya, but she thought it better if she didn't make it seem like she was going behind Naoto's back about it.

They arrived at the Amagi Inn and Rise locked her scooter down with practiced ease. She grabbed her helmet from her head and began to walk inside. She saw another of her friends. "Yukiko!" she said cheerfully, rushing over. Between everyone being busy with the next part of their lives, it had been difficult finding time to get together. "Where's Yu?" she asked.

"Just missed him." Yukiko said. Immediately, Rise felt her lower lip poking out into a pout, her shoulders slumped. "He was going to visit Dojima-san and Nanako-chan with Naoto-kun."

Rise perked right back up then. "So he is actually here, here to stay for a while?"

"Through the festival." Yukiko said and offered a smile.

"Yukiko! Why didn't you tell us?!" Chie asked, rushing over to take her friend's hands.

Yukiko smiled. "Small town, Yu-kun wanted to surprise Dojima-san and Nanako-chan as well as the rest of us." Her smile dropped a bit and she stepped in. "Yu-kun came with a bunch of teenagers, maybe a little younger than us. He's promised to give us answers tomorrow night, but I don't think he'd mind hanging out tonight." Her tone had dropped to a lower whisper.

Rise frowned a moment. Yu hadn't… replaced them… had he? No. He wouldn't do that. Not after all they had been through together. So who were they? Why did they come with Yu? She had been doing the idol gig so long that she was having difficulty focusing in as the combat operator for the Investigation Team.

Rise looked to Yukiko. "Do you mind us hanging around until he gets back then?" she asked. While she considerably doubted that Yukiko would mind, it was always polite to ask.

"Not a problem." Yukiko said with a smile on her face.

"Uh… excuse me." The entire group turned to face a teen with black frizzy hair, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt on as well. Over one shoulder was a large bag slung. "Do you know where Yu went?" he asked, looking directly at Yukiko.

"He's one of the people Yu-kun brought." Yukiko said She offered a professional smile. Likely using it until such a time as she figured out where Yu stood with everyone, but Rise used one enough on her own to recognize it. "Yu-kun went to visit his uncle and cousin."

The teen nodded and inhaled. "Alright, thanks." He exhaled. "Time to leader up then." He muttered under his breath. Rise wasn't sure how many of the others might have heard it. "Do you guys have any recommendations on where we can get some food? Or if they might deliver up here?"

"Dude, it's the Amagi Inn." Yosuke said. "Pretty much every place that does deliver will deliver here." He was right. The Amagi Inn was a pretty noticeable landmark in Inaba. Unless he ordered something from Okina of course. "But as to what I'd recommend, probably Aiya's if you're looking for it to come here. If you're up for riding the bus, I'd recommend some of the smaller hole in the wall places. And of course, if you just need some snacks, there's a lot of local shops and Junes."

"Oh yeah!" Chie said, putting her hands on her hips and offering a generally cheerful smile. "There's a place right beside Aiya's, they sell the _best_ steak skewers." she said.

"And of course if you can wait, dinner begins in about two and a half hours." Yukiko said with a smile still.

The dark haired teen nodded his head, making a mental note of everything and working through it in a similar fashion as to what Yu had used to do. "Alright thanks. By the way, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, but Akira Kurusu." He offered a hand to the group.

Rise took it and gave a gentle nod of her head. "Rise." She simply offered, curious if he would act the fanboy. She was surprised when he just smiled, though he did seem to know the name. It started a cascade of the group shaking his hand. Kanji just went for a fist bump instead.

Akira then turned to walk away when Kanji spoke up. "How do you know Senpai?" The tallest of the group asked.

Akira turned to face them once more. "He's asked me not to talk about it until tomorrow night. Sorry." He offered an apologetic smile before he turned and headed back towards their rooms. Something poked out of his bag.

"Is he carrying a cat?" Chie asked, tilting her head a shocked look on her face.

"Well, Yu-kun had been quite adamant about a cat being in the boys' room." Yukiko offered.

Rise frowned a bit, her mind working through things. "Curious." she said. "Very, very curious." Yu was going to answer questions, their questions, tomorrow night. But the way Akira made it sound, it sounded like he was going to be there as well. Would the rest of their group? What sort of answers would her old Senpai have to offer?

What sort of questions did she have?

For the Idol, it was difficult, figuring out how she wanted to proceed. She watched Akira come back from the rooms with a girl, one dressed in a casual pair of black pants with a white top that seemed almost oversized. But it was cute. She watched the brown haired girl a moment longer, trying to figure things out.

"You okay Ted? You've been more quiet than usual." Yosuke asked.

It drew attention to the blonde haired boy who was frowning slightly. "I… don't know." He said. "I'm wondering if my nose is acting up." He scrunched his nose a moment. "Beary interesting."

"What is?" Rise asked, turning to the bear a bit fully. Was it coinciding with the thoughts she had with Yu? Just what was going on?

"I'm going to wait for Sensei." Teddie said firmly, nodding his head. "I think he'll answer our questions when he bears all."

The group gave a collective groan at the bad bear puns.

Rise herself went over to a lounge area, flopping down into one of the seats and biting her thumb a moment. Yu had returned. That was the good news. Better news, her bestie was with him, so that meant she had two of her friends back. Bad news, her heart was in turmoil over what she should do about Yu. She had meant it when she said if there was a girl she would be willing to share with, it'd be Naoto. Hell, Rise was willing to even experiment with the other girl.

Not that it likely was to happen. Polygamy was illegal in most countries, including Japan. And Naoto was possessive of Yu. There was very little chance she'd even be willing to consider the idea of sharing the man. And Yu was completely enamored with the sleuth. Rise had seen it in the final weeks of his being there in Inaba, he wasn't going to look in anyone else's direction for quite some time.

And Rise had good reason to believe that her bestie and Senpai had sex.

Naoto was usually never the type to talk about the sordid details of her private life, yet she had even talked about how Yu looked in boxers. No, excuse her, briefs. She talked about how he looked in briefs. Rise sighed in content, thinking about the mental image that such a talk had elicited.

This was why Rise was bad at making plans. She just couldn't keep her head on straight. It wasn't that she was an airhead, but that she tended to think of other things and get pulled on tangents. But she knew that Yu had a lot of questions to answer. Even if she never would have his love, there was one thing that had bothered her that she wanted to get to the bottom of.

Yu loved Naoto. That was not ever going to be questioned in Rise's mind. He loved the sleuth with as much passion as he had in him. It was… impressive to behold, beautiful to behold. But how many times did Rise try to be there for her best friend on days where Naoto had felt the stinging bite of loneliness? Valentine's day had been particularly rough on Naoto, even if the other girl would never say it.

And for that, that alone, for hurting the heart of her best friend, Rise was going to demand answers from Yu. She was going to ask questions that she would want an answer from. And she wasn't going to accept any half assed answers from him either.

"Everything okay?" Kanji asked as he took a seat near her.

"Yeah… just… thinking." Rise said. She looked at the blonde delinquent. "Do you think Senpai might have abandoned us?" She asked. She had to ask the tiny little doubt in her mind.

"Never." Kanji said fiercely. "Senpai ain't like that, and you know it."

Rise nodded her head. "Yeah… I just wish I had answers to the questions I got." They would come in time.

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto parked her scooter by the rest of the scooters that her friends had brought to the Amagi Inn. She wasn't surprised to see them and she quickly made short work of locking hers down. She planned to do a few things in Inaba that would require her not being reliant on Yu or Makoto to drive them, and she figured that Yu would likely be giving the keys to Makoto to drive the van so that the Phantom Thieves at least had something more than bus or their own feet.

She also knew Yu wouldn't mind just taking the bus places.

Speak of the devil, Yu was pulling into the parking lot just then. He parked the van and got out of it, locking it up. He then went over to her. "Need any help?" he asked as she removed a few boxes from the storage compartment on her scooter.

"No, I got it." Naoto said. "Go on inside, say hi to everyone." She could see the nostalgic way he looked at the scooters. There was still a spot where it had been universally known where Yu parked and locked his scooter down.

"You sure?" he asked.

Naoto offered a smile. "Yu-kun. Go." She said with a little more firmness to her voice. She loved that her boyfriend was willing to help, but she knew that this trip was for him. It was for Yu to be selfish. It was for him to brag and show off what had come to be his hometown to their friends in the Phantom Thieves. It was a way for Yu to introduce his family of the Investigation Team to the Phantom Thieves.

"Right." Yu headed off, leaving Naoto alone. She grabbed one last package and tucked it under her arm before she headed inside the Amagi Inn.

She inclined her head to her friends, watching as Yu passed out hugs to everyone. Everyone was smiling and laughing and Naoto could only smile a bit. It was nice seeing a genuinely happy smile on Yu's face. It wasn't to say that he didn't smile like that with her, but for once there was nothing bothering him. Yu was truly home, he was among family.

She dropped the things she acquired from her apartment in her room with Yu. She then headed back towards the sort of sitting area where Yu was making introductions between the Investigation Team and the Phantom Thieves. She could see there was some tension. It was to be expected. Everyone of the Investigation Team was wondering the same thing 'Why?' and the Phantom Thieves were being complicit in Yu's request to wait until the next night where he gave all the answers that he had to give.

"Hello everyone." she said, stepping up to stand beside Yu. Despite the noticeable height difference, and the way that he accented her own smaller height, she just enjoyed standing next to him.

"Nao-chan!" Teddie practically grabbed her into a hug and she felt her ribs ache.

"Hugging!" Naoto shouted at the bear. "What have I said about hugging?!" Gah… Naoto didn't like being hugged except by Yu. But Teddie just had to be the huggy type. He had to hug her, every time they saw each other, she was getting a hug from him.

She was about to resort to drastic measures to make the bear let go when he pulled back from the hug and looked at her with bright blue eyes. "But I've missed you Nao-chan." he said.

Naoto jabbed her index and middle fingers into the left floating ribs of the bear. She hadn't had to take drastic measures against Teddie in a while, but every now and then his excitement got the better of him. And he pulled back, holding his ribs. "I have told you, repeatedly, about that nickname Teddie." She said. "Don't. Use. It. And the hugs, why does it feel like you're trying to break my ribs every single time? Bad Teddie."

Naoto took a moment to compose herself, straightening out her shirt and her hat. She noticed she was being looked at, some with bewilderment, some with sympathy. Yu was looking amused. She even ignored the crocodile tears that Teddie was offering her. She didn't care. She wasn't falling for them. She cleared her throat against her hand. "Hello everyone." she said again.

"What the hell?" Yosuke asked. "I've been trying to get him to calm down for two years, and you do it in less than two minutes?"

"There are very few things that the proper application of force in the proper location don't fix, Yosuke-senpai." Naoto said calmly. "I just happen to know the proper application and proper location for this particular instance."

"Nao-chan mean~!" Teddie said loudly, holding his ribs. He was promptly ignored by Naoto.

Rise smiled brightly. "Oh! I have a great idea! We have so many people, let's play a game." She said cheerfully.

"What… sort of game?" Akira asked, clearly being cautious.

"Ooh. We played Hide and Seek all the time, remember Yukiko?" Chie asked, glancing over to the dark haired girl that had changed from her kimono into something more casual.

"I do, but that was usually when the Inn was empty, or as close to empty as it gets." Yukiko said.

"I was thinking of a round two to the King's Game we played on Port Island." Rise said with a sly grin. "Come on, it'll be fun~!"

Kanji held both arms up in an 'x' form. "Count me out. Last time we played, I got my tonsils checked by Teddie."

Teddie straightened up with a smile. "It was beary fun last time!" he said. "I'm down."

"The hell?" Ryuji asked. "What's a King's Game?"

"King's Game. You draw from a series of chopsticks with numbers written on them. One of them has the end done in red, Whoever draws the title of King, gets to have the others do as they say." Yu supplied. "One number, one thing to do. The numbers are kept secret until the King gives the orders. The instance Kanji was talking about, Teddie drew to be King. He demanded a smooch from number three. Kanji had three and was then tackled to the floor, and had his tonsils checked by Teddie." The silver haired teen shook his head a moment. "Fine, I'll play. On the condition that you three," He motioned to Teddie, Yukiko, and Rise. "Don't act like you're drunk again."

Rise immediately pouted. "Taking the fun out of it." she said.

"Drunk?" Makoto asked surprised, clearly lost.

"We were at Club Escapade on Port Island." Naoto said. "They feigned having alcohol because the King's Game is often played at parties where the participants have had more than their fair share of alcohol." She said. "Senpai had to give Yosuke-senpai a piggy back ride."

"Ugh… don't remind me." Yosuke said, rubbing his face. "Screw it, I'll play." he said.

Rise looked giddy, even as the others slowly agreed to play. The only one that had dropped out was Kanji, for obvious reasons. Even Naoto was going to play again, regardless of the way things had proceeded the last time.

They got the chopsticks prepared, with Yu taking them and placing them on the table. Naoto watched as he made sure they were face down so no one could see which chopstick was which before he started to scramble them and shuffle them about.

Slowly, fifteen teenagers drew their chopsticks from the table. "Here we go… Second act." Yu said. "Who's the king?"

Naoto opened her hand and gave a sigh of relief. "It would seem that I have been made King. Or Queen, if you rather." she said. It didn't matter to her. The red end on the chopstick meant that she'd be quite able to determine how safe she could be.

"Oh boo!" Yukiko said from her spot in a chair. "Naoto-kun's going to start us off boring." she said.

"Number ten." Naoto said. "I demand a shoulder massage." she said in a feigned haughty tone.

"Can I pass it off to your boyfriend?" Ryuji asked, hope coloring his tone.

"King's word is law!" Rise said cheerfully.

Slowly, the blonde haired delinquent got up, staring wide eyed at Yu. He circled around Naoto and put his hands on her shoulders and started to rub. No, it was definitely not as good as Yu, but it was certainly amusing at the least. Finally, Ryuji plopped back down in his chair. "Jeez, Yu's intimidatin' and he ain't even tryin' to be."

The chopsticks returned to the table with Naoto mixing them up in a thorough manner. She made certain the others couldn't follow the chopsticks either, so that they wouldn't be any cheating.

"Huh… I guess it's my turn?" Makoto held up her chopstick that had the red end. She seemed to be confused.

"I'm starting to think this might have been a bad idea with this many people." Rise said. "She doesn't seem like the type to be fun."

Makoto gave the idol a look and she took an inhale. "Number fourteen, I want you to lay your head in my lap." Naoto thought that Makoto might have been trying to prove Rise wrong.

"Woo some escalation!" Yukiko said.

Akira flushed a moment before getting up from his seat. He hesitated briefly before he gathered his bravery and strode over. "Take good care of me my Queen." he said teasingly before he sat down at Makoto's feet and laid his head in Makoto's lap.

Makoto flicked his earlobe. "You shouldn't call me that Akira." She said with a healthy blush on her face.

The chopsticks were gathered and mixed up once more. "It is Teddie that has become King once more~!" Teddie declared, bolting to his feet. "And with so many pretty girls around, the King demands smooches once more!"

"Oi, a fair number of us are taken!" Kanji said from his spot.

"Quiet from the peanut gallery!" Futaba said, throwing a pillow at Kanji. "I'm starting to enjoy this."

"Number seven!" Teddie declared. "A smooch for the king!"

"Oh! Uhm…" Haru stood up and, blushing, went over and kissed Teddie on the cheek.

Naoto shook her head a bit as the chopsticks were gathered again and passed around. Small talk was made between each round, Yosuke asking about the Phantom Thieves, what they were studying and such, and what it was like in Shibuya. While Yosuke wasn't from a city as large as the Tokyo area, he was from a major city himself, so it was clearly interested.

Makoto struck up a bit of talking with Chie, both of them having interest in martial arts. Ann and Rise talked, living a life of popularity with one being an idol and the other a model.

Rise was the next one to get picked, holding up the red chopstick. "Yes!" she declared, pumping a fist and bouncing slightly. She cut a look over towards Yu, clearly hoping for him. "Following King Teddie, number two., I would like a kiss on the lips." The idol even tapped her lips.

"Sorry Rise," Yu held up his chopstick. "One off." His was number three.

"Aw…" Rise's shoulders slumped as she pouted.

Naoto opened her hand around her own chopstick. "..." Number two. It just had to be her of course. She pushed herself to her feet, glancing at Yu. The man offered a slightly teasing look. "In for a penny…" Naoto muttered. "You're making this up to me Yu-kun."

"Making what up?" He asked confused.

Naoto stepped in front of Rise and cupped her by both cheeks, pulling her in. Naoto then gave a full on, heated kiss to Rise. Admittedly, Naoto got through the beginning by pretending it was Yu. Especially as she used her tongue against Rise's lips. The idol flailed, Naoto could feel her arms waving. And then Naoto pulled back from the kiss.

"Oh… Wow." Rise reached up, touching her lips with a healthy blush on her face, sitting down in her chair and zoning off.

Naoto sat down, pointedly not looking at anyone and keeping her gaze to her hands in her lap.

"Dude…" Ryuji said in awe from the spot he was sitting at.

The chopsticks were shuffled again. Yusuke spoke with Kanji regarding Kanji's family's textile shop. While as an artist most of his art went to painting and drawing, he clearly appreciated all forms of art, and the textile shop could be seen as artistic.

Futaba drew to be king and stood up. "Lucky me! Number nine, I want a piggy back ride!" she declared.

"Why is it always me?" Yu stood up and tossed the chopstick with nine onto the table before he headed over to the younger girl. He turned his back to her.

Futaba leapt up onto his back and even went so far as to climb up so her legs were on his shoulders. "Yeah! Dance for me pony!" She declared, much to the amusement of the others.

Yu grunted but showed that his size wasn't for nothing. He began to walk around with Futaba on his shoulders, his hands on her thighs to keep her from spilling down his back.

Not that it mattered much when Futaba swung back to let her hands dangle. "Wee!" Yu soon set Futaba down and she gave him a grin. "You make an excellent mount!" she declared. "One fit for the King!"

Yu sat down beside Naoto, shaking his head. "What? You act like she's heavy." Naoto said.

"She's not, I just wasn't expecting her to jump on me." Yu said.

The chopsticks were shuffled once more. Haru took the chance to speak with Yukiko about the Inn a little while, asking questions that related to business, explaining how she wanted to open her own little coffee shop some time in the future.

All in all, it seemed, superficially at least, that the Investigation Team was getting along with the Phantom Thieves.

"I am king! Finally, it comes home." Yu said as he held up the chopstick, twirling it about in his hand. "Unlucky number thirteen, most embarrassing story of your life."

Akira's head dropped into his hands. "Aw… man." he said. "So this prick!" he jerked a pointer finger at Yu. "Decides to play a prank on me." Yu burst out laughing, causing Naoto to look at her boyfriend. "Gets me a job working as a dishwasher at a bar. Fine, no big deal. Name of the bar is Crossroads and it's a bar that caters more to the gender fluid community. Drag queens and the like."

"You didn't." Yosuke held his hands up to his mouth, staring wide eyed at Yu like he grew a second head.

"Then, proceeds to tell me that I have to dress in drag to work there. And uses his stupidly high persuasive ability to convince me to go through with it, saying how it'd be a learning experience, how I could pick up a bunch of things working at a bar. And the first day I'm there, dressed in drag, it just so happens to be packed full for a Drag Queen contest." Akira said. He was openly scowling at Yu. "I'm getting you back for that one of these days."

Yu was still laughing, clutching his side.

"Senpai, that seems a bit mean." Naoto scolded.

"Best part," Yu said, sucking air in to try and breathe. "I still have the pictures of him dressed in drag!"

"Ooh, ooh! I wanna see!" Yukiko said, moving over to take a look.

Yu dug his phone out of his pocket, unlocking it while the chopsticks were gathered back on the table and scramble.

"Man partner, that's not cool. After what we went through?" Yosuke said.

"What's the problem?" Teddie asked, tilting his head, not understanding it still.

"Oh my god!" Yukiko said. "That's him?! He looks so good Yu."

"Senpai…" Kanji shook his head in disappointment.

Naoto couldn't help but actually look at the picture. Akira was blushing in the picture, dressed up like a girl. His hair had been straightened and pulled into a pair of twin tails, his glasses had been swapped out for something a bit more feminine. And he was dressed in a dress done in a sort of 'lolita' fashion. Naoto looked between the Akira sitting on the couch beside Ryuji, scowling at Yu, to the picture, and back. The blue dress was simple and didn't show much, but it was designed to make Akira look like a very cute girl.

The phone was soon promptly passed around.

"Most fascinating. Yu, where did you learn to do the makeup?" Yusuke asked as he looked at the picture.

"I'm a theatre student. I've had to do my own makeup." Yu said with a chuckle.

Haru's eyes widened a bit as she looked at the picture, then over to Akira. She blushed a moment.

Yu had to get up and grab his phone before it was passed over to Akira. The dark haired frizzy teen looked almost apocalyptic with anger, still scowling at Yu. "We're going to have words about this Narukami." The younger wild card said.

"Bring it any time, Aki-chan!" Yu said.

Naoto shook her head. "I'm disappointed in you Senpai. We'll definitely be talking about this more, later." She couldn't believe Yu did that.

"Aw, it was harmless." Yu said as he sat beside her.

Another drawing. "It would seem that I have become King." Yusuke said, holding up the chopstick. "I would like… four to model a pose for me."

Yosuke stood up. "Alright, whatcha got for me?" he asked.

"The Crucifction of Christ." Yusuke said, standing up. "You are aware of the pose, yes?"

"Something like this?" Yosuke held his arms out, standing a bit straight.

"No, no, no!" Yusuke said. "More dramatic! Show me the anguish he felt as he bore the sins of all mankind!"

"Yusuke give it up!" Akira said. "We already got in trouble at that church because of it."

And thus, Yosuke was able to get away from having to pose for Yusuke in a possibly embarrassing manner. The chopsticks were collected and shuffled once more. It continued like this, over and over again, more and more embarrassing acts and secrets spilling out. Ryuji even managed to get a kiss on the cheek from Ann when he was declared King.

But soon, the Shibuya group decided it was time to start relaxing and getting ready for bed. They had a long drive behind them, and needed a little bit of time to relax before the next days' events.

Naoto changed into her pajamas, her back turned to Yu within their room. "I'm still disappointed in you Yu-kun." She said. "But… There's a package on the table there for you." She hung her cap up.

Yu gave her an odd look before he went and retrieved the package. It was a blue box with a white ribbon around it. He gave her a bit of an odd look, gently shaking it. It wasn't a big package after all. "What is it?" he asked.

"Take a look." Naoto said. "It was meant for you after all."

Yu gave her another look before he finally pulled the ribbon off and opened the box carefully. Inside was a bit of chocolate. Naoto flushed a bit and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I uh… I made it myself. Back for Valentine's day. Shipping it felt a little impersonal, and… bringing it with to Shibuya didn't feel right." She said. It was the second time she had made chocolate for Yu, and still she couldn't help the butterflies flutting about in her stomach, hoping for his approval again. "So I went over to my apartment and pulled it from the freezer and brought it with." She said.

Yu smiled a bit. "We'll definitely each this together." he said. It made Naoto's heart soar in her chest a little bit, hearing the warmth and love in his voice. He broke two pieces off and walked over, holding one out. Smiling, she took the offered piece with her mouth, starting to chew. It definitely tasted as good as when she made it. But hearing the sound Yu made, it made it all the more worth it. She smiled broadly as she watched him chew. "Your chocolate tastes amazing Nao-chan." He said. "Oops, guess you don't like that nickname."

"Don't be silly Yu-kun." Naoto stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Yu. "I don't mind it from you, and you know it. You also know when to use it." She said.

Yu chuckled a bit. "Yeah, I suppose I do. Thank you for this Nao-chan." He bent down and kissed her on the lips, a kiss she was all too eager to return.

"We need to talk soon." Naoto said softly, stroking the lower spine of her boyfriend through his pajama top. "About something that came up."

"Sure, of course." Yu said. "What is it?"

Naoto shook her head. "I'm keeping it a secret." She said. "At least until we need to discuss it. And right before bed is not the appropriate time to talk about it, and we'll both be busy tomorrow." She said.

After all, talking about Rise's attraction to Yu was not something that she wanted to talk about just before she cuddled with her boyfriend. IT was not something that had been discussed, but Naoto felt that, after the kiss she gave Rise, they would need to discuss it a little bit. Naoto never took herself for the bi-curious type, or even the type willing to share, but she could almost picture it.

"Alright then, let's get some sleep." Yu said softly.

Together, they laid down in the futon, covered up with Naoto resting her head on her boyfriend's chest. They were back in Inaba for a while, and she couldn't be happier for her boyfriend. He really was home.

Chapter End

 **A/N: So I suspect that two of the next chapters will be quite large. Likely the next one and then the one of the festival proper as I have to go through multiple characters and multiple perspectives.**

 **Shout out to Jlargent, my 100th Reviewer for this story that requested a reenactment of the King's Game. Here's to you friend!**

 **Speaking of the King's game, in order to get in the proper mood for it, I've been doing shots of alcohol for like the past two hours every fifteen minutes or so. And my whiskey is definitely hitting. Shorter chapter, but no less important, and I hope everyone enjoys.**

 **Also, happy New Years.**


	26. Chapter 26: Inaba Day Two

Chapter 26: Inaba Day Two

Ryuji was up early the next day. He wasn't totally used to sleeping on a futon laying on the ground. He had experienced it before, and could do with it, but because he wasn't used to it, his body wasn't letting him sleep in. He took the chance to get up and swap into some jogging shorts and a tank top.

He grabbed the keycard to the room and headed outside. It was real early. There was still the orange hues of the sun barely coming up. But he slipped a pair of running shoes on and began to make his way to the entrance.

Once outside, he just took a deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs. It was fresh and humid and smelled of the hot springs around behind the Inn. He began to go through his stretches, feeling the familiar pull of muscles as he thought about the night before. The game had been interesting, and he even managed to get a kiss out of it. A kiss on the cheek, but it was fine.

He exhaled and bounced on his feet a little bit before he just took off running. He'd never do this in Shibuya. An early morning run? It was too crowded to do that, and traffic was just horrible. But a sleepy little town like Inaba? Ryuji just let his feet carry him, feeling the familiar ache of his knee where his leg had been broken by Kamoshida. He had let his performance decline for stupid reasons, but Ryuji was born to run. He would get his knee back up into shape.

His physician had been surprised at the strides Ryuji had made during his last check up. As an athlete, even a former one, Ryuji knew he had to go to the doctor if he began doing something strenuous, and running through the Metaverse was definitely strenuous. Still, his physician said that if he kept it up, he'd be back to running the same in no time.

And so Ryuji pushed himself. He pushed himself inside the Metaverse and outside the Metaverse. Even when his knee began to ache, began to hurt so badly it threatened to bring tears to his eyes, Ryuji ran on it. He wanted to curse, he wanted to swear, he wanted to give up, he wanted to quit. But he pushed through, he ran on that knee, working through the pain. The burning in his lungs was familiar, it was welcomed. But it was the pain that shot through his knee like lightning that hurt worse than anything.

And it was more than just physical. It hurt his pride with every throb.

It was Ryuji Sakamoto that had thrown the first punch at Kamoshida. He couldn't swallow his pride, couldn't just take the abuse heaped on him by the bastard. That was the first point that hurt his pride. The second point was when despite Ryuji throwing everything at Kamoshida, the bastard had still beaten him down and snapped his leg. It hurt, not because of the phantom pain of the memory, but it felt like Ryuji had let his mom down, failed to defend her honor because Kamoshida had kicked his ass.

And so, Ryuji ran. He ran to feel that throb, that ache in his knee. He ran to try and get away from the wound to his pride. He ran so he'd never forget the wound to his pride. He ran so that he'd never let Akira down the way that he let his mom down.

Ryuji took a moment to breathe, pausing some five kilometers away. He was out of breath, his lungs ached, and his tank top clung to him with sweat. He took a moment, stretching out the knee that ached a bit, forcing it to move.

It was funny to Ryuji. He had always thought of himself as a good friend before. But it wasn't until he met Akira that he learned what it meant to be a best friend. Ryuji didn't know if he was Akira's best friend, but he knew that, without a doubt, Akira was his. He briefly touched his stomach where he knew he had a scar. He couldn't let Akira go down to that monster, and so Ryuji had jumped in front of it, prepared to make that ultimate sacrifice.

It had only been sheer stubbornness that had kept Ryuji from going down. He couldn't abandon his friends. So he grit his teeth, planted his feet and stayed standing even through the pain. Akira had his back through thick and thin already, it was only fair that Ryuji do everything in his power to do the same. And if it meant pushing himself to be better, then he'd push as hard as his body could take.

He'd never be as smart as Akira or Yu. He'd never be as collected as Yusuke. He'd never be as resourceful as Morgana. So Ryuji needed to have one thing, just one thing that he could be. He swore to himself that Akira could count on him, no matter what.

Ryuji began to run back. Morgana had been right, much as that was a difficult pill to swallow sometimes. Ryuji wasn't expendable. Even if it was just a meat shield for Akira, he'd be there, and he'd grit his teeth and bear the pain of it because he knew Akira would do the same for him.

Ryuji returned to the Inn, a full ten kilometers down. He took a moment and did his cool down stretches, making sure to stretch out the knee. His physician had warned him about pushing it too hard, that he could damage the knee more and he'd have to get surgery. So Ryuji performed the stretches his physical therapist had given him, to make sure everything would be okay.

He headed inside and went to get a shower. He stopped by the room long enough to get a change of clothes. By the time he got out, Yusuke and Akira were up. "Good run?" Akira asked.

Ryuji nodded his head. "Hell yeah." he said. "Peaceful out here, I see why Yu likes it." he said.

Akira nodded and got up. "I think Yu wants to take you out today." He said, tapping the blonde on the shoulder. "Pretty sure he's going to help you get your yukata today."

Ryuji was surprised. He remembered Yu talking about that. He never thought that Yu was a man that would go back on his word, but it seemed sudden. "Alright, I'll go see him." He said as he headed from the room.

Yu was in the dining room, already digging into some breakfast. Ryuji sat down and looked at the menu, one of the wait staff coming over to let him order. Meals were included with the stay, so Ryuji didn't have to worry about paying for them. "Akira said somethin' about you takin' me to get a yukata." he said.

"That's right." Yu said after he swallowed his bite of food. "Kanji's mom runs a textile shop and he helps her out with it. I trust him to be able to help you out."

"And you're lettin' me pay for it, right?" Ryuji asked. He didn't want to be seen as poor, he didn't want to be looked down on.

"Of course, Ryuji." Yu rolled his eyes a bit. Ryuji knew he might be coming across as silly or selfish, or stubborn, one of those or all of those, but he wanted to make a point. If he was going to be getting himself a yukata, then he really did want it to be gotten from his own efforts.

"Kanji… Kanji… the blonde punk with the scar over his eye." Ryuji said after a moment, remembering the other guy.

"He'd knock your lights out if you call him a punk." Yu said rather frankly. Ryuji thought he could take him, before remembering that Kanji Tatsumi was even taller than Yu Narukami. "And I don't think you have much room to talk, Ryuji. You often look like a thug."

Yeah, Ryuji wasn't touching that. Especially considering his Persona had been a Pirate to begin with of all things. "Fair nuff." he said. Ryuji thanked the staff for the food when it was brought over. "So… Kanji… is he like Yusuke?" he asked.

"How do you mean?" Yu asked.

"You know… everything being about textiles and such." Ryuji said. It seemed Yusuke was all about art, and he figured maybe Kanji might be the same, especially if his family owned the textile shop. It'd be all he knew, right?

Yu took a moment. "No." He said. "That's his primary interest because he grew up with that. But Kanji is also about being a man. And I don't mean that in some drums, chest beating, idiot kind of way. I mean it in the fact that Kanji wants to do right by the memory of his dad. It's difficult to describe… but he also wants what's best for his mom."

Ryuji nodded, looking thoughtful. He took a bite of his food a moment. "I think I get ya." he said. After all, Ryuji wanted similar. He wanted to do right by her, especially since she had been on her own for the longest he could remember. He didn't have any memories of his dad, so there was no reason to do right by him. But for his mom, for his mom, Ryuji was willing to do a lot.

'What can you tell me about yukata?" Ryuji asked, changing the subject.

"Kanji will probably be able to tell you more, but for guys, we tend to get more muted colors and simpler patterns. As you get older, the color options become even more limited. Grays, blacks, browns." Yu said. "And usually, a yukata is made from cotton."

"Not a problem. I don't have an allergy to cotton." Ryuji said. "What would you recommend?" he asked.

"Well, again, I'm probably going to defer to Kanji on this, but I think a simple blue or maybe a dark green yukata." Yu said. "We'll have to see what Kanji has."

Ryuji nodded his head and finished his food up. "We waitin' on anyone else?" he asked.

"Makoto." Yu said. "I'm giving her the keys to the van to give you guys someone else you can ask for a ride around, just in case. I already cleared it with my uncle, I'm borrowing his scooter again while I'm here."

"Heh, yeah, I can see that." Ryuji said. "You got any recommendations before we leave? Some must sees?"

"Well, we'll be going to the beach tomorrow." Yu said. "So there's that. But I'd also recommend going to Aiya's. Too bad it's not raining, though… I might have a solution to that." he said.

Ryuji tilted his head. "A… solution? And why is it a bad thing it ain't rainin'?" he asked. Yu wasn't making any damned sense.

"Don't worry, you'll probably meet Marie either tonight or before we leave. Aiya has what's called the Rainy Day Challenge. You get a staggering amount of meat, rice, and more. And either you eat it or you have to fork over three thousand yen." Yu patted his stomach. "I did it three times successfully when I was here in Inaba."

Ryuji grinned a bit. "So it's kinda like the Big Bang Burger challenge huh? Alright, I'm diggin' that. And you're tellin' me it's not a cold burger I have to choke down?"

"Piping hot fried rice, steaming meat, and more." Yu said. "And beside Aiya's is a good little hole in the wall place where you can get steak skewers."

"Oh man!" Ryuji was excited just to try the local cuisine. "I'm definitely hitting both of those places up before we go!" While he was definitely a fan of Ogikubo ramen, that didn't mean he didn't like to try other places like this one.

"So… you going to ask Ann to the festival?" Yu asked. "We're going as a group the first night, so the second night would be perfect for it."

Ryuji sputtered, tripping over his thoughts a moment. "The Hell?" he asked. "Who told you?" Had Akira ratted him out to Yu about it?

"Come off of it Ryuji." Yu said rather bluntly. "Everyone of the PT knows you have a thing for Ann. I bet Ann even knows you have a thing for her and is waiting on you to actually make a move." he said.

Ryuji blanched a bit. Well shit. Damn it. Why did Yu have to be so damned perceptive? Why did he have to be so damned right all the time? Crap. If Ann was expecting him to make a move, then Ryuji would have to make a move. And the festival would definitely make for a good venue to take her to as a possible first date.

But here he was, about to go get a yukata, something he had never worn before, and would likely be expected by someone of their group to wear it to the festival. Whether it was Yusuke, Kanji, Yu, or Ann, someone was going to expect him to wear the damned yukata, just so he had the full experience with it.

Ah crap. Crap. Crap. He was out of his comfort zone.

"I uh… can't just skip the festival, can I?" Ryuji asked hopefully.

"Not a chance in hell Ryuji." Yu said rather bluntly.

Ryuji felt his shoulders slump and he almost let his head thump against the table. Let the Reaper take him, save him the embarrassment. He didn't even know how to walk in one of those things, and he definitely wasn't Yusuke who could make it look effortless. He inhaled deeply and squared up his shoulders. "Alright, alright! Damn it." He said.

He had two days to ask Ann. A day and a half at worst. He could do that. If not, he could always see if Akira wanted to go, just two guys out to hang out. No big deal.

No. No. Akira had Haru and Makoto to pick from. He wasn't going to go with Ryuji to go to the festival. Ah crap. And he definitely couldn't ask one of Yu's friends. Even if he wanted to go with Rise Kujikawa, he had a distinct feeling if he mistakenly called her Risette once, that would end with him permanently on her 'fan' list and no celebrity would go on a date with a fan. So Ryuji had to suck it up and ask Ann to go if he really wanted to go the second night with someone.

Plus, like Yu said, she could be expecting him to ask. Jeez… girls were so damned complicated.

"How do you do it?" Ryuji asked. "You got Naoto, a detective. You can't lie to her, you can't keep somethin' hidden, but you two look so damned happy together." He didn't understand it really.

"It helps that Naoto and I are very similar." Yu said. "We both have a strong sense of duty and justice, and we're both willing to put in the work that needs done. As to lying to Naoto, there's no need for me to do it, and you really shouldn't go into a relationship expecting to lie." He admonished Ryuji as gently as he could on the topic.

Ryuji winced. "Sorry, it came out wrong. But how are you supposed to surprise her if she can sniff out when you're keepin' something from her?" He wasn't claiming Ann was Naoto in that regard, but he was trying to get an understanding of it. Ryuji had never had a girlfriend before.

Yu shook his head. "It's a matter of figuring these things out and rolling with it." He explained. "Either you're compatible, or you're not. And let me tell you some advice, Ryuji. Don't, under any circumstances, hold something against your partner. Talk things out, try to be civil. I know you're a bit of a hothead, keep it cool. Go for a run if you have to clear your head, but take a moment and think about it from her perspective. And lastly, no two girls are exactly the same. If you go into a relationship expecting something like mine with Naoto's, then you're going to be in a world of hurt."

Ryuji nodded his head and rubbed the back of his head a moment. "Yeah, I'll try to keep that in mind." he said. He inhaled a bit deeply, nodding again. "Alright, let's go see if we can find Makoto." he said.

"I've been here a bit already." Makoto spoke from behind Ryuji, causing him to jump a little bit. "Yu's right though, don't get a preconceived notion of a relationship based on what you're seeing from someone else." She said.

"Yeah, yeah." Ryuji said. "I'm just tryin' to be better, you know?" He asked, glancing over to Makoto a moment. "Not just for Ann, but for my mom, and for our friends." he said. He knew he was a stubborn, abrasive person. He didn't want to lose the friends he had already.

"That's all we can ask for Ryuji." Makoto said a bit softly. "That we all try to be better for our friends. And I've noticed you've been able to work with Morgana easier." she said softly, lowering her voice a bit more.

"Heh. Yeah. Me and the feline got into it when we went to rescue Yu." Ryuji dipped his voice down to a whisper as well. It wasn't quite the next night, and he didn't know where Yukiko was. But he didn't want to drop some huge bombshell on the members of the Investigation Team.

Yu stood up. "Alright, that's enough about that. Let's go get Ryuji a yukata. I know Inaba well enough I can walk over to my uncle's house and pick up his scooter." Yu smiled a bit. "Can't wait for you guys to meet Nanako, she loves meeting new people."

Ryuji stood up. "Alright." He inhaled and exhaled slowly. There was no use arguing about it. It was going to happen, so he was just going to have to get on with it.

 _Take Your Time_

Ryuji had, unsurprisingly to Yu, decided to stay in Inaba proper after he got fitted with a yukata by Kanji. The pair had been a bit abrasive towards one another, their punk persona being a mask they tended to use to keep others at bay. But they eventually were able to settle down, especially as Ryuji realized that Kanji knew what he was talking about.

He and Makoto rode in the van back to the Amagi Inn to pick up Akira, Yusuke, Haru, and Ann. Haru and Ann planned to ride the bus from the shopping district to Okina city to find out what they could find. Yusuke was planning on going to the hill overlooking town and see if he couldn't find some inspiration for some more environment pictures.

Futaba was, unsurprisingly, staying where there was WiFi for the moment.

When they got to the shopping district, Makoto hopped out, begging off from the grocery shopping trip to instead look at the small bookstore beside the gas station.

So, Yu drove the van with just him, Akira and Morgana in it towards Junes. The pair got out of the vehicle, with Morgana climbing into Akira's bag with practiced ease. "Just stay in there Morgana. No need for someone to see you, and try to stay quiet." Yu said.

"I can't wait until I can talk more freely." The cat grumbled. They didn't know if the rest of the Investigation Team would be able to hear him or not, so the cat was regulated to mostly silence for the time being.

Sorta like an actual cat might be.

Akira shouldered his bag and pulled out a notepad that he had jotted down the ingredients he needed on, as well as what he needed to look for. "You sure have some strange friends Yu." Akira said. The conflict from the night before was done and over with, for the time being.

Yu knew that as soon as Akira felt like he could take Yu, he'd be back to make good on his threat that Yu would get his, but for the time being there was no use dwelling on it.

"They're good people. And it's not like you don't have your own share of strangeness." Yu felt the need to defend his friends, at least to some extent. Sure they were a bit of a wacky bunch, but they were also his friends.

"True. Do you want to be the pot or the kettle?" Akira asked with a chuckle. The pair shared a bit of a laugh with that statement. "So… Rise wasn't exactly… subtle last night." Akira sounded cautious.

"No. She wasn't." Yu said and frowned a bit. Was that what Naoto wanted to talk about? She had to know that he'd never do anything to hurt her. And he had thought that Rise had declared her love in a more sisterly fashion. He might have been wrong though.

Speaking of his favorite sleuth, she had gone off to clean up her apartment a little bit. She also had to speak with Deidara as well, something about the trigger of her revolver sticking, even after she cleaned it.

"Who do you think I should ask to the Festival?" Akira asked as they headed to the elevator and took it into Junes.

"You mean between Makoto and Haru?" Yu asked.

"Yeah." Akira scratched his neck a bit. "I just… I don't know." he said honestly. "I don't want to slight either of them. But I know if I don't take a chance with one of them, there's a good chance I'll miss out on both of them." He said.

"There's always asking Futaba to go with you." Yu pointed out. "She sees you like an older brother, and that one I can definitely confirm because it's the same way that Nanako-chan looks at me." He said. Really, the parallels between him and Akira were… quite surprising. "If it wasn't for Dojima taking her, I would have likely hung with Nanako-chan my first time going." Despite being with his friends, it was still his cousin. He had to watch her and make sure she had a good time.

Akira nodded his head at the suggestion. "It's not a bad idea." He said. "The other is actually sitting down and talking with both girls, and admitting to liking them both, but I think that keeps me at square one of, I don't know who to take."

Yu nodded his head a bit. It was quite the conundrum that Akira had found himself in, and Yu wasn't entirely certain how to help him. "Do you get a feeling one of them might actually reciprocate your feelings at all?" He asked.

Akira set his bag into the basket, starting to push it towards the produce. "I think Haru might, but then again given who she had to deal with, I'm willing to bet most people are better than he is. Makoto is a bit of a trickier subject. She's more of a logical person than Haru is. Not to say she doesn't have her moments of passion, but she keeps it under lock better."

Yu nodded again, thinking a moment on what he could say or do. In the end, there really wasn't anything that he could offer Akira to help him out. He had already told his story of how he liked two girls. There was no more to say to that. "Need help with anything?" he asked, motioning towards the produce.

"No. Sojiro made sure I knew how to determine the quality of the ingredients." Akira said. "I'm just having to buy more for a larger batch than I'm used to. You'll help me prepare it right?"

"Sure, just say the word." Yu said.

"Well I'll be! I know that mop of hair! Yu Narukami, welcome back buddy!" A bit of a boisterous voice called out. Yu was suddenly pulled into a headlock, his assaulter laughing.

Yu glanced up and to the side to see Daisuke Nagase wrapping him up in a headlock. Daisuke was dressed in a Junes uniform, showing he worked at the store now. But almost as quickly as the headlock began, it was released and Daisuke allowed Yu to straighten back up. The two clasped hands. "Good seeing you too buddy. Sees you loosened up a bit."

Daisuke chuckled. "Kou's a bad influence on me." He said. "Who's this?" He motioned to Akira.

"Daisuke, meet Akira Kurusu. Akira, Daisuke Nagase. One of my friends from my time here. Daisuke, Kou Ichijo and I always seemed to be getting up to something." Yu said, fond memories of his time on the basketball team playing through his head.

Daisuke clasped hands with Akira. "Nice meetin' you. Any friend of Yu's is a friend of mine." He said.

Yu looked at the soccer player. "So, get over your girl issues?"

Daisuke gave him a dirty look for that. "You and Kou both man, yes, for the last time, I'm over the issues I was having. Jeez… You guys don't know when to let it go." He shook his head. "I've even got a date for the Festival."

Yu nodded his head. "Good on you buddy, good on you. By the way, how's Kou doing?" If anyone was to know how the other boy was doing, it'd be Daisuke. They had practically been inseparable.

"Kou's good, Kou's good. Out in California, taking studies. My understanding is he's planning on going to the California Institute of Technology. Him and his girlfriend are good for each other." Daisuke had a grin on his face, pride filling his voice.

Yu let out a slow whistle. It seemed Kou was going for his doctorate in something. He'd have to get Kou's number from Daisuke, if it had changed, before he left Inaba again. "Wait," Something Daisuke said clicked in Yu's mind. "Kou got himself a girlfriend? He had a thing for Chie for a while." And Chie was with Yosuke.

Daisuke let out a laugh. "Funniest thing I had ever saw. So shortly after summer break last year, of all people Ai Ebihara comes up to him, grabs him by the top and pulls him in real close. She then tells him that he's going to be taking her to the movies in Okina city that Friday. They've been dating since and they're almost inseparable. I've caught them making out more than once. They're good for each other though, Ai pushes Kou to be more ambitious, to try and be better. He keeps her grounded."

Yu gave his own laugh. "I might have had something to do with that." He admitted. "So when I was here last year, I ran into Ai who was still having troubles confession to Kou. I told her to just do it. That the worst that happens would be he rejects her. She didn't take that well of course, and I told her that she'd never know unless she tried. She could be happy, or she could be forever pining after him." To Yu, it was a good thing that Ai asked Kou out, it was better than her attempting to get him to date her. They would have never worked out.

Though from the sound of it, it sounded less like she asked him out and more forced him to. Either way, he was happy for the both of them.

Yu glanced to Daisuke a moment. "So who'd you ask out to the Festival?" he asked.

"Yumi Ozawa. Do you know her? She was in Drama when you were here." Daisuke said.

Yu winced. He couldn't help that one. "Yeah… I know her." He said slowly.

Daisuke crossed his arms and looked at Yu. "What did you do?" he asked.

Yu inhaled and then exhaled, letting his breath out long and slow. "So, I helped her out, was there for her as her father was passing away." He explained. He saw Daisuke nod his head at this and continued. "And, well, she kinda had a thing for me. She turned her back to me to let me consider, telling me she couldn't bear to watch me if I had to reject her. So… I… kinda left her hanging."

Not one of Yu's better moments, if he was honest with himself. But in all fairness, he had been trying not to get into a relationship because of the murders going on, trying to put the investigation first.

Daisuke gave Yu an unreadable look for a long time before shaking his head. "I don't know whether to slug you or thank you for that." He said. "If you hadn't rejected Yumi, I wouldn't be taking her out to the Festival." he said.

"To be fair, I didn't try to lead any girls on." Yu said, holding his hands up. "It just kept sorta happening, and I kept having to politely decline as many of them as I could." And it was true, he did have a number of girls confess to him, and he had politely declined them, at least as politely as he could.

"You just got with our Detective Prince." Daisuke said a bit amused. "How is Naoto?" In Inaba, Naoto's gender was definitely no secret after the beauty pagent. But no one made a big deal about it, especially since she was known for helping bring the murders in Inaba to a halt.

"She's good. And to be fair, I wasn't exactly expecting to confess to her, it just sort of happened." Yu could only chuckle. "I don't regret it though." He'd never regret confessing to Naoto like that, declaring his love for her at Tatsuhime Shrine.

"Right, right. Let's get together and eat at Aiya before you go." Daisuke said. "I gotta get back to work though, catch you around." With that, Daisuke headed off towards the back of the store.

"You have an interesting menagerie of friends." Akira said shaking his head a bit.

"Says the guy who's friends with a reporter, a politician, a doctor, and a fortune teller, at the very least." Yu said. "Want to be the pot or the kettle?" Yu turned Akira's earlier words around on him.

The pair continued going through the store, picking up the ingredients. Yu asked a few questions. While he was, humbly, better at cooking than Akira, Akira definitely knew Leblanc's Curry. It was interesting seeing what went into it and the point of it inside the curry. After all, apples and yogurt didn't seem like ingredients to add at first glance. When they were finished, they headed back to pick up Makoto and then drive back to the Amagi Inn.

"And that's it for the news, onto the weather. Mariko?" The news was playing on the TV in the lounge area. Most of the Investigation Team had returned by that point and were almost all ready and eager to start swarming Yu again.

"Thanks Amada!" Yu saw Marie on the television, pointing at a weather map. "As you can see, we have a nice few days of mild weather ahead of us, perfect for a beach trip!" Marie adjusted the glasses on her face. "But it seems like the Inaba area can expect some rainfall at around midnight on the second night of the festival followed by a few days of a heavy rain. So to my friends in Inaba, be careful out there. And to the guy that even I can hug, I'll be along to see you soon" She gave a wink at the camera.

Yu frowned, seeing that the weather from the second day of the festival on was going to be raining. His brow creased a bit more as he passed off the bags to Akira and Makoto.

"Partner?" Yosuke asked from where he had been standing. "You got a mean look on your face buddy."

Paranoia. It was a thing that Yu didn't particularly like having. He didn't know who said it, but paranoia was only paranoia when there was no one out to get him. And he knew that he had a prime candidate on someone that wanted him, and his friends, gone. He wished Naoto was there, she would likely be able to pick up on his bad mood.

"Sensei?" Teddie asked.

Yu tapped his leg a moment as he bobbed his foot up and down. He thought long and hard. Yaldabaoth. All Yu wanted had been a vacation. Was that entity trying to stir things up in Yu's home town? No, he couldn't let that happen. He didn't want another incident of what happened two years ago to start up again. He'd have to keep his eyes out.

"Yu-kun?" Chie asked, stepping in and getting up under his gaze so he was forced to look at him.

"Sorry… overthinking things a moment." Yu said. He glanced around at his friends. "Guys, Marie's warning us."

"You sure about that Senpai?" Kanji asked seriously. He wasn't doubting Yu, more looking for confirmation.

"Yeah." Yu said. "Marie's a land deity here in Inaba." He said. "Remember last year when I visited? Nothing but cool, perfectly warm summer weather. Slight breeze, low humidity, slightly overcast, not a drop of rain to be talked about." He said.

Chie nodded. "Now that you mention it, yeah. She made it a point of even asking you what kind of weather you wanted. It seemed like it all dragged on, just perfect lazy day weather."

Yu nodded his head. "That's precisely my point. Now we miraculously have a storm coming in? At midnight?" No, too many things were coinciding. "We'll have to keep our eyes open."

"Damn." Yosuke said under his breath.

"What is it?" Yu asked.

"Junes electronics went under a major overhaul about two months ago. The TV we used to climb in through? It's been sold, it's gone. We haven't gone in since then. I don't think this is our fault or anything but… you don't think someone might have messed something up, do you?" Yosuke asked.

Yu shook his head. "If we start trying to take responsibility for something like this, we'll have to try and take responsibility for more." He said. "We'll talk to Marie when she comes for a visit. I'm sure she'll be along either tonight or tomorrow." He said. They needed more answers.

"But what if we need to go through?" Yukiko asked. "It's too dangerous to use a random TV. We need to know where it is we'll be dropping in at." She looked worried, even as she tried to keep herself composed.

She was right. Yu thought on it a bit, crossing his arms over his chest. He closed his eyes, letting his head dip a bit. Ah… He snapped his fingers. "We do know where one TV goes still." He said. "A TV we've all overlooked up until now."

Yosuke glanced over to Yu with a hint of surprise. "Where? Where does it go?"

Yu stepped past the friends looking to him for guidance once more. It felt good actually. To have his friends back, to know that they had his back and he had theirs. But he looked focused and pointedly at the TV they were surrounding. The TV in the lounge area of the Amagi Inn. "Adachi pushed Yamano-san through this TV."

"The apartment." Chie said, stepping up beside Yu. "You think this would lead to the apartment?" she asked.

"It's a better shot than we currently have." Yu said.

"Well, why don't we take care of this now?" Kanji asked.

"Don't be stupid Moronji." Rise said. "We don't even know what we're looking for in there. Do you want to be feeling around blindly or actually know what you're looking for? Plus there's the people that Senpai brought with. Do you really think that we can just leave them behind while we dive in for a couple of hours? We don't even know if there is something there." Her tone was just a little biting, not insulting but there was a sharpness that was the Investigation Team's combat operator when she was thinking.

If Yu had his way, they would be bringing the Phantom Thieves. "Like I said, let's wait and talk with Marie. Maybe she has more answers for us."

"Yukiko-san?" Akira's voice cut through the group and they all turned at once. "Could I use the kitchen?" He asked. "I plan to make some curry for everyone."

Whether it was because Akira, to the rest of the Investigation Team, was a civilian without knowledge of the TV world, or because they knew they couldn't do anything until they spoke with Marie about what was going on, the group quickly tried to perk back up. Yukiko offered a smile. "Of course!" she said. "The chefs actually won't be in for another two hours or so." She said.

"Curry huh?" Chie asked, perking up. "Do you need help? Me and Yukiko know our way around her kitchen."

Akira actually blanched. Yu saw his face turn more pale before he looked a little green. "Absolutely not!" he half roared, shocking the group. "How?! How do you mess up curry that badly? Crunchy? Slimey? Why? What the Hell?!"

"Yu! You didn't!" Yukiko said, mortified.

"Oh, oh yes I did. I have been planning this." Yu said with a chuckle. "I told him all about the Mystery Weapon X."

"Mocha does not go anywhere in curry. Why do you put coffee in curry? Where did you learn that?" Akira ranted, raved even. "Coffee goes with curry." He composed himself. "The bitterness of the coffee whets the appetite for the rich flavor of the curry. You do not put coffee or mocha inside curry." He threw his hands up. "Yu, need your help." He said.

"Roger." Yu said with a chuckle at the way Akira was acting.

"What's with him?" Chie asked.

"I spent months." Akira turned on the martial artist. "Months! Training under a guy that mastered the art of cooking curry. His recipe has been perfected, scientifically perfected. It is, without a doubt, the best tasting curry that I have ever had. But that affront to nature? How?!" Akira clearly did not understand it. "Did none of you actually look a recipe up? Screw a cookbook, you guys have internet, one of you could have found a simple recipe."

"Says the guy who forgot to look at the weather app on his phone." Yu said, still amused at the breakdown of the usually much more composed leader of the Phantom Thieves.

"Not helping!" Akira turned on him. "And you, Narukami, couldn't stop them from making that abomination?! You, Mister Culinary guru, couldn't stop them and go 'Hey, here's a simple chicken curry.'"

Yu turned to the rest of the Investigation Team that was staring, blinking like the younger teen had grown a second head. "He's usually more relaxed than this, but when you taste his curry you'll understand. Come on buddy, breathe, need you to have oxygen for that brain."

Yu walked with Akira into the Amagi Inn kitchen. He knew his way around, and had used them during previous stays as well. They had to retrieve the curry fixings briefly, but the duo soon set to work. Yu left the actual preparation to Akira. But Yu knew how to peel the potatoes, how to chop them up.

And in moments, the smell of cooking curry was smelled all about the Amagi Inn. Akira had even gone the extra mile and was making the roux fresh and from scratch instead of some store bought thing that wouldn't taste half as good.

"Did you really need to blow up at my friends like that?" Yu asked a bit amused.

"I had to make a point." Akira said as he prepared the chicken for the curry.

After some time, Yukiko came into the kitchen. "Yu-kun, Dojima-san and Nanako-chan are here." she said.

"Go, I got this.' Akira said.

Yu nodded and he headed out of the kitchen towards the front. "Big Bro!" He caught Nanako as she tried to tackle him again and he gave her a hug.

"Hey, we make it in time?" Dojima asked, hanging his jacket up over a chair before sitting down in it.

"Sure did, Akira's still making the curry." Yu said.

"The kid you said had an assault charge?" Dojima frowned a bit.

Yu nodded his head. "Though like I told you last night Uncle, it's an unfair one." Yu sat down with his uncle. "He's probably also going to be preparing some coffee."

Dojima kept the frown. "I'm not going to judge, Yu, but everyone says their assault charge is unfair." He said.

Yu leaned into his uncle a little bit. "According to Akira, the police didn't even take a testimony from him. Naoto-kun says the records are a mess because of who was the claimant. That there was blood, the police didn't even think twice." He said softly

Dojima's frown pronounced more. "Who had that kind of power?" he asked, clearly getting interested.

"You probably hear his speeches all the time, 'wanting to captain the vessel of Japan forward to a brighter tomorrow.'" Yu said. He definitely didn't believe a word that spewed out of Shido's mouth, but when Naoto had said it was the politician that ruined Akira's life, there was no way he ever would.

Dojima looked surprised a moment. "Damn, that's shady." He said. "Do you need me to ask around about anything?" Dojima wouldn't break the laws, but he, like Naoto, would nose about if asked and offer what he could. He didn't like the murder investigation being talked about by Adachi because it had still been going on.

Akira's case was already closed.

"Don't worry about it Uncle." Yu said. "You're all the way out here in Inaba. Just, like I said, don't hold the assault charge against him."

Dojima had a slight frown on his face but he eventually just nodded. "Alright Yu."

 _Take Your Time_

It was interesting. Akira had cooked for his friends in the past, and they usually got the curry within a day or two. A few times he had made it fresh, but it wasn't often, and it hadn't been since he had gotten the recipe down right.

But here he was, cooking for a large group. Fifteen teenagers, a cat, a little girl, and a detective. They had pretty much claimed the lounge area of the Amagi Inn for the purposes of the sit down. They pulled two large tables together so that there was enough room and Akira passed out the plates, one after the other, of the curry poured over some fresh steamed rice.

And again, since Morgana was still pretending to act like a cat, he would be waiting until after the conversation began to actually eat. Yu had promised the cat an entire sushi platter if the cat would keep up with the facade, just a little bit longer.

The young girl, Nanako, took the first bite, everyone looking to her for confirmation. "Mm! It's so good!" she said after the first bite. Akira couldn't help the well of pride that filled him, even as she took a drink of the coffee. Lots of cream, lots of sugar as Dojima recommended. "Big Bro, is your curry this good?" She asked Yu who was sitting beside her.

The others soon began to follow suit. Yukiko's eyes widened a bit. "Oh my, this is a sensation of tastes and flavors." she said.

Yu grinned to Nanako. "'Fraid not. When it comes to curry, Akira has me beat, hands down." he said. And that was something else AKira could take pride in.

"I can't cook." Akira said bluntly. "I got banned from my kitchen at home. But since I started living with Sojiro, he made sure that I could make coffee and curry. Otherwise, I burn water." Though, Akira hadn't tried much else since he started cooking curry.

"Man, this is what curry is supposed to taste like." Yosuke said.

"Truly sublime Akira." Yusuke said. "You are an artist to delight beholding, my tastebuds are alight with pleasure."

"Aw man, this is good!" Ryuji said. He drank some coffee to help wash it down. "And you got the spices right!"

Akira chuckled. "Well, Yu texted me about cooking for a bunch of people and I talked to Sojiro about making sure I had the recipe right. Futaba?"

"Mm. Not now. Too busy." She scooped another bite into her mouth.

"Could be spicier." Rise said as she chewed. "But I can definitely enjoy this." She said.

"I went with a more mild recipe that would generally be accepted by everyone. It's not difficult to get it to be spicier." Akira said. "But the blend of seasons have to change a little bit, and you have to use less apple."

"Personally, I'm fine with this. And it's fresh. Usually we get it the next day." Makoto continued eating as well.

"The coffee is fresh as its intended too." Haru said, taking a sip.

"Seems like he does what you did Senpai." Kanji said. "Making food for his friends and taking it for lunch?"

"Something like that." Yu said. "How's the coffee uncle?"

"Can't go wrong with black." Dojima said as he drank some more. "But this coffee just works perfectly with this curry. I'm glad I didn't miss this."

And that was generally how the conversation went for the next hour and a half. People enjoyed the curry, complimented Akira on it, and basically talked about the food. It was a safe topic, especially since there was still some tension between the two groups. Yes, the King's Game from the night before had helped break the tension, and the Investigation Team wasn't that much older than the Phantom, Thieves so that helped.

But eventually, it was time for the main event. Yu's sit down. Yu's talk where he undoubtedly answered questions. Not just from the Investigation Team, but also from the Phantom Thieves. They still wondered about the scarring on Yu's back. Akira had never seen anything like it.

"Alright, I'm going to get this one home." Dojima picked Nanako up since she seemed to already be dozing off. "You guys have fun." He waved and headed away. Either he knew that there were some things the group couldn't, or wouldn't, talk about with him around, or he was oblivious to the tension. Akira thought it was the former.

The silence stretched on slowly. Naoto had settled beside Yu, and the older wild card looked to be in thought, looking down a little bit. He was hesitating. But then, he had been away from his friends for so long. Most probably, he was worried about how his friends would take things. Akira knew he would be if he was in his shoes.

Slowly, Yu exhaled a moment. "Persona." Akira watched the Investigation Team stiffen a bit. "There's no easing into this, so… Akira and his friends are Persona users as well." He said. The Investigation Team looked over at the various members of the Phantom Thieves, as though seeing them for the first time.

"Hi, name's Akira." Akira waved and bent down, picking up Morgana. "I have a talking cat!" His tone was bright, chipper, and cheerful.

"Finally!" Morgana said loudly, grousing about having to stay silent for so long. "I want some curry!"

"What the-!?" Yosuke almost fell out of his chair. Kanji was staring at Morgana with wide eyes, even the other members of the Investigation Team were staring with some semblance of shock and surprise.

Yu pinched the bridge of his nose. "Way to drop that bombshell Akira. Way. To. Go." He said in a droll manner.

"Consider it payback for making Morgana have to stay quiet the entire time. Come on, let's get you some food." Akira went to the rice and curry, getting Morgana a generous helping that the cat began to help himself to. He and Morgana had been planning that since Yu had asked Morgana to stay quiet.

Yu sighed, shaking his head a moment. "Well, that could have gone a little easier." Yu said. Akira noted everyone seemed to be looking at him. "For the record, we, that is to say Naoto-kun and I, believe that Morgana is similar to Teddie, so we'll probably be talking about that in a little while." Yu said.

Akira set the plate down where Morgana could eat it a little better before he took a seat, watching Yu for awhile. It was time to get some answers.

"Well… that explains why you brought them." Rise said.

Yu shook his head. "No, I would have brought them regardless. They have become my friends, much like the rest of you." He said. Yu sighed a bit, and Akira thought that the other wild card looked like he was about to throw up. He was nauseous. "You're all probably wondering what happened to me…" He said softly.

Naoto even glanced away, as though she knew what was coming. Akira was extremely curious himself. What had happened to Yu Narukami? Akira couldn't believe that he would willingly become so distant from such good people.

Yu stood up from his spot and went over towards the TV sitting in the lounge. He stared at it for a long time. Everyone seemed to be waiting, and Yu was collecting his thoughts. Akira watched. Yu had said they had passed through TVs to get into the Metaverse. Yu inhaled deeply and then exhaled before reaching a hand up to touch the screen. Akira leaned in anticipation. What was it going to look like? But Yu's hand simply touched the screen and he pushed, ever so slightly. The TV wobbled back and forth. "I can't enter the TV world anymore." Yu said softly.

"Oh no." Yukiko gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth. The rest of the Investigation Team looked to be in shock and just as surprised.

Yosuke had bolted to his feet. "Partner, what-"

Yu held up a hand. "Not yet Yosuke. Let me talk." He said Akira leaned back, frowning. So Yu had been incapable of entering the TV? Since when had it occurred? Was this going to be his fate if the MetaNav ever stopped working? Yu still hadn't turned to look back at the group. "My last day here. We dived back in for one last try at the Truth. I'm sure you guys remember it. Izanami taunting us the entire way, the twists and turns of that labyrinth. The thick fog that obscured our vision, even with the glasses on."

Akira watched as Yu began to unbutton the top he had on. "But we made it. And we started to battle Izanami. Just as we had done to various shadows of increasing power and threat. And it was all going good. She was a powerful enemy, but she wasn't out of our league. And then… Then I forced her to shed that guise of hers and… that Monster had taken its place."

Akira turned to face the various members of the Investigation Team. They all looked angry, they all looked in pain, memories haunting them. But Rise Kujikawa was outright crying, sobbing softly into her hands, as though remembering something truly horrible.

"One. By. One. Each of you sacrificed yourselves to save me. But in the end, I wasn't enough. Izanami tortured me. She showed how powerful of a Goddess she was. If she ever took it too far, she healed me right back up to snuff." Yu wasn't looking at any of them. How could he look at any of them. "And the worst part is, Rise confirmed it. Each of you… died." Yu's shirt hung open by now. Akira knew what was going to come, they had seen the scarring before. But had the rest of the Investigation Team not? "Well… she eventually dragged Rise down as well, and when she was bored of torturing me, she disposed of me as well. Except, I didn't fall into death. I fell into what must be the Sea of Souls, where the Persona reside within me. And I began to hear each of you, each of my friends that I have made. Get up, stand up. I was told, over and over to rise. And it gave birth to a new Persona. A Persona of unfathomable power. A Persona that reigns over the Power of the World."

Akira had been brushing up on Tarot because of his own dealings with the Velvet Room, making sure to talk to Chihaya about it. A Fortune Teller was a lot better to discuss such things about. But he knew the journey of the Fool to become the World. It was a long and arduous journey. And Yu Narukami had the Persona to go with it.

"Well, Izanami took offense to me coming back." Yu said. "And she tried to kill me again. When dragging me under with Thousand Curses didn't work, she took to blasting me with lightning. Over. And Over. And Over again." Yu dropped the shirt finally, exposing the scarring. "Lichtenberg scarring." Yu said. "Consistent with being struck by lightning. She punched through the armor we had and proceeded to scar me for the efforts."

Yu fell quiet again. Akira took the moment to take in the horror and reality of the scarring. It would forever be on Yu's back. A reminder of the darkest of times when his friends had died. He could see the others looking to their leader with anger, with fear, with horror at what happened to him. Not at him, but what happened. Akira clenched a fist tight. This wasn't right. This wasn't the way things were supposed to be.

"Every. Day. That I take a Shower, I have to feel this scarring." Yu said. "Every day that I stretch, I feel the scar tissue pulling. Every time I run, I feel it pull, every time I bend over, I feel it pull. Every thing I do, I feel the muscles in my back pull at the scar tissue. A constant reminder for the rest of my life that I had failed my friends." Yu's voice cracked. "That I failed my family. The people I love." He said

Yu wiped his eyes, brushing away the tears. Akira had known that some… semblance of mental demons had their claws in Yu's mind. But that he was constantly reminded of it, in every little thing he did. Even if he had gotten used to the feel of the tissue pulling, that sensation was never going to go away. And every time, it was a jab at Yu's consciousness. Akira couldn't fathom it, couldn't begin to fathom the pain.

Yu shrugged his shirt back on and began to button it up, inhaling before exhaling sharply. "And then, I left the next day. Izanagi-no-Okami healed me up, right as rain, we dug you guys out of the soil, and the TV world turned to that beautiful, beautiful land. And I left the next day amid goodbyes and declarations of love. And when I went back to Shibuya… It was like… the last year never happened. I tried… I actually tried to go into the TV back home. And I found out, that I was banned from it. I never heard Izanagi-no-Okami again. I didn't hear any of my Persona again. It was like… I don't know. And talking to each of you, it hurt. It hurt to talk to you guys. To know that I failed, that I… That I couldn't come back home."

Akira swore to himself, that even if he returned home at the end of his probation in Shibuya, he'd be back in Shibuya as frequently as possible. It was only a two hour train ride. He could see the way it had devastated Yu, destroyed him. Akira didn't want that.

Yu turned and gave a very traditional, humble bow to his friends, unable to look any of them in the eyes. "I'm sorry!" He said. "I'm sorry I was too weak, I'm sorry I failed you, I'm sorry that I didn't do more."

There was. Yu's innermost demon laid bare. In every thing he did, he was reminded of a perceived failure of his friends. To Yu, he may as well have killed his friends himself, and he would never escape that feeling. No Dia spell would ever fix Yu's back.

Akira glanced over as Yosuke stood up. "You guys mind if I handle this?" Yosuke asked, glancing to the rest of the Investigation Team. He was given the okay by all of them. Yosuke proceeded to walk over to Yu and look at his bowed head. None of the Phantom Thieves moved, watching the display. This wasn't their issue, even if they were a part of it.

Yosuke's fist balled up. Akira was about to get up and actually step in. Yosuke lightly popped Yu on the back of the head with his knuckles. It was jarring, but it didn't drive Yu to the floor. "Idiot." He said. "Come on Partner. None of us want you bowing to us or apologizing to us about something like that. What do you take us for? We. Are. Your. Friends. You have been there for us, each of us, through thick and thin. I can't speak for the rest of them, but you helped me come to terms with Saki-senpai actually despising me."

"He helped me decide what I want to be, how I want to help people." Chie said.

"Yu-kun helped me learn to make a decision for myself, even if it was a decision most people already assumed I'd make." Yukiko said, smiling genially.

"Senpai helped me learn what it's like to be comfortable with yourself." Kanji gave a grin.

"Ooh! Senpai helped me learn that all my facets are me!" Rise said cheerfully.

"Sensei helped me learn what it means to belong." Teddie said, joining in on the fun.

Naoto tilted her cap down, a slight blush on her face. "Senpai taught me what it's like to do something for the right reasons, and I'm still learning what it's like to be in love with him." She said.

Akira decided to chime in, much to the surprise of the Investigation Team. "What was it that you told me?" Akira asked. "Life's about experiences. The Good. The Bad. The happy. The embarrassing. This is just another experience Yu. And all of us, we all have learned something from you, with you." Akira knew he was doing the same with his own friends, so he had to remind himself that the same could be said for him.

Yosuke nodded his head and smiled. "Look, all we want is for you to come to us in the future if you got something heavy like that on your chest again. You don't have to bottle it up Partner. We're there to help you." Yosuke then turned to look at Akira. "And if you're the people we have to thank for getting our Leader back up on his feet? Then you have my thanks at the very least." Yosuke said.

"He has all our thanks Yosuke. Don't be as stupid as Yu-kun." Chie said.

Yu stood up, straightening up properly and pushing his shoulders back. His spine was straight and he nodded his head firmly. "Thank you. All of you." He said.

"No problem." Yosuke punched Yu in the shoulder. "I'll be there to knock some sense into you partner, just like you were there to knock some sense into me."

"Besides, the Phantom Thieves still need their Fool." Morgana said.

And judging by the surprised looks on the Investigation Team's faces, Morgana dropped another bombshell. "Oh great." Akira said, pinching the bridge of his nose. That was going to be a whole conversation.

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto settled into the hot springs, sighing softly as the water rushed over her breasts as she sat by the rocks. After the trying talk, Yu getting grilled about what happened as well as the Phantom Thieves being found out, she needed the sound of rest and relaxation. It was Yu and hers time in the hot springs, no one else supposed to be booked at the time. She even made a point of telling to other girls that she wanted to relax alone with her thoughts for the time being.

Mostly because she needed to have an important talk with her boyfriend.

Hearing the splashes on the other side of the wall as Yu got inside the water, she reached up towards the divide and lightly rapped her knuckles against it. It would tell Yu where she was at so he could try and find a comfortable place near it. It would also let her know if someone else might in the springs instead.

"I'm here." She heard on the other side of the wall. It certainly felt odd the first few times they had talked, not looking at each other and instead just focused on enjoying their time in the water and the way it soaked into their muscles.

"I know this isn't the best venue for this discussion Senpai, but I think it would be difficult to talk about if you were looking at me." Naoto said softly. "It's… already rather embarrassing." she said.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Yu asked from his side of the wall.

"I know, and I can say the same to you. But I understand your hesitance to talk about something like that." Naoto couldn't even begin to fathom what Yu was feeling. Anytime she looked closely in the mirror, she could see a few faint scars on her face from Izanami. That wasn't mentioning the any number of the scars on her body.

But Yu… Every action a person could perform practically required the muscles of the back to be worked and move. Literally every action Yu could do, was a sharp reminder of what was on his back. Normally, such marks as Lichtenberg figures would clear up with time. But it was genuine scarring for Yu. Naoto thought it might have to do with not only the source of the lightning discharge, but the fact Yu had been wearing armor as well that conducted the lightning along the skin.

It wasn't like they could go to a doctor about it. How could they? The number of questions that would be asked would be astronomical.

"What is it you want to talk about Nao-chan?" Yu asked through the wall, breaking Naoto away from her thoughts.

Ah… Yes… This was definitely embarrassing. She sunk into the water a little bit more, pulling her knees up to her chest slowly. "It's… Rise." She admitted. How could Naoto not think about it? It had plagued her thoughts, and begun to plague them even more. Rise was Naoto's best female friend, she'd say best friend but that belonged to Yu, something that Rise had understood in the past when it had come up.

"Ah…" Yu said carefully. Clearly he had been thinking about the topic of discussion as well.

Naoto liked to think of herself as a selfless person. But when it came to Yu Narukami, not only was she possessive, she was incredible selfish. She tried to keep it in check, she knew that Yu would never go behind her back like that, but it was still there. And worse, with her Reflection in June, Naoto realized how deep it could go. It was… terrifying truly. But it could still happen, no matter how much Naoto wanted to say it wouldn't.

Naoto wanted the best for Yu however. And if giving him up meant his happiness, she would. She didn't want to of course, but she would. She refused to let herself become her Reflection. Obsessed with having his love, having him all to herself. It could still happen, but Naoto wanted to believe that she could make certain it wouldn't.

But she also wanted Rise to be happy. Knowing that Rise was in love with Yu hurt. It hurt a lot. Not just the proverbial betrayal, which Naoto did her best to not look at it as, but also the fact she was hurting Rise by being in the way of her love for Yu.

Emotions were convoluted things. Things Naoto barely was understanding. She didn't like that even a small part of her felt betrayed by Rise. It wasn't what happened after all. Rise was right. Yu was a good man. There was nothing Naoto could do to control that. And it was his personality to be righteous and willing to help, and that willingness to just listen and help made him likeable. It was more than just being there to help and listen, Yu actually _listened._ So when he spoke, it wasn't him saying something that he thought someone wanted to hear, but Yu said what someone _needed_ to hear.

Case in point, and Naoto hated admitting it, she needed to hear someone was glad that she was a girl. Yu hadn't even hesitated when she had been berating herself for her gender.

And Yu didn't do it for any reason but it was the right thing to do.

Naoto heard Yu take an inhale of breath. "I noticed that Rise was giving some rather blatant cues to me during the King's Game last night." he said.

Naoto nodded softly. "She still loves you. Really loves you." Naoto said. "I don't know the depths of that love, or how true it is." She said. No one could really know because it hadn't been tested the way Naoto and Yu's love had been. "But when I was talking to her shortly before we came to Inaba… Rise told me something that I just haven't been able to get out of my head." she admitted. "That… with me… and you… She would be willing to share and… experiment." Naoto knew her face was bright crimson and it had nothing to do with the heat of the water.

But they needed to have this talk. They needed to, as a couple, decide how to handle Rise.

"I… I never really considered myself the Bi-curious type." Naoto said. "Or the type that could really share." She fidgeted in the water, glad her lover couldn't see her. "But I just… I can't get it out of my head either. And then with what I did last night, it wasn't… wholly unpleasant. Though I got through the beginning by imagining it was you. Rise's lips just feel too different for me to be able to fully imagine it was you, Yu-kun." she said.

She couldn't keep her personas straight. Either she was Naoto Shirogane, the Detective Prince and a woman capable of logical thinking, or she was Naoto Shirogane, Yu's lover and a woman that was giddy with her lot in life that was more emotional. They kept blending together with this discussion, that was how confused she felt about her emotions.

"Naoto, breathe." Yu said from the other side of the divider. "You're rambling." he said.

Naoto nodded her head and took in a deep, shaky breath a moment before exhaling it a little bit more controlled. "I want your opinion on this Senpai." She said, focusing on the facts and not how she felt about the entire situation. "I don't want you to tell me you'll support whatever I decide, I want your help deciding what we should do, as a couple, because this pertains to both of us."

Yu was quiet on the other side of the divider a while. Naoto was a bit worried that she was backing Yu into a corner, one that she wouldn't like the answer to. But she could see a lot of different routes. Would Yu leave her? Would he pick Rise? Would he decide that it wasn't worth either? Would he want to try and incorporate Rise into their relationship?

So many things and variables, and Naoto didn't like it. She couldn't begin nailing things down and formulating a hypothesis about the subject. The ball was in Yu's court however.

"Personally?" Yu asked. "I think we should talk about this again later." Naoto frowned at that. Yu was usually more decisive. And she was about to ask about it when Yu spoke up. "You've thrown a lot at me, and I wasn't expecting Rise's actions yesterday." He said. "I need a bit of time to think. I'm glad you brought it up, and we'll have this discussion before we leave Inaba again. But I just need time to digest it before I make a decision about what I might want so that we can discuss it as a couple."

Of course. It was much simpler than Yu attempting to hide things from her. It was Yu attempting to be much more reasonable and responsible. Regardless of what he decided, they would still discuss it as a couple. It was all Naoto could ask for really, that they discuss what needed to happen together.

"When are you going to see your grandpa?" Yu changed the subject, ending the discussion about Rise for the time being.

"Day after tomorrow, I'll be back before I have to get ready for our date." Naoto said, smiling ever so softly. "He wants to meet you, you know." She said. "I'd like you to go with."

"I would, but I promised Nanako-chan that I'd swing by and play with her a little bit more." Yu said apologetically. "I'd love to meet your grandpa Nao-chan." He said. "Maybe we can go back the day after the Festival." He said.

"I'd like that, but with Marie's warning, I don't know if it will happen." Naoto frowned a bit, remembering that discussion with Yu. They were expecting the other girl to arrive, either that night or the next morning hopefully. "If something does occur with the Midnight Channel, we'll only have a day to take care of it. We still need to go back to Shibuya."

"I'm sure we can make an excuse if we need an extra day, but you're right." Yu said. He sighed. "I wish I could take more time off work, but unfortunately that just couldn't happen."

"It's fine, besides, I will have work with the police to get back to." Naoto said. "Plus there is Haru's father's Palace." she said. There was another discussion that they would be having in the future.

But, as a couple, they would work through what they needed to. For better or for worse, and for Naoto that was all she could ask. That Yu treated her like a responsible individual and actually talk to her.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Holy. Fucking. Crap. This chapter has felt like it's been a loooooooooooooooong time coming. But it's here! And I may have added a few extra things to it to make it interesting.**

 **What will be the results of Yu and Naoto's talk about Rise? Fuck if I know. I haven't decided if I want to make it a threesome or not.**

 **Who is Akira taking to the Festival? Read the above answer.**

 **Is the Investigation Team Reading too much into Marie's words? Maybe. Maybe not.**

 **Next day for Inaba is a beach trip and a group festival. Fuck do I have a lot to write. Inaba is going to be some of the biggest chapters.**

 **Peace people.**


	27. Chapter 27: Inaba Day Three

Chapter 27: Inaba Day Three

There was something calming about the Shichiri beach. The water was warm, the breeze was nice and kept the day from being too hot and humid. It was a good place to go fishing, if that was Yu's decision to do that for the day.

Instead, the leader of the Investigation Team simply looked out over the sand to the two groups. While there had definitely been mingling, as well as questions the night before regarding the Phantom Thieves, the two groups were still rather segregated. It wasn't that they didn't want to hang out, but that they just hadn't been forced to really break the ice.

And unfortunately people would quite often revert to their comfort zones unless they were pushed.

Yu tapped his hand on his leg. Sixteen. Sixteen of them. Fifteen teenagers and a cat. He began to walk over and gave a sharp whistle. He would give the push that they all seemed to need. "Alright, alright, I'm tired of seeing you guys trying to figure out about the others. We're on vacation!" He said.

"Then what do you propose?" Makoto asked, brushing some hair behind her ear as she looked at Yu.

"We got enough people, and Shadows, to break into four even groups. So break into four groups. Kanji, you're with me." Yu said.

The blonde looked startled but nodded his head. "Sure Senpai."

"Haru, Futaba, I know the least about you two so far, so you two are joining me and Kanji. The rest of you? Break it up like that, hang out. Talk. Do… whatever. Mingle. I hate thinking my friends are sticks in the mud that can't get along with other people." Yu shook his head a bit.

"Akira-kun, would you like to partner with me?" Makoto asked politely.

"Sure." Akira said. He even seemed a little relieved to be able to hang out with Makoto.

"Ooh! Then Yosuke and I will partner with you guys." Chie said, grabbing her boyfriend by the arm and starting to drag him over. "I can at least get along with Makoto-san."

"Right, right, guess we're heading this way. Can't believe you're making us do this Partner." Yosuke said, waving over to Yu.

"Nao-chan?" Teddie asked hopefully, the blonde boy looking to the sleuth.

"Fine." Naoto said, shaking her head. "Morgana, Yusuke, we'll partner with you." She said, starting to walk towards the others. It was never that Naoto didn't like Teddie, but Naoto was more introverted than the bear.

"I guess that leaves us." Yukiko said, glancing to Rise. "With Ryuji-san and Ann-san then?" She could at least remember the names of people.

"That's right." Ryuji said, though he was being careful not to look too closely.

So it was like that the Investigation Team and the Phantom Thieves mingled. While Yu hadn't exactly strong armed them into it, it couldn't exactly be said that he hadn't heaped the idea on the two groups either. So he walked with Kanji, Haru, and Futaba over towards the pier where he usually fished during his efforts to get the Shichiri Beach Guardian.

Yu decided to try and get Kanji a little more comfortable. "So… Kanji… Nice trunks. Decided to ditch the last bathing suit?" he asked. Indeed, Kanji wore a pair of black swim trunks with a white lightning bolt down the right leg. And it looked like the lightning bolt was an add on done by Kanji.

"Uh.. yeah… After the incident with Teddie, I wanted something that would…" Kanji blushed, glancing towards Futaba and Haru. "N-not that Teddie would do anything" He tried to amend.

"Not like that again." Yu agreed. "I had a talk with Teddie after both the beach incident and the bathhouse incident with Marie. Can't believe you let them talk you into that Kanji." Yu let his disappointment show.

"What did Teddie-san do?" Haru asked politely.

Kanji glanced to the older girl a moment. "He tried to make one of the girls have a bathing suit accident." He said. "Instead… the little punk got..." Kanji looked away again. "H-he got mine."

"And Kanji's old bathing suit was much… smaller." Yu said carefully. That said, it could be said that Yu's own swimsuit had grown. Not only did he wear the trunks that Dojima had gotten him, but he also wore a shirt over his chest now.

"Hehe. I like this Teddie." Futaba said, rubbing her hands together.

"It's not funny!" Kanji said a bit snappishly. He grunted. "Sorry." he said after a moment.

"Haru, your bathing suit looks nice." Yu decided to try and get away from the beach incident and back to the present.

"O-oh!" Haru said, not expecting to be addressed. She blushed a bit, glancing down. She wore a light pink bikini. It was modest, but definitely showed Haru was a developed girl. "Ann-chan helped me pick out the style over in Okina city when I forgot my usual bathing suit, I picked the color. It's a bit more revealing than I'm used to."

"Looks good on you." Kanji said. "The color works well with the color of your eyes and the tone of your skin."

Haru started blinking at Kanji, as though she hadn't expected him to say that.

"I'd listen to him, he definitely knows what he's talking about." Yu offered.

"Right! Thank you Kanji-kun." Haru said politely, and just trying to relax.

Futaba glanced Kanji over a little bit. "So, you got any cool war stories?" Futaba asked. "Like how you got the scar over your eye?"

"Huh? This old thing?" Kanji brushed the scar. "I just busted a few heads and one of them got a lucky shot in with a chain." He said.

"What Kanji isn't saying is he beat up some wanna be biker gang members for making a ruckus and causing his mom to not be able to sleep. When he was in middle school." Yu said, amused at the way Kanji tried to downplay one of his more notable features.

"Like I said, it wasn't anything special." Kanji said, shuffling on his feet a little bit.

"Tough guy huh?" Futaba asked with a grin. "Then if we have to go into the Metaverse while we're here, I'm hiding behind you." She said.

"That's fine by me. Me and Takeji Zaiten will watch over you." Kanji said, puffing out his chest a bit.

"Sure watched over me a number of times." Yu lightly punched Kanji in the shoulder. "So if you need to, hide behind this guy, he'll keep you safe. Besides, he's harmless."

"My ass I'm harmless!" Kanji said a bit boisterously. "I may fucking love stupid cute shit, but I'm still dangerous you hear?!" Of course, some of that was just Kanji being full of bravado. Really, he was harmless. Yu knew he wouldn't hurt anyone without good reason.

Haru giggled a bit at that. "You are a rather unique individual Kanji-kun." She said. "Are you the one that made Yu-kun's phone strap?" she asked.

"Yeah that's me. I made one for each of the Investigation Team. You want one?" Kanji asked.

"You'd make us one?" Haru asked, eyes widening at the offer. It was pretty generous in Yu's mind, and not because of the cost but the amount of time and effort that Kanji put into making the phone straps.

"Yeah, no charge. I usually sell crochet dolls and such at the textile shop, but mostly I do it because I learned a long time ago that I need to be true to myself." Kanji met Yu's gaze a moment and Kanji inclined his head. "And I like the arts and crafts."

"Uncle Ryutaro said you haven't been making much of a fuss anymore." Yu said jokingly.

Kanji shook his head. "Nah, not after you were here Senpai. Besides, need to be good for my ma, right?"

Yu nodded his head. "That's a good attitude to have there Kanji." he said.

"Kanji-kun, will you be inheriting your mother's textile business?" Haru asked. "I don't mean to make it sound bad or likely to happen soon." She back peddled as she realized what she had said.

"Don't worry about it. Yeah, I'll probably take over the textile shop. Been in my family for four generations now. Inaba's sleepy, so work will probably be slow." Kanji said.

Haru nodded her head. "I'm thinking about opening up a shop of my own, a little coffee shop where I'll serve food that I've grown myself. Would you mind teaching me a few things about knitting and crochet? I'm afraid it's not something easily picked up and I'd like to sell a few handmade things too."

Kanji nodded his head. "Yeah, no problem. Not sure how much I can teach you before you leave, but come swing by the shop some time and I'll give you a crash course. You gotta have better hands than Senpai here."

"Hey, that's not fair." Yu said, frowning.

"You couldn't even make puppets out of oven mitts Senpai." Kanji said. "How are you supposed to play with Nanako-chan if you can't even make puppets out of oven mitts?"

"That's still a low blow Kanji." Really, Yu could make models, make them look real good. He even had one that he had purposefully made to look like it had been in some battle. It was scuffed, damaged, he even had shaded it to look like it was dented. It was painted to look like it was muddy even. But for the love of him, he could not sew worth a damn.

Futaba chuckled at that. "So, Kanji, play any video games in your spare time?"

"Ah… Not really." Kanji said, rubbing the back of his neck. "After the events two years ago with that fish eyed bastard, video games sort of lost their appeal. Yosuke-senpai has tried to get me to pick them back up, but the music starts up and I'm back in that eight bit world of his, watching Senpai here get sucked into an orb." Kanji jerked a thumb at Yu. "Watching your friend almost get killed and lose his shit sorta takes the appeal out of them."

A shudder stole its way down Yu's back and he glanced away. His fist balled up tight. He wasn't like Mitsuo Kubo. He wasn't.

"Oh. I'm sorry if I brought something painful up." Futaba winced a bit. The introverted girl was definitely not exactly comfortable, but was making an effort.

Yu shook his head a moment and shook himself out. "It's fine." He assured the younger girl. "You didn't know, you couldn't have known. It's not something we generally talk about. I can't even play any of the old retro games I used to like anymore, though I still reign supreme at the DDR cabinets in Shibuya." he said.

Kanji shook his head. "You shoulda come when Rise sent out that invite. It was fun. Even if it was just the three of us, and more Naoto and Rise than me, but it was fun."

"Surprised Teddie didn't join you." Yu said, looking across the sand to where the bear was animatedly talking with Naoto, Yusuke, and Morgana. The bear definitely would have.

"Thing was Junes was swamped that day, so Yosuke-senpai and Ted were both having to be full hands on deck." Kanji said. "And Yukiko was pretty swamped as well and roped Chie into helping out. And you were dealing with your shit."

Yu gave a small sound. Leave it to Kanji to make it sound like it was okay that Yu had missed the time with his friends. "You don't have to try and make me feel better about this Kanji." he said politely.

"Like Yosuke-senpai said, next time just talk to us." Kanji said. "She won't say it or show it, but I know you hurt Naoto."

Yu glanced over to his girlfriend, wondering how many little moments he had missed. He knew she was bothered by them, and he knew she'd never let that show. But he knew he had to be better. "I will Kanji. I promise."

 _Take Your Time_

"So!" Chie had led them over to a bit of sand that was a little more clear from the rest of their admittedly large group. "Sure you're probably wondering why I was so eager to hang out." She said, grinning a little bit and bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Here we go." Yosuke said, giving a slight groan.

"I am a little curious." Makoto admitted, glancing first to Yosuke and then to Akira.

"Simple. You're a bit of a martial artist." Chie said. "And I want to spar against someone. None of the other members of the Investigation Team are really into martial arts except for Yu-kun and that's kendo."

"Whereas I'm trained in Aikido." Makoto offered a smile and brushed a bit of hair behind her back. "Alright." She said and began to stretch. "Though, I should warn you, I won't be using Aikido. I'll be using what I've picked up against the Shadows. I feel like that should be my priority in sharpening."

"I'd say that's a disappointment, but it looks like you don't use any special weapons, so it should be fine." Chie began to stretch as well.

"Hey! You two do know we're at a beach right?" Yosuke asked. He sighed, shaking his head. "My girlfriend." he said.

Akira chuckled, hearing the exasperation in Yosuke's voice. "Don't worry about it. Let her blow off some steam, I'm sure Makoto will enjoy the chance to cut loose as well."

"Heh. You almost sound like Yu there." Yosuke said fondly. "Guess it makes sense. He was our leader because of his ability. And you're similar to him in that regard?"

More like damn near the same, but Akira wasn't going to say that. He nodded his head a bit. "Though, I don't use swords. I got a knife that's more the size of a dagger now, but when I first started I just had what could basically be a hunting knife."

"Ha!" Yosuke said and grinned. "My kinda guy then. I've always rocked a pair of knives. I thought about going sword in one hand, knife in the other, but Daidara didn't have two swords in stock when Yu and I went to go pick things up."

Chie was the first one to attack. She dashed across the sand and came up with a strong kick. Makoto brought up her arms, turning to the side to take the blow against her forearms a little better before she then lashed out with a backfist from her lead hand. Chie barely managed to get back in time.

"I got a guy that makes our stuff too." Akira said. "Though my knife is special. Don't know if you know anything about the Velvet room or its residents…" He trailed off meaningfully.

"Ah, that stuff." Yosuke scratched the back of his head. "That was freaky. We always thought Yu was psyching himself up, ya know? We sorta dumped being leader on him, and I'm playing second banana, and so we figured he's just stressed and preparing himself, some sort of mental exercise. Then come January, we meet Margaret and suddenly we're watching our leader walk through a strange blue doorway. At first we thought Yu mighta had a thing for older women, cause Margaret was… so hot."

Akira nodded his head. "Having met the woman, I can understand that." And Akira could also understand why she was of the Empress Arcana for Yu. "Anyways, so part of that room is the room's master, Igor. He comes up with rituals and stuff for fusing our Persona, mine and Yu's that is, and one of the rituals actually executes my Persona and turns them into an item."

Yosuke nodded his head. "I think I understand. You're saying your dagger is from one of your Persona?"

"Yes and no." Akira said. He inhaled a bit. "Remember the Reflections we mentioned last night? One of them was mine and his Persona… That thing was a monster."

Makoto moved in, hands brought up to protect her face. A look of determination was on the face of the Student Council President as she blocked another kick before she went for a series of jabs at Chie's stomach. Makoto was faster than Chie, but Chie had the longer reach because of her performed style of fighting. That said, Chie's footwork was amazing, able to switch lead foot on the fly and forcing Makoto to always be prepared for the kick that might be coming from either foot.

Makoto brought her arms up and blocked a heavy axe kick from Chie. It definitely had to ache. Makoto had barely brought her arms up in time for the sudden drop. "You're good." Makoto pushed her arms up and took a swing with a kick of her own.

"Self-taught with too many hours of watching Kung Fu movies on my hands." Chie said as she moved swiftly to get out of the way. "I can't tell you how many times I've watched _Trial of the Dragon_ plus there's my collection of Bruce Lee movies. I really got to work on what I knew back when we were diving into the TV world." she said.

"Man, look at them go." Yosuke said as the two continued sparring. "I hope they remember to pull their punches."

"I'm sure they'll get quite the earful if they don't." Akira said. It was somewhat surprising to see Makoto, usually a rather composed girl, actually cutting loose like this. Nevermind that she was in her white bathing suit as well.

"So…" Yosuke started. "Which of the girls on your team do you like?" He asked

"The hell?!" Akira asked, startled by the question.

"What?!" Chie asked, pausing and glancing their direction.

"It's nothing, nothing at all!" Yosuke waved her off. "Just some guy talk. Go back to doing what you're doing." He glanced to Akira then. "Come on man." He said. "I'm not Yu, but even I know a few things."

Akira crossed his arms a bit. "Alright then, how do you figure I like one?" He was curious. He had been trying not to talk about it with anyone but Ryuji and Yu, not wanting it to get around to Makoto and Haru until he had a chance to legitimately talk to them.

"Okay, follow me on this." Yosuke turned to Akira a bit more, actually facing him instead of watching Makoto and Chie spar. "So, none of the girls in your group are necessarily bad looking, yeah?"

"That's fair." Akira said. They were all above average in looks at the very least, but he failed to see how that let Yosuke know he liked someone.

"Right, they're all good looking. Now, if you're time of things is anything like ours was, you're having to run a lot. The girls are getting exercise right? Means they're getting sweaty, they're working out." Yosuke's points were fair. "And, no girl likes being sweaty. A guy? He might skip a shower every once in a while. A girl won't skip a shower after running around, fighting. So clean skin, fit girls, they're pretty. And here's where I'm going to start sounding like Yu." Akira started looking at Yosuke in a new light. He wasn't wrong about what he was saying.

They were basically staying fit, and because they frequently showered regardless, their skin wasn't oily or greasy. There wasn't any makeup aside from bare minimum because it would just run with the sweating and working out. So, the girls' beauty was more natural than some of Akira's classmates.

"You guys are in a life and death situation. It's scary. Adrenaline is pumping, your heart feels like it's going to crawl up your throat, your stomach is so clenched you don't know how you eat." Yosuke said. "But then there comes this vision of beauty, hauls you up to your feet while basically being a badass, and it's a favor that you've returned. You grow tight knit in situations like these. Me and Yu? We've heard everyone's darkest secrets. Things no one likes to hear about themselves." Yosuke shook his head and glanced over towards Chie. "And well, when you're that close to someone, and they're good looking, you're going to start liking them."

"Damn." Akira said, muttering under his breath. "You're too smart for your own good Yosuke."

"Heh. You're not the first one to say that." Yosuke said. "Ya know, it's funny. I thought I had a thing for Yukiko way back when I first came to Inaba. Then I turned my affection towards Saki-senpai, blind to the fact she ignored me." He looked over to Chie who was still sparring with Makoto. "But after Yu left, I decided to try for simpler. She's brash, she can't cook, and she's quick to anger, but I still enjoy being with her. She actually had a thing for Yu, never acted on it but let's be honest, Yu Narukami is a special sort of guy." he said.

"You don't feel anything for basically coming in second place?" Akira asked. It might have come across as rude and blunt, but he was curious.

"Nah. The heart's fickle. It wants what it wants. Look at what you guys do. Sure, you're correcting some creepy and crooked people, but can you say that nothing started out as an almost innocent love for something?" Yosuke asked. "So what if Chie had a thing for Yu. I don't blame her. Hell, I doubt any girl on our team didn't at one point or another like Yu. He was always talking with us, always there to help out with anyone's problems. I don't feel like I came in second place with Chie. She's about my speed, and honestly feels like I came in first place."

Akira shook his head. "Yeah, there might be a girl I like." He said. He wasn't getting into it with Yosuke. The details were already too well known in his opinion. The less people that knew, the better.

"Tell her." Yosuke said. "Before she slips away. Worst that happens is rejection. Had Yu gone with Chie, I doubt I'd have a girlfriend at the moment. Can you honestly see me dating someone like Yukiko or Naoto?"

Akira laughed a bit at that. He couldn't help it. "Probably not." He said. Interestingly, Yu had claimed Yosuke and Chie as the Arcana of the Magician and the Chariot, respectively. Akira's own Arcana of the Magician and the Chariot were Ryuji and Morgana. He glanced over towards Ryuji who looked to be just keeping his mouth shut. Perhaps they'd end up better friends than he expect.

"Waah!" Chie's cry alerted Yosuke and Akira who glanced over. In unison they winced as the tomboy slammed into the sand, flat on her back. Makoto was still slightly poised like she had just thrown Chie over her shoulder by using the tomboy's weight against her.

"Oh my god! I'm so, so sorry!" Makoto panicked after realizing what she did. "It was just reflex!" It was probably not often that the student council president got worked up and then did something that she didn't mean to like that.

"We should probably stop this now." Akira said starting to walk towards the two girls so that he could help run damage control.

"Yeah, let's go." Yosuke said. He followed along at a jog. "Geez Chie, you went too far again, didn't you?" He said a bit exasperated. Yu had such strange friends.

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto brushed her palms against the swimming shorts she had on. She wasn't going to be going into any beauty Pageant anytime soon wearing her bathing suit, but among friends she could wear it a bit more openly. It was just a pair of swim shorts with a tank top and a bikini on under that. Sometimes she wished she had Rise's more bold and outgoing nature, but Naoto preferred being more covered up than what a typical bikini would cover.

And a one piece made her look smaller than she enjoyed.

She knew she was short, she didn't need to have it rubbed in her face when she changed into her bathing suit.

"Yu's decision is a bit of an odd one, but I cannot say that there isn't merit to this. It allows us to mingle with those we might otherwise not mingle with." Yusuke said, glancing at Naoto and Teddie briefly. "Though, I am curious, Naoto, why you agreed to partner with Teddie-san. With how you act sometimes, it leads me to believe you do not like him."

Naoto glanced at the blonde boy a moment. "It isn't that I dislike Teddie." Naoto said, seeing the blonde smile at that. "It's that Teddie is extremely extroverted. He is friendly towards everyone, and due to a statement made by Yukiko's shadow, his personality has gotten… odd." Naoto hadn't been there for it, so she didn't exactly know all the details. "Whereas I am more introverted and so Teddie's antics tend to drain me. Because of our group of friends is mostly extroverts, I try to mitigate as much of Teddie's antics because Teddie doesn't necessarily understand why his actions bother me."

"Sensei has tried to teach me things." Teddie said. "And I do try to listen. But there's just so many things, so many new things to try and do." he said. "It's beary hard to contain myself."

"Don't you mean very?" Yusuke asked. Naoto was slightly amused by this.

"Isn't that what I said?" The blonde boy asked, tilting his head as though confused.

And that was why the group let Teddie make his bear puns. He didn't seem to consciously understand that he was making them, or he thought the group was doing them as well. They had found out a long time ago, there was no point in trying to correct Teddie, he just didn't seem to get understand that there was something wrong with how he spoke.

Yusuke even seemed a bit surprised by the revelation.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Morgana said from his spot in the sand, his tail wagged back and forth. "Can you maybe tell what I am?" The cat sounded so hopeful.

Teddie glanced over to Morgana a moment and sniffed at the cat. "Hmm… I can tell what you're not." Teddie offered. "You're not a Shadow, and you're not a human. Though my nose hasn't been beary good in a while."

Not a shadow? Naoto mused on that, glancing to the black cat. It was certainly a surprising revelation that he wasn't a Shadow. But at the same hand, Morgana wasn't human either. So it begged the question, what was he?

Morgana gave a distressed sound. "Damn it!" he said, swatting at the sand. "I was hoping you'd say I was a human."

"Sensei says its not good to lie." Teddie said. "So I won't. But don't give up on being human." Teddie offered a bright, million watt smile. "I'm sure there's something out there somewhere. I mean, look at me, a Shadow living in the human world, having summoned a Bearsona."

Morgana looked up at Teddie for a while, eyes searching the gaze of the boy. Both blue eyes seemed to hold something. But Morgana nodded his head and Naoto saw his gaze turn towards where Akira was on the beach. "I guess I'll stay with him, I just have a good feeling things will keep happening around him."

Naoto nodded her head. "That's a good way to look at it Morgana." she said. "Don't ever give into despair, for once you do your battle is lost." She said. She was briefly reminded of the things that she saw in Futaba's tomb, about her family and the events that came after the falsehood. "And hold tight to the truth. It can do wonderful things for you. Yes, you're not a human, but you're not a Shadow either. So it begs the question: What are you? Until we have that answer, we can't begin to understand what you can and cannot do. You might be able to do a similar task to Teddie and form yourself a body." She said.

"Yeah, you're absolutely right." Morgana said, bobbing his head again. "I'll keep looking. I owe it to all of you that have helped me to at least look. I might not like the answers, and the road might be hard and painful, but I'll keep looking. Plus, we've gotten so deep into Mementos already. It'd be a waste if we didn't check out the depths."

Things weren't perfect for Morgana, but Naoto knew that they were at least better than they might have originally been. Meeting Teddie helped. He had confirmation that he wasn't a Shadow, something Teddie was intimately familiar with. But Morgana wasn't a human either.

Akira had once made the joke that Morgana was part bus. Maybe there was more truth to that than she originally thought. No, that would be absurd.

"I have another question for Teddie-san." Yusuke said. "Why do you call Yu 'Sensei?'" The artist asked.

Teddie tilted his head a moment, as though regarding Yusuke and trying to figure out how best to answer. "Sensei is… Sensei. He's never been particularly threatening to me, and he's always looked out to protect me. Something just clicked when he summoned his Bearsona. It was awesome, watching him cut through those Shadows. I thought myself different from the residents of the TV World. But even after I tried to bring Nana-chan back, Sensei never forgot about me. He never let me forget my promise to Nana-chan to play again some day. He's taught me so much about this world. And Yosuke tries too, but Sensei is just… Sensei."

Naoto felt it fitting. There was no real words that could be used to describe Teddie's feelings for Yu. It wasn't love, not in the way of most people. But it was a strong admiration, and Teddie couldn't have picked a finer man to decide to look up to.

"You do know then, that one day you will no longer be his student." Yusuke said. And that was also fitting. One day, maybe soon maybe not, Teddie would no longer need Yu's guidance. Naoto was curious as to what that day would bring.

"Mm. Sensei said that once." Teddie said, glancing out over the water. "One cold day here at the beach." Teddie tucked his hands behind his back. "He said that eventually I wouldn't need his help, and that I'd be fine on my own. I've spent the last year without Sensei's help. And I've been bound to have messed some things up. But I'm still here. I still live with Yosuke and his parents have been so kind to me. Does that mean I'm no longer his student?" Teddie seemed thoughtful. "I don't think so, not yet. There's still things that I have to learn. But to err is human, and I want to be human as well, so I don't think my mistakes are that bad yet."

Naoto smiled a little bit. "You've been reading more Teddie." she said. "I'm happy for you."

"I just want my friends happy, and I want to see the smiles on all the kids that visit Junes." Teddie said, turning to face the group, a brilliant smile on his face once more. "So I'll keep learning so I can keep my friends happy."

"You're quite profound with your words, Teddie-san." Yusuke said.

"Mm. I also like the quote Cogito, Ergo Sum." Teddie said.

"'I think therefore I am.' A wonderful statement about existence." Yusuke said, seemingly more interested. "Should you be capable of thought, your existence is proven. As a Shadow, I can see how this would be appealing. The Shadows we have encountered have all seemed to be the same, as though they are some sort of collective. But you, Teddie-san, are completely capable of individuality and thought and thus your existence is proven."

"It would also apply to Morgana." Naoto offered, looking to the cat that seemed surprised to be pulled into the conversation.

"Yes, I think it would apply to Morgana quite well." Yusuke said. "His thoughts are much more complicated than a normal cat's, it proves him as a unique existence. And that he has the worries that all humans have, it is all the more comforting." Yusuke closed his eyes and offered a smile. "It is always nice to get a fresh perspective."

"Cogito, Ergo Sum." Morgana said. Slowly, he nodded his head. "Akira once typed something to the others that seemed to calm them down, but I'm afraid I didn't understand it. And I've wanted to appear to be in control, so I never asked. Do you know what 'Que Sera, Sera' means?"

"Simply put, What happens, happens." Naoto said. "It is a good statement at times. When you have done all you can to prevent something, then you simply need to let the chips fall where they may. It is only after you have seen the fruits of your efforts that you can do something more. It is unsettling, but there is little that can be done."

It had been terrifying even. Adachi could have walked. It had been a cold and terrifying sensation that went through Naoto when she had thought about it. Tohru Adachi could have walked from his crimes. No judge would even accept the possibility of such an absurdity case. And then, should he wish, Adachi would have been able to slap them with a libel charge. An upstanding officer of the law being called a murderer?

Even Dojima's testimony would have been thrown out, the combination of shock at losing his daughter, the accident, the drugs, no one would have taken it seriously. Adachi could have walked with hardly any issue whatsoever.

To her dying day, Naoto would never understand why Adachi pleaded guilty on both counts of murder for both Saki Konishi and Mayumi Yamano. There had been no plea bargain, he simply accepted the consequences of his actions.

But it was unsettling, waiting and not knowing the results of the their efforts. Naoto couldn't imagine the worry and stress that Yu had been under. It was no wonder why they were making their best effort in actually having a vacation while they could. It was no wonder why Yu had let the girls act drunk during their time at Port Island.

Too much stress, and they would break. And given their knowledge and abilities, it was too dangerous for them to break. Naoto really hoped, that one day it would be all over, and she and Yu could just enjoy their time without worrying about the stress of the strange and weird.

 _Take Your Time_

Yukiko watched the others, Rise and Ann chatting it up again about various things that came with a bit of high popularity and fame. The idol and the model. Rise mentioned having even gotten some of the outfits that Ann had modeled, thinking they were cute. And Ann mentioned having bought Rise's Sapphire album because it felt like it actually came from the soul.

Yukiko smiled softly, glad that Rise had someone to connect with about such things.

"Man, I can't keep up with em." Ryuji said.

It left Yukiko in the company of Ryuji Sakamoto. He reminded her of Kanji, if Kanji was a little rougher around the edges. Not that there was anything bad about Ryuji, at least not that she'd mention. She had seen him make a few looks towards Ann and Rise in their bikinis. While she was tempted to call him out on the perverse actions, she couldn't deny that there was just some battles not worth fighting.

Especially not with someone she didn't know.

"Rise-chan doesn't always have people to talk fashion with." Yukiko said. "Chie and I don't exactly wear the most varied of wardrobes. Kanji-kun doesn't understand much about what's fashionable, despite his knowledge on colors, fabrics, and patterns. Naoto-kun doesn't care. Ann-chan seems to at least be able to talk with Rise-chan about it."

Ryuji nodded his head slowly in understanding. He turned to face her. "So you call Naoto-senpai by Naoto-kun as well?" he asked.

"Yes, it just became habit. She didn't mention being a female to us when we first met her. We thought her a slender boy." Yukiko felt her face flush, remembering the time she and Yu had a failed stakeout by the Textile shop. "And even during the last days of the Investigation Team's work, Naoto-kun kept her deeper, more monotone voice. It wasn't to say she didn't show emotions, but she is rather stoic, the only exception being Yu-kun."

"Yeah, your leader is somethin' special, ain't he?" Ryuji said.

Yukiko nodded her head. "Akira-kun is shaping up to be a good leader too, Ryuji-kun." She said. She knew, she had seen Yu slowly shape up and she could see many similar things. The way Akira looked at her, looked in her eyes like he was giving her his entire focus. The way he scanned a room when he walked inside of it.

"Hell yeah," Ryuji said a bit boisterously, a grin on his face. "He's helpin' all of us. Me, Makoto, Futaba, Yusuke… he's jus' makin' time for everyone. And even if we're not on his schedule for the day, he makes sure to text us so that we know he can't hang out. He even got me and Ann workin' together, helpin' her work out."

Yukiko continued glancing at Ann a moment before she turned to Ryuji. "She is quite the different girl." She said. "I don't mean to pry, but is she foreign?"

"Her mom's Japanese. Dad's half Finnish, half American from my understandin'." Ryuji said. "She lives at home by herself with a couple of caretakers since her folks are abroad."

"You like her." Yukiko said with a smile. It was a pleasant thing to see in Yukiko's mind. She saw a lot of love at the Inn, and lust even. Ryuji honestly had a bit of a mix of both, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, Yukiko would be lying if she ever said she didn't appreciate the view of Kanji without his shirt on.

"That obvious huh?" Ryuji scratched the back of his head a bit.

"There's nothing wrong with it." Yukiko said. And she meant it. "Better to have someone you like and can trust than someone you have to keep secrets from. I can't even imagine what it would be like having to hide the TV world and what I do from someone I like." Yukiko gave a wistful sigh. "I'm glad Kanji-kun accepted my asking him out."

"Wait, you and Kanji?" Ryuji asked, surprised.

"Of course." Yukiko said with a smile, brushing some of her hair back. "Kanji-kun is a stable rock, a nice pillar I can lean on when things get stressful. Not that I don't think I couldn't trust Teddie or Yosuke, but there's just something… special about Kanji-kun. I had to get over my feelings for Yu-kun first."

Ryuji nodded his head and he rotated his shoulder a moment. "Can.. I ask somethin' personal? How'd you take Yu's rejection?"

Yukiko couldn't help the stab of pain that lanced through her heart. It was muted, but it didn't change the fact that it had been the first time Yukiko couldn't help but wonder if she wasn't pretty enough. Not that Yukiko ever thought she was ugly or spent much time on her looks, but she had wondered if she was too tall, too athletic, so many things.

She didn't fault Yu for going after Naoto, never. She was happy for her friends in that regard. But it was the first time she had been that interested in a guy, but to find out that he was spoken for, it had hurt a little bit. But she had gotten over her feelings and had asked Kanji out shortly after the Cultural Festival her final year.

"Rejection is never easy, Ryuji-kun." Yukiko said politely. "It hurts, even when you think you're over that person, they do something to remind you of why you wanted them in the first place and it hurts anew. Getting over Yu-kun's rejection took a bit. It hurt, but I knew I still had a job to do as the Team's Healer. So I pushed it down, I pushed the jealousy I felt down. Yu-kun… he just… He knew what someone needed to hear. And when he rejected me, he was polite about it, and said that he had already been taken by Naoto-kun. Had things been different, who knows what might have happened. But you can't dwell over the what if. You simply have to be true to yourself, even when you don't feel like the you is worth anything."

Yukiko smiled a bit and paused. "It may have also helped when I invited Chie and Rise over for a girls' night, eating junk food and hurling insults at the spirit of our leader." She admitted with a slight blush. "We didn't mean anything by it, but…"

It had still happened. It had been one of the very few times that Yukiko had out ate Chie.

"So what you're sayin' is if nothin' happens, I should get with the guys and get over Ann?" Ryuji asked.

"Get over Ann is the wrong thing." Yukiko said. "Get over her rejection. You can still pursue her, but there can be a dozen different things going on at the moment that makes it so Ann can't be with you. I know Chie and Rise were both politely rejected by Yu-kun because of the murder investigation, he had enough on his plate. Yu fought letting his heart grow particularly fond of someone for so long because he had to have his priorities straight." Yukiko was a bit surprised by the heart to heart talk with Ryuji. He didn't seem like the type to open up to someone.

But, as it had been mentioned before, she was the mother hen of the Investigation Team. She was there for everyone, and if that was passed on to Ryuji Sakamoto, then so be it. She didn't mind.

"We all say more power to Naoto-kun for getting Yu-kun's heart." She said with a smile. She glanced over in the direction of Yu, laughing with Kanji. "But you shouldn't feel the need to become someone you aren't in order to impress Ann. Be comfortable with her, and yourself. All you can do is try, and don't be afraid of rejection." Yukiko offered.

Ryuji shook his head a bit. "Man, was there anyone not goin' after Yu?" he asked.

"Of the Investigation Team?" Yukiko asked. "No, not really. He was just… new and refreshing. And he caused us to be true to ourselves." She said. "It was wonderful really. Being his friend… I wouldn't give it up for the world."

Yukiko wouldn't have come to be with the man she loved otherwise. And she did love Kanji, it just took getting her heart broken once for her to see the younger boy. Was her love for Kanji as deep as Yu's was for Naoto? Perhaps, perhaps not. But she was glad to be with Kanji. Not even the chance to be with Yu would cause her to give him up.

"I'd say his friendship is one of a kind, but I think you have two of them." Yukiko added a bit amused. "Akira-kun is very similar, and made for a cute girl." She saw Ryuji wince at the reminder of the picture.

She began to snicker as she imagined Ryuji as a girl, and her snickers turned to full blown laughter as she imagined Ryuji and Kanji standing together like twins.

 _Take Your Time_

"Ow." Makoto whined a bit, rubbing her forearms that still ached from earlier when she had blocked Chie's axe kick. She hadn't expected the rather heavy blow.

"It's your own fault Makoto." Naoto scolded.

The group of girls were at the festival proper. Makoto, Haru, and Rise wore their yukata while Naoto was dressed in her usual summer wear, a nice dress shirt and pants with suspenders. Akira, having followed Yu's lead, had the groups break up once more, intermingling the Investigation Team with the Phantom Thieves.

"Really, blocking Chie's attack like that." Rise said, shaking her head. "There's a reason we've given her the nickname of the Galactic Punter. The girl's legs are her main weapon. You get out of the way." Even Rise was scolding her, Makoto felt a little silly.

And in hindsight, it had been a little silly to spar like that. She was mortified to remember she was in her bikini and that she had been giving Akira quite the show. While her bikini hadn't slipped or anything like that, it definitely hadn't stayed put, the skirt flipping up to the bottoms that cupped her backside. Even now, it was threatening to bring a blush to her face.

"So what sort of games should we play?" Rise asked smiling, looking over to the group. "Want to get something for Senpai, Naoto-kun?"

Makoto glanced to the smaller girls. Despite being the same age as them, both Rise and Naoto were shorter than her and Haru. And that was not saying anything about Ann. "Well, there is always the target pract- I mean, shooting gallery." Naoto said.

Oddly enough, Makoto felt very similarly about the shooting gallery. Maybe it was the revolver?

"And watch you clean up? I'd rather not." Rise said.

"Ooh, maybe we can get some masks?" Haru offered, glancing at a wall of some of the masks. None of them were particularly fancy, but they did have a couple that looked nice.

"That's an idea." Makoto said, looking them over. "But I'm not seeing any that I might want." She said. Even if she saw one that looked extremely similar to the metal mask she wore as Queen. Eerily so even.

"Senpai must be visiting the fox." Naoto said, glancing in a direction where Yu, Akira, Yukiko and Yusuke were slipping off towards the back of the Tatsuhime Shrine.

"Fox?" Makoto asked a bit curiously.

"Oh yeah, smart little guy." Rise said. "Really smart. Would follow us into the TV world. I wouldn't be surprised to see him if we had to go in for Marie's warning." she said. "Course, we had to pay it for healing."

Makoto was a bit curious at that. It sounded like quite the intelligent creature then. And she wouldn't mind spending some yen to get healed up if push came to shove. Even if Johanna could heal.

"So…" Rise said slowly. "You two like that Akira guy, right?" She asked, turning to face Makoto and then looking at Haru.

"L-like?!" Haru asked, taken back by the sudden questioning. She blushed as well, a shade of pink to match her yukata.

A pink that matched Makoto's blush as she bit her lip, one eye closing. "That's-" Her heart was thundering in her chest.

"You picked up on that rather quickly Rise." Naoto noted.

"Well, given the attention Senpai got during his time here, I know what to look for." The idol said with a mischievous grin on her face. "Who's going with him to the festival tomorrow?"

Tomorrow? Makoto thought about it. She bit her lip a little bit more. She wouldn't mind coming to the festival and walking with Akira. Alone. Just the two of them. She risked a glance at Haru who seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she was.

It had never come up between them yet, even though Makoto was certain that Haru was as aware of Makoto's feelings as Makoto was aware of Haru's.

"That's…" Makoto didn't know what to say really.

"He likes you both." Naoto said bluntly. Makoto felt her heart thundering in her chest, as well as the sharp pang of jealousy. "But he doesn't know who to choose. Yu-kun has told me. Akira doesn't want to slight either of you."

"That's… Sweet." Haru said. Though her tone had shifted slightly to Noir, the more dangerous and even sadistic side of the sweet Haru. She glanced in Makoto's direction. There was something in Haru's eyes. Jealousy? Anger?

Makoto didn't blame Haru. "I didn't mean for it to happen." She said. A bit of Queen's coolness slipped into her voice as she turned to face the other girl.

"That's enough." Naoto said sharply. "You have to respect the fact that other girls might like the guy you like. And be glad that you're even a target of his affection." She said. "But you two have been through too much already to get into a fight over something as stupid as a boy, no matter how good the boy is."

Makoto and Haru winced almost simultaneously at the statement. Naoto was, unsurprisingly correct in her statement. "Sorry." She said to Haru.

"No, I should apologize. I was about to let my jealousy get the better of me." Haru said. "And you've been nothing but a good friend to me Mako-chan." Haru bowed her head a little bit.

Makoto sighed and gave a soft whine. If there was only a solution…

"By the way, Rise, I feel the need to mention it, but I told Yu-kun about your statement of sharing." Naoto said. Wait. What? Makoto turned to the idol that was doing an interesting impression of a tomato.

"Naoto!" Rise said sharply. "Why?!" Her whisper sharp as she made sure that no one was listening in.

"Because I don't want to keep secrets from Senpai." Naoto said calmly. "He deserves to know, and I await his answer on the matter." She said.

"Wait you're just letting Yu decide if he's going to make you share with another girl?" Haru asked, sounding as surprised as Makoto felt.

"Don't be silly." Naoto said. "I informed him of the facts at hand, he's taking a bit of time to digest those facts and formulate how he wants to proceed. Then we'll discuss the issue at length as a couple." Naoto said. She turned to face the blushing idol. "I do not want to get your hopes up, Rise, but I want you to know we will be discussing this before we leave Inaba."

"I'm so mortified." Rise said, clasping her hands against her face.

Makoto wondered how Naoto should feel, having to bring up the idea with her boyfriend about sharing him with another girl. And Makoto could respect the other girl for it. It took some serious guts to be able to tell the guy she loved about something like that.

Makoto wasn't sure what she wanted. Either Yu to remain with Naoto or for the pair to become a threesome.

"It's almost like a romance novel." Haru said, blushing as she thought about it. "A menage a trois is quite…" She seemed to blush more.

"Especially since Naoto and Yu have…" Makoto blushed as she realized what she was saying.

Rise looked up and looked sharply at Naoto. "You didn't tell me you had sex with Senpai." She said. "Spill the details." She said excitedly. It was almost like Rise already knew, but was looking for confirmation.

Naoto however looked nonplussed. "I have no idea what you're talking about Makoto. The source of mine and Senpai's good mood that day is not, and will never be, up for discussion or debate." She said. It was scarily similar to what Yu had said to Morgana.

"Oh no you don't." Rise said, moving in front of Naoto's gaze. "Details girl. You're supposed to be my bestie." she said.

Naoto turned on Rise a bit. "We are not discussing this non-existent topic at this current juncture or any foreseeable juncture." Naoto said. "Certainly not at a public event such as a festival." Makoto glanced around. While they were not the subject of attention, it wouldn't take much for them to be the subject of attention. Thankfully however, Naoto was a local girl and didn't draw much attention as the Detective Prince, not like she had in Shibuya.

Naoto wasn't done yet with Rise. "If, and understand that this is an extraordinary big 'If', Yu-senpai and I decided, together, as a couple, that we would like to try and include you into our happiness, then we may speculate about the current non-existent topic."

Makoto hid her smile behind her hand. While she doubted that she and Haru were done with their own chat anytime soon, she couldn't help but be amused at the possessive way that Naoto spoke. Yu Narukami was, hands down, Naoto Shirogane's.

Rise sighed. "Sheesh, fine, alright" She said, letting her shoulders slump. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood, relax." She said, gently nudging the Detective Prince.

"Ah.. I'm sorry Rise." Naoto said after a moment. "You know I have a tin ear." Makoto thought that a fair way to describe Naoto. An inability to sometimes discern the nuances of spoken language. In fact, Makoto could probably claim to have one as well.

Rise shook her head. "No, I'm sorry." The Idol said after a moment. "I should know better than to push on something so personal like that. But… Well… like you said, Senpai knows." Rise said. While there had indeed been mortification earlier, and it even seemed like Rise was mortified at the reveal of Yu knowing about her attraction, it seemed the bubbly girl did know when to pull it back and settle down because Naoto was getting a bit upset.

It was rather mature for the girl that Makoto had originally wrote off as being a bit vapid, but Makoto realized that had been rather shallow of her to call Rise as vapid. Then again, Makoto hadn't seen Rise acting as the Combat Operator for the Investigation Team. She could only hope that the idol did a better job at that.

She probably would, but it was still something that Makoto would like to look into. Especially if they could somehow learn things that would allow for Futaba to be better at being their operator.

 _Take Your Time_

"I can't believe you got a yukata and aren't even wearing it Ryuji." Morgana spoke up. Yosuke thought the cat looked entirely too content being carried by Kanji and just enjoying the scratches behind his ears.

Then again, none of them were wearing a yukata, so the cat couldn't really complain.

"Oh will you stop?" Ryuji said a bit snappishly. "I don't want it gettin' dirty before tomorrow and knowin' my luck, I'll prolly spill somethin' on it."

"Oh man, I'm the same way." Yosuke said. "Always seems like I'm spilling something down my front."

"Right?!" Ryuji exclaimed. "And oh man these steak skewers are amazin'!" Ryuji was working his way through a steak skewer at that moment. No sauce was required, the meat was delicious and juicy. A nice blend of fatty with actual meat. Yosuke didn't know what they were made from or how they were made, and he didn't care. They were too damned good.

"He's so soft." Kanji said, distracted by the softness of Morgana. After the blonde member of the Investigation Team had spent a lot of time wanting to touch Teddie's suit because he looked soft, it was probably enjoyable for him to be holding onto Morgana, petting the cat.

To each their own, Yosuke wasn't going to knock Kanji's decisions in life.

They were purposefully avoiding most of the game stalls so that the next day when they were with their respective dates they could go ahead and play with their dates. Not that Yosuke ever needed to worry about it. Chie was just as competitive as he was and better at most of the games.

She couldn't catch goldfish worth a damn though.

Yosuke usually had to do it, but he also let the stand either keep the fish or he passed it off to someone else that wanted it. He had enough difficulties taking care of Teddie, he didn't want to add a fish on top of that, especially since he was responsible for when Teddie screwed something up.

But since they were avoiding the games, it left them looking at food, much to Ryuji's delight, or pulling fortunes. Sure, they could try and go bug the girls, but it Chie had made it apparent that it wasn't going to end well if they tried.

Yosuke liked his testicles right where they were at, so he was going to heed his girlfriend's warning.

"Yu said you use Wind and healing too." Morgana said, dragging Yosuke back to the present.

Yosuke rubbed the back of his head a moment as they found a quiet spot to talk. "Yeah, sorta. I mean, I'm not really good at the Healing stuff." He admitted. "Takehaya Susano-o doesn't have much past the midtier healing. Mostly, I do saboteur stuff. Make us harder to hit, silence the enemies, you know, things that are just annoying for the Shadows to deal with."

"Sounds kinda like Ann." Ryuji said.

"Eh, we all have our niche." Yosuke said. "But cause I didn't hit quite as hard, I sorta got regulated to the back rotation. It wasn't that Yu didn't need me, but with things knowing more lightning spells and being immune to silenced or frightened, I got changed for someone that was a little more versatile." Yosuke wasn't bitter about it, it was just what happened.

"That didn't make you jealous?" Morgana asked.

'Yeah and no." Yosuke admitted. "I mean, Kanji hits like a truck." He said, motioning to the other blonde haired boy. "And he was better about taking damage. Yukiko was the healer, she was almost needed up front at all times. Yu's not bad, but Yukiko just has the juice. And Naoto's basically a Jack of All. Agidyne, Ziodyne, Garudyne, Bufudyne, her Darkness and Holy spells, Heat Riser, Megidolaon, it was no wonder why Naoto got put into the front rotation. Sure, I got called up on occasion, but in the back it was generally Me, Teddie, and Chie protecting Rise. It was just good tactics." Yosuke had since had a lot of time to think about it.

If Yu went down, Naoto still had Yamato-Sumeragi to pick up the slack. Kanji could pull the aggression off the enemy, and Yukiko could heal Yu right up and get him back on his feet.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I was jealous of Yu's success, I was jealous of his leadership abilities, I was even angry about being regulated in the back." Yosuke said.

"Was." Ryuji said, catching onto that keyword.

"Yeah, me and Yu worked through it. I'm not going to be stupid and risk the Team." Yosuke shrugged like it was no big deal. "There's a reason why I call him Partner. He's always treated me as an equal."

Kanji frowned from petting Morgana. "How did you work through it Senpai?"

Yosuke chuckled a little bit at that. A few old aches throbbed. There had been no permanent damage, but that didn't change the fact he had to suffer with the bruises. "Two things you two need to know about Yu Narukami." Yosuke addressed Morgana and Ryuji. "First, he'll take the time to listen to anything you want to talk about, he'll consider anything you want to do. Second, he throws a mean right hook." Yosuke said. "I asked him to punch me, to get even with my jealousy and anger." He said.

"Senpai didn't, did he?" Kanji asked, wide eyed.

Ryuji touched his jaw and Yosuke gave a slight grin. "You got into it with your own leader, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah. I was acting like a selfish and immature idiot." Ryuji said.

"Hate breaking it to you Kanji, but Yu and I did in fact fight. But he didn't throw that punch I asked him to. He told me to punch him first so he had a reason to hit me back." Yosuke closed his eyes reminiscing. "Down at the Samegawa, we had a knock down, drag out, knuckle busting fight. Yu hits like a hammer and can take a whole lot of punishment." He shook his head a little bit.

"Who won?" Morgana asked.

"Probably Senpai." Kanji said. "Sure sounds like it."

Yosuke shook his head a bit. "Not in the way you think Kanji. I'm scrappy." Yosuke was even proud of it. "I'm fast on my feet, and know how to keep from getting hit. I picked it up in the TV world. I'm not like you two, I rely on just being faster. But it didn't stop him from hitting me when he could, because I actually had to hit him to win too, you know? Anyways, so there we were, flat on our backs on the bank and I asked Yu who won. And he told me literally the most profound statement I had ever heard." Yosuke could still remember it.

"What did he say?" Ryuji asked, enraptured by Yosuke's story.

"'Whoever gets up first.'" Yosuke enjoyed the shock on their faces and he gave a wry grin. "Right? Neither of us could claim victory flat on our asses. And trust me, I tried so hard to get up. But my body felt like lead and wasn't wanting to move. Finally, after what felt like hours, Yu dragged himself to his feet. I bust his lip, he had a bruise forming under his eye, and that's not even mentioning what was likely under his school uniform. And he hauled me up to my feet as well."

"So that's why we didn't go into the TV world for like a week." Kanji said, the event apparently clicking into place. "But why? Senpai had to know you two would have gotten patched up quick with a Dia." he said.

Yosuke shook his head. "That was against the point Kanji." He said. "Yu and I wanted to heal on our own, to be a pair of normal teenagers working out our differences. The aches and bruises had to go away, and trust me, I was all too tempted to head into the TV world and use a quick Dia on myself. But I couldn't do that while Yu was healing on his own. It sounds stupid, and probably was, but we wanted to just be normal."

Normalcy had its points, and there were times when Yosuke had definitely wanted to be just a normal teenager that year. But he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. He had made good friends, even got a girlfriend in the end of things.

"I think I get you." Ryuji said, nodding his head. "We sorta pushed leadership onto Akira too. He just knew what he was doin' I suppose. Hard to argue that when he can switch to a new Persona when he needs to. But yeah, me and that guy got into it one day. He was upset, thinkin' I was doin' the Phantom Thief stuff for the fame. I'm kinda glad he knocked some sense into me. No tellin' what sort of stupid shit I woulda done."

Kanji glanced in the direction where Yu had gone. "You think I should give it a shot too Senpai? I think I can take our leader, and he has been pretty stupid lately."

Yosuke laughed a little bit at that. "Not a chance Kanji. You can take the hits better than I can, but Yu will run circles around you. I told Ted the same thing, he wants to brawl with Yu as well but would likely go down in a single hit." Yosuke smiled a bit. His friends were great.

 _Take Your Time_

It was day three, and surprisingly enough, Futaba found herself having fun and actually opening up. Oh, she was terrified of coming to the festival and almost immediately went to grab a mask. It was only Ann grabbing her by the wrist that stopped her. She watched Ann gently shake her head, as though trying to be understanding but at the same time making sure Haru didn't slip into old, bad habits.

Even if they were safe.

"It's okay. Relax and breathe Futaba." Ann said. Easier said than done without her key item or Yu around. Unsurprisingly, the older male that had blocked the monster that had become her cognitive version of her mother was also a rather stable individual for Futaba to lean on when she got scared and anxious.

Her anxiety was about as high as it would go and she just took a bit, taking in deep breaths slowly.

She didn't have Akira or Yu with her and she'd be interacting with Chie and Teddie. Ann was with her, and that helped, but Ann wasn't her 'key item' as she called Akira. Ann was more like a temporary buff from someone that was just starting to get into the buffing work.

And she had to deal with two people of a potential allied faction.

She gave a soft whine, swallowing a little bit. She rubbed her hands against her shorts a moment, her palms sweaty. Why couldn't she stay at the Inn where there had been WiFi? But then she wouldn't be able to get stronger, and she wanted to. She needed to. It was scary, having to try and deal with people. Having Yu and Haru there had helped when she met with Kanji, but now she didn't have her key item or Yu and was having to meet with two new people.

"Are you okay?" Chie asked, looking concerned and worried. Her brown eyes were quite expressive and Chie was surprisingly easy to read, even for a shut in NEET like Futaba.

"No." Futaba answered honestly. She wasn't going to sugar coat things. She felt like she was going to be nauseous, and she would likely be hiding under her covers for a long time that night so that she didn't have to deal with people. She was going to have her laptop open, and she was going to play her video games.

Chie looked surprised at the rather blunt admittance and she worried her lip a bit more. She gently moved in and grabbed Futaba around the shoulders, leading her to a low wall that she could sit on and away from people. Futaba shivered at the touch of the other girl, but she let herself be led away, doubting that one of Yu's friends would be mean to her.

"Futaba-chan hasn't had it very easy." Ann said, having followed along. "And she's not much of a people person."

Chie looked surprised, even as she looked to Futaba before she nodded her head. "Hey, I'll keep you safe." Chie said. Even dressed as Chie was in her yukata, she said it rather calmly, offering a smile.

Teddie came over and sat down beside Futaba, keeping a slight distance as he leaned in a bit to look at her.

Futaba whined a little bit. "How am I supposed to get stronger if I can't even handle meeting some new people?" she said, reaching up to grab her hair.

"It's okay, Futaba-chan." Ann took her hands and carefully removed them from her hair. She then pulled the girl into a gentle hug. "It's okay. You're doing great."

Futaba didn't feel like she was doing great, but she couldn't deny that it felt nice to be held by Ann, even briefly. She was anxious, she was nauseated, and she wanted to just hide. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come there?

No, she had to push those thoughts away. Akira and Yu weren't always going to be there to give her moral support. She had to be able to grow a spine and handle it on her own. But it was so hard. Crowds just suffocated her, and then there was the anxiety of having to actually deal with people. She couldn't stop the shudder that rippled through her. Just thinking about it made her want to curl up into a ball.

But she had grown the strength to confront her own personal demons. She could get the strength to face other people. She didn't have to like them, she just had to be around them. She didn't even have to be friendly, just be polite.

She had to stay true to herself and not become like those bastards that had lied to her about her mom.

Futaba inhaled and let out a slow and shaky breath. "Okay, I can do this." She said. "I can do this." She exhaled again and opened her eyes to look at Chie and Teddie. She offered a small, uncertain smile, but she was at least trying. She had to.

"Teddie, you're being surprisingly well behaved this year." Chie said, causing the other two girls to look at the bear. "Usually you'd be all over us while we're in yukata." Futaba was the only one that wasn't in one.

"Hey! I know when to be a good bear. Sensei would be mad at me if I was trying to put the moves on a girl that was upset and not doing good." Teddie said in defense of himself.

"Hmph." Chie clearly didn't sound all that convinced by Teddie's statement, even as she put her hands on her hips.

Futaba smiled, giving a soft chuckle. She couldn't help it. Their antics was amusing. It almost reminded her of Morgana and Ryuji sometimes. "Well, I don't know about that. Kanji told us about the beach incident." she said.

Chie paled and looked a bit green, looking away. "I really did not need to know that much about Kanji Tatsumi." she muttered.

"Wait, Beach incident?" Ann asked.

"Best you not ask." Chie said quickly.

"How do you think I feel Chie-chan?" Teddie asked. "I got bear handled so violently."

Futaba grinned a bit. Without context, it sounded incredibly dirty. In context… well… It had still been pretty… out there. Especially since Teddie had been held mere centimeters away from Kanji's waistline. Yes, it had been extremely embarrassing, and it was able to distract Futaba from her own anxieties. "I'll tell you later." Futaba said. She stretched out her body slowly. "Prolly while we're in the hot springs. I've never actually been to a legitimate hot spring before."

"Ooh girls in a hot spring?" Teddie's tone seemed to go off, as though he was thinking about something else.

Ann reached out and smacked him across the cheek almost on reflex. Futaba looked suddenly alarmed at what Ann had done, even Chie looked surprised. "Huh… I was about to do that." Chie said.

Ann shrugged her shoulders and offered a smile. "Usually works on Ryuji when he's being too big of a pervert." she said. "Or an idiot in general. Keeps him grounded in reality."

"How did Naoto-kun best put it?" Chie said amused. "The proper application of force in the proper location? I do believe you found it."

"Ann-chan so mean!" Teddie wailed.

Futaba reached out, a bit hesitant before she patted the blonde boy on his shoulder. "There, there. I've seen her do worse to Ryuji, so you got off light. Plus, if you want to get back at her, call her an S and M Mistress."

Ann's face paled at that as she began to put the pieces together as to why Futaba said that. Really, why didn't anyone think of it? Tight constrictive bodysuit done in red, a whip as her weapon, and Carmen was a rather known femme fatale and was often holding a leash on what looked like male shadows. It was the perfect setup.

"Futaba-chan, you know you're my favorite right?" Ann said a little forced, smiling a little strained. "Can you not mention that to anyone else? In fact, how do you know about that?"

Futaba smiled. "I lived a long time on the internet."

"How does that-?" Chie started.

"Best not ask questions you really don't want the answer to Chie." Futaba said with a grin, a shark in the pond with fish. Everyone might have thought her to be innocent, but anyone that had spent a fair bit of time on the internet would know better. Unfortunately for most of the group, none of them seemed to have spent that bit of time on the internet. Except maybe Akira.

Oh man, he was going to flip out if she started with some Memes. Under her breath, she began to hum.

 _Take Your Time_

Yusuke followed along with Akira and Yu, walking beside Yukiko as they moved through the festival. He was, once again, dressed in his yukata, walking alongside the dark haired woman that walked with poise and confidence. Truly, a vision of beauty that Yusuke would like to sketch if he had the chance before they had to leave.

His personal tastes were a little less classical, but an artist like himself could appreciate the classical beauty that was Yukiko Amagi. She would have made for a very good basis of the _Sayuri_ painting.

And the gold surrounding the area was a bit gaudy in Yusuke's mind, but then he didn't know why such a rural shrine had been gilded with such. It could be original.

"You have a lovely hometown, Yukiko-san, Yu." Yusuke said after a moment. "With plenty of beautiful sights to take in and much inspiration to be gleamed."

Yu offered a smile and nodded his head. "I love this place." He admitted. "And I'm glad to be back, even for a short time. But we'll be heading back to Shibuya soon enough. We still have work to do, right?"

"Absolutely." Akira said, nodding his head. "Been meaning to talk with my mom about something anyways." He said.

"Something?" Yukiko asked. "That sounds like you're plotting something."

"Ehh… A little?" Akira said. "Nothing bad, I promise." he said.

Yusuke shook his head. "I would hope not. Once this Phantom Thieves business is over, I would very much like to dedicate myself more firmly to my art."

Yukiko gave a nod to him. "A fine goal, Yusuke-kun." She said politely. "Just remember to stay true to yourself."

"Of that, I assure you, I will be fine with, Yukiko-san." Yusuke said. After Madarame, he wanted nothing to do with people using him to make themselves money. It was why he had to figure out Yu's riddle of the coin, so that he could take the top spot in the art exhibit coming up. After _Desire_ had been ridiculed, Yusuke had barely looked at it, instead focusing on the coin.

What was the opposite of desire? What was he missing?

"Come on, while we're here I want to do something." Yu said as he began to move to go around behind the Shrine.

Curiously, he glanced to Akira who gave a slight shake of his head. It appeared Akira did not know either. Yusuke began to follow, noticing even Yukiko looked a little curious. How many secrets did Yu have? It was most vexing.

Around behind the shrine, all the portable stalls from the festival were gone. Yu gently reached up to one of the wooden pillars for the shrine and knocked on it three times, loudly and clearly. Yusuke glanced around. Did a monk perhaps live there?

What Yusuke was not expecting was a loud, shrill howl to pierce the air.

Yusuke barely picked up on the approaching of rapidly falling footsteps, coming from the hills behind the Shrine. A red fox with a red bandana around its neck appeared, ears perked up and tail swishing before it came over, rushing around the group of four, stopping in front of Yu. It gave a yip and reared up onto its hind legs a bit before landing on all fours.

"So this is where he lives." Yukiko said.

"This fox is a compatriot then?" Yusuke asked.

"Oh yes," Yukiko said, nodding her head. "I can't tell you how useful he was during the Investigation Team's work. He'd just show up out of the blue. But he always seemed to know when we were going into the TV World." she said. "He always brought this leaves that healed us right up, but expected compensation for them."

Now that did sound useful to Yusuke, even if it was at a cost. "Is he like Morgana?" Yusuke asked. Could the vulpine understand them?

"I don't think so." Yukiko said. "But he is highly intelligent." She said. "I think he might understand Yu to some extent." she said.

"The fox is a girl." Yu said as he moved forward to crouch down in front of the fox. "She gave birth just as I was leaving." He reached up and scratched the fox's ears. "Hey, I might need your help again soon as I'm sure you know." The fox gave a yip and a low growl. "Okay, okay, I'll make an offering tonight or tomorrow, I promise." He said. The fox gave a yip. "And yes, I will pay for the leaves." Yu said.

The fox gave a cheerful yip again, circling around in circles before running around the group as whole. It then took off at a rapid pace, disappearing through some foliage.

Yusuke could only watch as it ran. It was a surprising and astounding meeting. He watched Yu pick himself up from his feet, turning to look at Akira. "That was my Hermit." Yu said amused. Hermit?

"Oooh." Akira seemed to understand the lingo and Yusuke frowned a moment longer. "Turns out mine is Futaba."

"Apologies, but Hermit?" Yusuke decided it couldn't hurt to ask.

"You've seen the entrance to the Velvet Room, right?" Yu asked.

Yes, shortly after they met Margaret, they could then watch Yu and Akira enter that portal. "Since we met Margaret. It is quite different than what I was expecting."

"Right, so inside that room is a man that helps us with our Persona." Akira said. "And our bonds, our friendships, are represented to us by the major Arcana of Tarot."

"The stronger our bonds, the more powerful our Persona can be when we fuse a Persona of a matching Arcana." Yu explained. "The Fox for me represents the Hermit."

"Do I represent one then?" Yukiko asked. It apparently wasn't explained to the Investigation Team as well.

"Yes, the Priestess. Haven't you noticed that the Tarot card you strike when you summon your Persona is that of the Priestess?" Yu said. "Yosuke is the Magician, Chie the Chariot, Kanji the Emperor, Rise the Lovers, Teddie the Star, Naoto-kun is Fortune."

"And we, those that have the Wild Card ability, are apparently represented by Zero. The Fool." Akira said. "An individual on a journey, representing infinite potential within Zero or nothing. Our contract with Igor is really, really cut and dry. Just take responsibility for our actions."

That was really fascinating to Yusuke. And in a way, it was even beautiful. "Then I am represented by one of these ARcana? What would it be?" he asked. And why would it be picked for him?

"You're the Emperor." Akira said. "I'm afraid I don't know as much about Tarot as I should." he said. "I'm working on it though with my own Fortune Arcana, a woman by the name of Chihaya. Interestingly enough, she's a Fortune Teller in Shinjuku." he said.

"The Emperor," Yu began. "In the upright, the Emperor represents authority, establishment, structure, and even a sort of father figure, though not in a strictly patriarchal way." He explained. "You are a guiding pillar of support. People look to you for guidance, you have a worldly feel about you, and so you offer it. You are firm, but fair with people. In the reverse, the Emperor represents domination, excessive control, lack of discipline, and inflexibility."

Yusuke frowned as he was informed about what the Arcana of the Emperor represented. In some ways, both of them sounded like him, and he wasn't like the other words represented by the reverse of the Emperor.

"But, you finished your journey Yu-kun, right?" Yukiko pointed out.

"The World. Izanagi-no-Okami is represented by the World Arcana." Yu said. "Competition, Integration, accomplishment, and travel." He said. "In the reverse, it stands for personal closure, short-cuts, and delays."

"And are we represented by the upright or the reverse?" Yusuke asked. It was a very important question that he wanted the answer to.

"That, I don't know." Akira admitted. "I suppose we can do a reading. Chihaya is surprisingly accurate with her readings." She said. "I had the Tower in the upright on a reading that I'm supposed to watch for."

"The Tower is sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, and awakening." Yu said.

The talk of the major Arcana was almost confusing Yusuke, but he was able to keep up with the two Wild Cards, understanding a little bit more about the source of their power. It sounded like their friendships were the source of their power. "You are not hanging out with us simply for power are you?" Yusuke couldn't help but voice the doubts in his mind.

"Yusuke-kun." Yukiko said sharply. "That is very rude of you, and if Akira-kun is anything like Yu-kun, he isn't in your company just to get stronger. He wants to genuinely know you, and be your friend."

Ah, that stung a little bit. Yusuke glanced to Akira. "My apologies Akira." he said. Really, he couldn't help the small nugget of doubt in his mind. "I should know better than to assume such a thing of you, but even you understand that my personality can be… grating at times with my eccentricities." Yusuke didn't see a problem with it. That said, he knew others did.

He wasn't blind to the feels of others.

Akira shook his head though. "Don't feel bad." He said. Yusuke was a little surprised at the conviction that Akira spoke with. "Question me, don't just take what I say as truth. I'm glad to have you question me Yusuke." He said honestly and earnestly. "If having people question me helps us stay doing the right thing, then I'm glad to accept it."

Yusuke gave a smile. Yes, that sounded like a man worthy of being followed. More than that, it was a man Yusuke would be proud to call friend. Akira didn't see confrontation as bad, he saw it as a way to become better. He just hoped that he would be worthy of that friendship.

Wait.

"That's it." Yusuke said, fingers snapping. "Hope. That is what it was missing." His mind raced with the possibilities. Hope. Hope, Akira brought hope. He was the Fool. Infinite Possibilities. But it could be applied to anyone, any human. Desire, Hope. They were one and the same. Upright and Reversed. Just as in Tarot. Something could be good and bad. And it was up to Yusuke to show everyone, to show the world the beauty that was desire and the ugliness of hope, as well as the reverse of both. Both could not exist without having the other. They both had beauty and ugliness to them. It was up to him to show it.

"I'm sorry?" Akira asked, looking confused.

"Apologies, I must return to the Inn immediately." Yusuke said, turning to walk off, feet carrying him swiftly. Hope. Yes, that would go well with desire. Now how to express it? How could he make it so that people would look at his painting and feel the same feeling that was blooming in his chest?

 _Take Your Time_

Yu stretched as he stood outside the Amagi Inn, feeling his spine give a light pop. It had been a pleasant time at the festival, and tomorrow promised to be even better. He'd be going solely with Naoto, it was something to be excited about for sure.

"Hey stranger!" A cheerful voice broke him out of his reverie and he turned to see Marie of all people running up to him. She wrapped him in a tight hug. "I've missed having you around. You don't call, you don't write. Geez…" The dark haired girl stepped back. She was dressed in a modest black skirt with a dark blue blouse. A pair of simple glasses sat on her nose. "How have you been?" she asked.

"I've been good Marie." Yu said. "And how have you been?" He couldn't help the smile on his face.

"Could be better." She said a little more seriously. "Something's amiss, and I don't like it."

Yu frowned a moment. "Yeah, we got your message. At least, I hope we got your message."

"Rain at midnight? I couldn't be more obvious unless I told you to watch the Midnight Channel." Marie said. "But I was live on the air, I couldn't just do that." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't like it Yu." She said. "What's going on?"

"Akira!" Yu said, grabbing the attention of the other Wild Card. "Come here." he said.

Akira came trotting over. "What's up?" he asked.

"Akira, meet Marie. Marie, Akira Kurusu. He's like me, and is a guest." Yu said meaningfully.

"Ah… So he's met the Nose." Marie said. "Good, but what does it have to do with him?"

"What do you know about Yaldabaoth?" Yu asked. "He was impersonating Igor and trying to lead the kid here. I might have pissed him off."

Marie actually winced at the name. "Oh yeah, that's bad." She said. "Yaldabaoth is a big player." she said. "Pretty big actually."

"How big?" Yu asked. "I need to know how much danger my friends are in."

Marie bit her tongue a moment. "Bigger than I am." She said. "I'm just a minor land deity Yu." she said. "He's bigger, and stronger than me by a significant margin, so I'm not surprise he's yanked my control of the weather. Before she split me, and the Saigiri off, Izanami-no-Mikoto ranked higher. Yes, I absorbed her, and the Saigiri, but I'm not at that level of strength and I won't ever be."

"Can't you or Igor do anything?" Akira asked. "Why use us humans?" It was a good question.

Marie shook her head. "No, we can't. The Nose is already doing everything within his power that he's allowed to do. Because trust me, the one Igor serves is a lot higher on the scale of things than Yaldabaoth. But there are rules in place, we can't interfere with the wishes of humanity. We can give some tools that will allow them to stop ruination from happening, but we can't physically interfere."

Yu frowned a moment. "Marie. Give it to me straight." he said. "Can we win?"

Marie inhaled deeply. "I don't know." She said honestly. "Izanagi-no-Okami is pretty up there in terms of power as well, Yu. And he's your Persona, your other self. The other worlds, things get weird in them, and it's damned difficult to keep up with the rules and reasons sometimes." She said. "But I don't think Izanagi will be enough. Izanagi-no-Okami is the proof you sought the truth. Yaldabaoth isn't lying. Not to himself, not to you anymore. If anything, you need something that can punish the divine."

Yu frowned a moment. Akira's Reflection's words coming to mind. Satanael. Yu had done some basic research, having heard the name. It was a lot of biblical that came up.. The Original Rebel against God.

Maybe he'd have to do more research.

"Yu, please. Watch the Midnight Channel tomorrow. If you can help, I'd be grateful." Marie said.

Yu nodded his head. "I'll do my best." He told her. "If nothing else, I'll watch it." Damn, his vacation was slowly growing more and more stressful.

"Oh, and don't worry about the higher power stuff." Marie said, waving her hand a bit. "That's for me to deal with. Just focus on dealing with Yaldabaoth. I'll sweat the stuff bigger than that. It's not your job to do more than thwart him."

"Easier said than done Marie." Yu said a bit flatly at the deity.

She pulled her phone out and glanced at the text. "Damn, I have to get going." She said. "Don't be a stranger Yu. I'll be back before you leave, we should at least get lunch." She then headed off, already looking to make a phone call.

"How much of that did you actually understand?" Akira asked as she left.

"Watch the Midnight Channel, handle what comes up. Yaldabaoth is a big bad that Izanagi-no-Okami might not be able to handle fully. Igor and Marie have their hands tied." Yu said. Everything else, he decided to just ignore. He didn't want to cause himself some existential crisis trying to figure out the higher powers of the universe or something like that. He already had done that enough when he first summoned his Persona.

"Okay, works for me." Akira said. "I'm going to head inside and get ready to go into the hot spring." he said.

Yu watched Akira leave and sighed. He pulled his phone out and opened the messaging app to bring up his conversations with Naoto. ' **Meet me outside the Inn please. We need to talk.'**

As he suspected, it didn't take long for Naoto to come out. She stepped up beside him and joined him in just looking up at the stars overhead. They were quiet for a long time it seemed. "I gave what you told me a lot of thought." Yu said carefully. "Whenever I was alone today, it seemed like I was constantly thinking about it."

"And?" Naoto asked. He could tell she was trying to keep her words neutral. She didn't want to sway his opinion, one way or the other before they had the chance to actually talk about it.

Yu continued looking to the stars above. He wondered what he should do. "If we were just three, small town kids that didn't have anything else going on, I'd want to maybe try it." He said. There, he said it. He said the truth of the matter that needed to be said. "I'm flattered, really, I am. And I'm a guy, I can't say the idea of having two good looking girls by my side isn't appealing."

Yu ran a hand through his hair. "The Investigation Team as a whole was all about learning to be yourself, to be true to who you are and to not worry about what others would think about you." He said. "The idea of being with two girls is appealing, and that you're both beautiful is definitely flattering. But ultimately, we can't. The three of us can't be together like that." He turned to face Naoto. He tucked his hands into his pockets a moment.

"Naoto, I love you." Yu said the words as passionately as he could muster. He wanted his words to not be muddled or mixed up. "I want to stay with you and see where we end up in a year, in five years, longer." He knew he was talking a more serious commitment than most their age would talk, but he was being truthful. "And I am flattered by Rise wanting to join us, and it is appealing. But in staying true to myself, I have to say that we can't have her join us. Were we just three small town kids, no one would honestly care. But Rise is an Idol adored by thousands, millions even. Should it break she's in a threesome? The scandal would destroy her career, and she would never hear the end of it. She'd never be able to work in entertainment again. Your career would be in tatters, the reputation of the Shirogane name would be almost worthless. People are not nice, they are not kind. And even now, your reputation has taken a hit because everyone thinks you're a guy and a homosexual."

Yu had put a lot of thought into it. It wasn't that he didn't want to do it. It wasn't that he didn't think they couldn't work. It was simply that they couldn't do it. It would destroy the hard work that Rise and Naoto had put into their careers, and he wouldn't let them throw that away. Not even for him.

He stepped in and gently touched Naoto on the shoulder. "But that's my side of things." He said softly. "We're a couple, so we need to decide things as a couple." he said.

Naoto offered him a small smile, looking up at him as she stepped a little closer towards him. "Yu-kun, I came to much the same conclusions." She said. "But a lot of my concern was if I could handle it if you wanted to try. But if you think it's for the best that we don't, we shouldn't. And we should tell Rise that we are flattered, and had things been different, maybe we could have tried. She deserves that much at least." She said.

Yu nodded his head softly. "I'll make sure to tell Rise before we leave then." He said.

Naoto shook her head. "No, we'll tell Rise before we leave. Together. This involves all three of us, for better or for worse, so it needs to be both of us that tells her." She stepped in and embraced him, wrapping slender arms around his waist.

Yu smiled a bit and leaned in, wrapping his arms around Naoto. Lightly, he rubbed her spine. He had really put a lot of thought into it. It wasn't that he didn't want to, and it didn't sound like Naoto didn't want to, but it was that they couldn't. If Yu were to say yes to the idea, if they were to say yes to the idea, then there was a good chance it would destroy their private lives.

And Yu wouldn't be true to himself if he were to let the girls so selfishly destroy their livelihood. Naoto still had a long road ahead of her to be the best Detective that she could be. He couldn't let her destroy that if he could help it. And Rise still had a career ahead of her, singing songs that came from the soul now instead of her earlier stuff that seemed like generic Idol songs.

It wasn't going to be that night that they told Rise, and it likely wasn't going to be the night after. Yu had a very good feeling that he and Naoto wouldn't actually be returning to the Inn the next night. It might seem a bit irresponsible to not do so, but they could watch the Midnight Channel just as well at Naoto's apartment as they could at the Amagi Inn.

"Do you really want to see where we'll be at in five years?" Naoto asked, looking up to him a bit more.

Yu nodded his head softly. "I've already spent a year without you Naoto-kun." he said softly. "I don't know where we'll be. But I want to find out regardless. For better or for worse, I want you to know you can always count on me. No matter where a case takes you, no matter how long you're gone for, I want you to know that no matter what you can always call me up and I'll come running."

It seemed cliche, it seemed corny. And it might not even be doable. Naoto might eventually end up hating him. But Yu didn't care one whit. He wanted his girlfriend to know that she could always rely on him. He wanted her to know that he wanted to see where their relationship would go.

Yu bent down and lightly kissed Naoto, feeling her leaning up to kiss him in return. He wanted to be together with Naoto for a very, very long time.

Chapter End

 **A/N:I literally got two reviews regarding the potential threesome between Naoto, Rise, and Yu. And while I did not use the reviews for the basis of my decision, I thought it interesting to note that both ideas brought up excellent points for both sides of the decision.**

 **But ultimately, Yu and Naoto are an exclusive couple. Sorry to the Rise fans out there.**

 **Also, don't read too much into what Marie said. That's my brain looking for excuses as to why the likes of Igor can't do more, or why Marie can't do more. It won't be playing too big of a thing with this story.**

 **God this chapter fought me. I hope everyone is pleased with the interactions between the Phantom Thieves and the Investigation Team.**


	28. Chapter 28: Inaba Day Four

Chapter 28: Inaba Day Four

Day Four of their trip to Inaba left Naoto feeling more than a little excited. Not only would she have an enjoyable evening later with her boyfriend at the festival, but before that even started she'd be going to visit her grandfather. She hadn't seen the man in months, and she was more than happy to go see him. She had been mostly living on her own since the age of fourteen, but she always had a place to stay at the Shirogane Estate.

It was just that independance came with the territory of being a Detective, especially since she had constantly been bouncing around, case to case to case. It was easier to get an apartment for longer term cases than a hotel room, though she had spent her share of weeks in hotels as well.

Naoto shook her head lightly, focusing back on the book in her hands. She had been thinking lately about getting a tablet or e-reader that would let her read her books electronically. But there was just something satisfying about feeling the weight of paper in her hands. Books had been, for a very long time, her friends, a way to escape from the rigors of being a Detective.

Of course, now she had real friends and that group had been steadily growing larger. For the Detective Prince, it was quite the difference. And in truth, not even solving a murder case compared to having such a large group of friends. Sure, the murder case had been quite the feather to add to her cap, so to speak, but having friends she could actually call upon…

There was nothing like it.

It was part of the reason she had been so adamant about staying in the Inaba area. She could have very easily worked on three times the number of cases, drown herself in her work to get over her boyfriend's absence, but Naoto hadn't been able to bring herself to do that. It felt like she would have been lying to herself, or spitting on the version of her that Yu believed it. And the version of her that Yu believed in was one that Naoto liked. It was a more honest, more open, more free version of herself.

Of course she didn't want to lie to that version of herself.

Naoto thought to all the various cases that she had worked on. She thought of all the invites for social gatherings she had received. She had worked everything from kidnapping cases, drug cases, money laundering, grand theft auto and thanks to her time in Inaba, a murder case. She had worked cold cases, she had worked active cases, she had worked private investigations. She had even been brought in on a lover cheating on their significant other. That had been embarrassing. She had been invited to go to a bar, even invited to socially drink with some of the looser cops she had worked with. She had invites to go to formal gatherings of the wealthy and influential.

She had even had marriage proposals of all things that her grandfather thankfully didn't even think about before shredding. Some people were still rigidly held within the rigors of tradition.

But the her that Yu Narukami saw, the Naoto Shirogane that was comfortable enough to show all sides of herself to her lover, that was the version she didn't want to lie to. No one expected anything of that her. No, that wasn't quite right. The only thing expected of that her was that she be true to herself. If she were to have suddenly developed a crush on Kanji back during the Investigation, her friends would have been okay with her going after it if that was what she wanted.

It wasn't, but it made for an excellent point in her musings.

Naoto thought of something her grandfather had told her as she had started the cases. He had told her that a Shirogane didn't strive for perfection, not a single member of the Shirogane line of Detectives had a perfect case streak. Her grandfather had told her that a Shirogane strives to do the best that they could do, that at the end of everything, if they had done everything that they could, then no matter the outcome they could hold their chin up with pride, even if they had to swallow a bitter pill of defeat.

Naoto knew that at least two murderers had walked, despite the efforts of her grandfather during his long and illustrious career. Both had gone on to do it again, one got caught and was in jail, the other had been killed in a last defiant act by his victim. Naoto knew that both instances, her grandfather had been broken up over it, feeling partially responsible for the deaths of the victims.

But it just went to illustrate to Naoto that perfection was an ideal that would drive her to madness if she strove for it. But Naoto took it a step further than that. She strove to do the best that she could do in her day to day life now. It had taken getting drugged, kidnapped, and almost killed by her Shadow, but Naoto had learned the lesson that her grandfather had been attempting to impart. That she had to do the best that she could, and part of that was being honest with herself.

That said, she still didn't flaunt about her gender. There was just no logical reason to it. If a Police Prefecture wanted to think she was a male, she wasn't going to disillusion them of that belief without anything to be gained from it. It was why she didn't stop the truth from spreading in Inaba of her being a female. There was no reason for her to stop it, she was a girl and that was all there was to it.

Just because she had been born with two x-chromosomes didn't mean she was any less of a Detective.

Naoto's booted feet carried her onto the train when it pulled into the station. She looked at the platform, a sad smile on her face as she remembered watching the train pulling away, running desperately alongside it to say her farewell to Yu. Even now, looking at it from the inside of the train, Naoto felt her throat tighten up and her eyes threaten to tear up. That day had been impossibly difficult.

She took a seat and settled in. Despite her hometown being two stops away, it would still be almost twenty minutes before the train arrived. It wasn't an impressive bullet train capable of rapid transit, but an older electric train.

Naoto inhaled a bit and exhaled in a soft sigh. Really, she wished that Yu would have been able to come with her and meet with her grandfather. She knew Yu wanted to meet the man, to actually speak with the man that had raised her. But, Yu had wanted to spend time with Nanako for a day, even if he was making a quick stop at Daidara's shop about oil for his sword. And it was all the more important given the fact it seemed that they would be entering the TV world the next day.

It all depended on what the Midnight Channel showed that night, if it showed anything. Marie seemed certain that it would, and Naoto had no reason to not believe the other girl.

Naoto thought on the Midnight Channel and her thoughts were invariably drawn to the Phantom Thieves. Yu didn't keep things from her, it was one of the things that she loved about him. So she had learned all about Igor, about the Velvet Room, about Yaldabaoth. She knew all that Yu did. And she had wondered much the same about Marie and Igor that Akira had wondered the night before. Why didn't they do more? Why use humans?

Marie had said that they were already doing everything they could.

She made it sound like their hands were tied. And that the mysterious proprietor of the Velvet Room was only a Servant for something even more powerful. So if that something more powerful had rules in place for its servants, there had to be a reason for it. Naoto wished she had a name to go by. The names that Yu had given her had not been of enough significance to do any real research. She had spent hours brainstorming over this, thinking on questions that Yu could, and should, ask Igor in order to get answers. But Yu said that a fair majority of her questions were avoided. It was almost like Yu was missing an important piece to a puzzle, that once he had that piece he could look at a grander picture that was still only just one piece of a whole.

And to the sleuth, it was maddening.

Had they not already gone through so much to learn the truth? Why continue to keep things from them? Were they really not ready for the truth of the matter? It was maddening to such an extent and Naoto hated having secrets like this kept from her. And she knew Yu would have informed her about anything he learned.

Yu was better at formulating plans based on information, but Naoto was better at information gathering. Their dynamic worked quite well because he would give her the information that he wanted her to learn more about.

Naoto let her thoughts drift in every which direction, even as she took in the novel that she was reading. It was an older Detective Novel that she enjoyed, but it was also one that she had already read, allowing her mind to wander around in every which direction that it needed to go. And Naoto had many thoughts, thoughts that refused to let go of her mind. They demanded answers that she just didn't have at the moment and she could only speculate on them.

She didn't like speculating. Speculation led to wrong answers. And while a Shirogane didn't strive to perfection, it didn't mean she wanted to leave herself a bias because she speculated herself into a particular mindset. She had to keep an open mind on everything. It was what made her into a spectacular Detective, she didn't let herself get bogged down on preconceived notions. She was brought onto cases where the details had been looked at and looked at and looked at. She had a fresh perspective unburdened by the details coming in piecemeal.

The chime sounded for her stop and Naoto stood up. She tucked her book under her arm and walked out of the train. She sighed a bit at the way the heat swarmed her as she left the cooler train car. Without Marie's presence keeping the temperature moderate, she was stuck with normal weather doing normal weather things. And only a few kilometers off a large storm was brewing.

It meant the area was hot and humid.

Naoto walked through the streets quietly. It wasn't too late in the morning. The smell of food cooking surrounded her. Her hometown was about the size of Inaba, a bit smaller even without Junes and the Amagi Inn. It was a quaint little town that basically had everyone knowing everyone. Her presence was largely ignored by the various people. Not because she made for a strange sight, but because she walked like she knew where she was going, and indeed she did.

And unlike Inaba with its rather impressive hill overlooking the town, her hometown was a lot of farmland.

She made it to the Shirogane Estate. It wasn't massive, probably no bigger than the Amagi Inn without the hot springs, but it was indeed a sizeable home. It was partly why she tried so hard to stay away from it.

It got lonely being in there, even if Yakushiji was there with her at times.

She followed the path up. It was well maintained, her grandfather hiring a few locals to keep the trees and the various greenery leading up to the house during the spring and summer seasons. There were even a number of apple trees on the property that she knew some of the local kids came onto the property to pick apples from. She and her grandfather didn't mind, as long as the kids remained respectful about it.

The second they attempted to break into the home was the second that they, Naoto and her grandfather, came down with all the fury of two Detectives. They would prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

Naoto allowed her mind to drift. Coming to the estate was one of the few times that she allowed her mind to drift to 'What if?' on things that she couldn't change. She wondered what would have happened if her parents had still been alive. Would she be as successful of a Detective as she was at such a young age? She had been practicing since she was eleven and already had over a hundred cases to her name. Seven years later and she was going strong. Would she have ever had any siblings? Would she still have lost her parents? Would she have ever met Yu and her friends in the Investigation Team?

She wouldn't ever have any of the answers to those questions, but it was okay. She didn't need those answers to her questions.

Naoto pulled her keys out and unlocked the door. She stepped inside and brushed the cap off her head, putting it on a hook. She then bent down and unlaced the boots and tucked them away into the cubby. She took a moment, just admiring the home. She knew the pictures and the vase of flowers had been the decorating efforts of her mother and grandmother. Her grandfather and Yakushiji just kept up with them.

"Welcome back, Naoto-sama." Naoto glanced up as Yakushiji came around the corner. The older, taller man was dressed in a pair of black slacks with a simple, white collar shirt on. He was thin, and his hair was gray, no doubt from stress and keeping up with her grandfather. He was her grandfather's secretary, but much more than that Yakushiji was a friend to the family. And he also looked after the wellness of her grandfather, making sure that Takashi Shirogane didn't intake too much coffee at his age.

She offered a smile. "Good morning Yakushiji." she said politely. She had missed being able to come to her hometown while she lived in Shibuya with Yu, but she knew her work wasn't done there. She was glad that she was with Yu however. "Is grandfather in his study?" she asked.

"Of course." Yakushiji said, offering a smile. "Will you be staying until lunch?"

Naoto inclined her head. "I will be." she said, even as she began to make her way towards her grandfather's study.

"I will prepare a bit extra. Today I was thinking some Chinese fried rice." Yakushiji said as he made his way towards the kitchens.

Naoto would never tell it to Yakushiji's face, but she preferred Yu's cooking. That said, the man was still rather talented as a chef and she wasn't going to turn her nose up at anything, not even some simple fried rice.

Her feet took her through the hallways. She could almost see when her parents had died based on the photos on the wall. It caused a stab of pain to pierce her heart. Perhaps she was a little more emotional. This trip back to Inaba had been… emotional and stressful. And they weren't even done with it yet. She swore that she'd get a few more pictures to put on the walls before her grandfather passed.

She paused at a window that overlooked the backyard. She could see that large oak tree that she had, so long ago, built a fort into the top of. She could even make out some of the twisted and warped boards in the boughs of the branches. While she had definitely weathered the materials when she was so young, she forgot to take account of the tree's growth. And it had been a very, very long ten years since she had built it.

She continued onto her destination and simply walked in, seeing her grandfather jumping slightly at the startling intrusion. "Yakushiji, how many.." His words died off as he saw that it wasn't his secretary. "Naoto!" Her grandfather bolted to his feet.

She rushed over and embraced him, wrapping her arms around his waist tight. "Good morning Grandpa." she said softly. There was no need to hide with her grandfather. Just as there had been no reason to hide around Yu Narukami, there was no reason to hide around her grandfather. He had seen her at some of her lowest points, he had helped her get to where she was in life not out of obligation but out of love. She could never hide herself from her grandfather.

She felt his arms wrap around her, squeezing her tightly. "I don't suppose there's a young man with you that I've been wanting to meet, is there?" He asked.

Naoto shook her head. "Sorry Grandpa. Yu isn't coming." At least as far as she was aware. "He wanted to spend his time with his cousin that treats him like an older brother." She said.

Her grandfather nodded his head and led her over towards a chair. It was a chair she had sat in so very often, so it was a comforting feeling of nostalgia that washed over her when she sat in it again. "It's good that he's spending time with family." Her grandfather said approvingly. "Is he close to his family then?"

Naoto nodded her head. "As close as he can be. Traditional grandparents on his father's side. On his mother's side, his grandparents are deceased, so all he has is Detective Ryotaro and Nanako Dojima." Naoto offered, wondering briefly if her grandfather had ever worked with Dojima as well. "He became much closer to his uncle and cousin during his time in Inaba two years ago." she said.

Her grandfather nodded, following her explanation. No doubt the man would be making his own ideas regarding Yu Narukami. They could only be proved or disproved by Yu, but her wonderful boyfriend was off having a blast with Nanako. "He arrived in Inaba during the Murder Investigation?" he asked.

Naoto winced a little bit. Her boyfriend was about to sound like prime suspect. "Mayumi Yamano died the day that Yu arrived. And he met with Saki Konishi the day before she was murdered."

She watched her grandfather arch a brow, as though he was wondering if she had suspected Yu initially. "That seems suspicious." he said.

"Yes, yes it does." Naoto said, whole heartedly agreeing. "Yu was even on my suspect list for a time. But after I began to put the pieces together, I realized he was trying to stop more victims from occurring. Hence why the cases were only kidnapping cases and not murder cases." Though, Naoto had to wonder if Taro Namatame would have stopped after the first person he 'saved' would have ended up dead, or if the man would have continued in an attempt to prove that it was wrong.

"So the two cases were connected?" Her grandfather asked.

"In a way." Naoto said. "By the time Tohru Adachi was apprehended, Taro Namatame had already been stopped. Namatame had tried to call the police regarding what he thought would be a third victim, but it was Adachi who had answered the phone call and with a few choice words, put Namatame down on his path."

"A damn shame when it is a cop that has turned from the right side of the law." Her grandfather said, shaking his head. "I had followed the case, and was worried when you came up missing." He said watching her. "What happened Naoto?"

Naoto was quiet a moment as she thought about it. "I made a mistake and paid for it." She said softly. "I could have ended up being the fourth murder that year if it were not for Yu Narukami and his friends." It was something that, up until that point, her grandfather had not asked about. "My friends." She amended after a moment.

"And your affection for Yu is not out of gratitude for saving you?" She didn't blame her grandfather for asking. Even if she did feel a sharp stab of anger at the question. Her grandfather was attempting to gather information on the boy that his granddaughter was smitten with.

"No, no it is not." Naoto said. She smiled and closed her eyes. Her smile grew wider as she thought of those days that month that Yu had so closely dedicated himself to being around her. "My gratitude had me assisting them to the extent that I could without breaking the law." She said. She opened her eyes to look at her grandfather. "My friendship came because they treated me as a normal person. My love for Yu came from him accepting all sides of me for what they were without asking me to change."

Her grandfather gave an amused sound. "I know that look on your face very well, and I know better than to interfere." He said, shaking his head a bit. "You love him, without question to that. Your father had the same look on his face when he met your mother. It seems we of the Shirogane lineage are destined to love only one person." He said amused.

Naoto paused as she thought about it. Come to think of it, her grandfather had never remarried and his wife had passed long before Naoto was born. She never knew her grandmother. Her father had never mentioned dating anyone else, and her grandfather never mentioned her father as having had anyone else but her mother. She blushed at that, it sounded almost like a romance novel, and she was seemingly continuing the cycle.

"I still want to meet him of course." Her grandfather said, seemingly outright ignoring her embarrassment as she came to the assessment that she did.

"I know." Naoto said. "And I'll bring him along at some point. If nothing else, I'll drag him back out here when I've graduated and we have a little bit more time. It just seems we have a lot of work to do in Shibuya right now."

Her grandfather gave a sound with his mouth as he nodded his head. "And what does he do for the time being?" he asked.

"He works as a line cook." Naoto said. "It doesn't bring in a whole lot of money because he doesn't work that many hours, but it allows Yu to hone his cooking abilities a little bit and bring home what he can. Most of his bills and spending money are taken care of by his parents since they are overseas at the moment. He's quite dependable."

Really, Yu was. How many people could realistically balance their budget at Yu's age? He had admitted that a large portion of the trip to Inaba had come out of the funds that he had been saving up. His parents partitioned a little extra so that Yu wasn't living off of rice and ramen all the time, but he also wasn't eating sushi all the time either. And the first few weeks while Naoto had been living with him, he had to adjust to include her in the spending as well. She helped now, and she had come with a bit of money to begin with, but Yu had said that her money was hers and that it should only be held for an emergency.

"Do you know what he wants to do later in life?" Her grandfather was genuinely curious, and she could hardly blame him. Of all her friends that she talked about, she had talked about Yu the most, and Yakushiji had met her boyfriend briefly. And given what she had pieced together, she could hardly blame her grandfather for being curious at who had stolen her heart away.

"I think he wants to be a teacher." She said, proud of her boyfriend. It was a good profession, a noble profession that had Yu giving back to society. How could she not be proud? "Part of that is he's used to the eccentricities of the instructors at Yasogami and wants to be a little better." She said.

And that was how Naoto spent much of her afternoon. Yakushiji called them for lunch and they sat down to talk over fried rice. It had been too long since Naoto got to speak with her grandfather at length.

As she was leaving however, needing to get back to the Amagi Inn to get prepared for the festival, her grandfather stopped her for one last thing. "Naoto," She glanced up from where she was tying up her boots with practiced ease. "I want to tell you this before you find out about it from any other source." He said.

Naoto stood up and frowned slightly as she took her cap off its hook and held it in her hand. "Grandpa?"

Her grandfather heaved a long, long sigh. And Naoto was reminded that Takashi Shirogane was an old man who had been performing his duties for a long, long time. He had started in the sixties at around the age of eleven. It was why he wasn't against Naoto's wishes to start so soon. Almost fifty long years, he had served the public as a Special Investigator. He had two PhDs and had kept up with the constantly changing time of technology. He had chased down suspects on foot, even if a Special Investigator wasn't supposed to be involved in the arrest. Naoto felt her heart clench, her stomach felt like lead. He wasn't… No, no, no. Not yet. "At the end of this current case, I'm retiring." Her grandfather said. "I don't suspect it will take longer than until the end of the year."

Oh thank goodness. Naoto couldn't help the breath of relief. Tightness released from her muscles. "Good." She said softly to her grandfather.

She could see on his face that he had seen her tensing and was likely piecing it together as to why she had been worried. He chuckled a little bit. "I'm not going anywhere just yet, Naoto. But you do know that eventually…"

"Eventually." Naoto said. There was no point in denying the inevitable or being afraid of it. It still didn't mean she wanted her grandfather to pass so quickly. "But not until you have met my boyfriend, and it could be a time away, you still will have to walk me down the aisle, so no dying before then." Perhaps the most girlish thing she had said in a while, but the truth was every girl thought of a time where they could find someone they could call their equal. Still, marriage was far into the future.

"I look forward to it." Her grandfather said. "Now go on, enjoy your evening tonight Naoto."

Naoto tucked her cap on her head and ran her finger along the brim. "Count on it!" she said happily, letting her grandfather see that she was genuinely happy, that she had changed from two years ago where she had been a Detective for some of the wrong reasons. She no longer had to fear being rejected after all.

Her friends would always welcome her.

Naoto took off at a brisk pace, pulling her phone out. She still had plenty of time. She quickly unlocked her phone and brought up a conversation with Rise. ' **MEET ME AMAGI INN. NEED HELP. BRING MAKEUP.'** If she was going to bother with her yukata, then she'd also put on some makeup for her boyfriend. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have any. She knew Rise would however.

And by the time she had returned to the Amagi Inn, Rise was there grinning more broadly than Naoto had ever seen the idol smiling. "I also invited Chie and Yukiko." Rise said. "Make it a time for us girls."

Naoto nodded her head. That would likely be beneficial. Especially if she could change into her yukata away from Yu's eyes. She wanted to surprise her boyfriend. She couldn't do that if he walked into their shared room. "I'm going to shower and grab my yukata." She offered.

And while Naoto showered, taking a much longer one than she normally would, she couldn't help but find her stomach twisting and turning into knots. She knew Yu wouldn't mind her in a yukata. She wanted to wear it for him. They had made love already, he had seen more of her than anyone else had. He had even seen her in the girls' uniform of Yasogami as well. It truly would be nothing new for Yu to see, but she couldn't help the doubts from creeping in, the worries. She'd be more worried if she didn't feel them.

She stepped out of the shower and put on a bathrobe, tying it securely. She then went to her shared room with Yu and gathered the things she would need. Her phone had a text from Rise, telling her that they were in Yukiko's room.

It did not take long for Naoto to arrive. She saw the others and blushing, she went to move behind the changing screen Yukiko had. Having shared a hot spring more than once with the girls, Naoto had nothing to be concerned with, but there was still some self consciousness about her figure. She was a little more muscular except for maybe Chie, and she was the most developed of them all.

Rise came around the changing screen and grabbed Naoto by the shoulders. "Come on, you don't want to put your yukata on yet. We don't want to get makeup on it." She said.

Naoto nodded her head. "R-right." She said, not at all used to what she was about to do. And because she was uncomfortable she was slipping into the more masculine tone she tended to have around strangers.

Rise sat Naoto down in front of Yukiko's mirror on a bench. The girl then began to run a comb through Naoto's hair. "Hmm, a little short to really do anything with." she said.

"Sorry." Naoto said. She wasn't really, but she was sorry for the inconvenience it made for Rise.

"It's fine, we can still do something with it." Yukiko said, coming over to help. The two girls worked to brush Naoto's hair back past her ears and Yukiko used a pair of blue hair clips to pin her hair back. The hair clips had a pair of silver butterflies to them as well, making them eye catching.

"Not too much!" Naoto said. Though she did sort of like the hairclips. She could see Rise preparing what looked like some sort of base for the makeup. "Please." She said almost desperately. "Minimal."

The desperation of her request must of struck a chord with the three girls. Chie came over, hands on her hips as she glanced to Naoto. "What's up?" she asked.

Naoto looked towards the mirror. "Remember how we mentioned the Reflections that we have had to deal with?" she asked. She saw nods from her friends and decided to take it further. "One of them was actually mine." She said quietly. "One that embraced her femininity. She kidnapped Senpai. Had me dead to rights with an actual revolver pressed under my chin, and Senpai offered himself in my place." She could see the concerned glances being passed around. "Ryuji and Morgana found Senpai drugged and stripped to his underwear. I don't want to give him flashbacks of that by having all this makeup on. Minimal, please. It is the only thing that he won't talk to me about."

Naoto didn't want to ruin the evening by making Yu remember that woman. She was already pushing the envelope as it was.

Rise frowned a moment before nodding. She went to her bag a moment. "Alright then, new plan." She said. She got out a bit of mascara and passed it over to Yukiko. "I'm sure you can do that." she said.

Yukiko leaned in over Naoto, tilting the sleuth's head back. "Relax. I do this with Chie all the time."

"Hey!" Chie said, blushing a bit. "It's not my fault I don't have a hand for the delicate work."

Naoto tried not to nod her head and just tried to relax. Yukiko used the brush with the mascara carefully, leaning in a bit to work. It was somewhat unsettling having someone use something that close to her eyes, regardless of how much she did in fact trust Yukiko.

Rise came over with a clear tube of something. "Lip plumper." She said as Yukiko backed away from working on Naoto's eyes. "Don't worry, I don't apply it directly to my lips." The girl unscrewed the cap.

"What does it do?" Naoto asked, watching the idol come closer.

"Exactly what it says on the tin." Rise said. "Makes your lips appear a little more plump temporarily. I often have to use it if I ever have to blow a kiss for a commercial, the producers want to make me appear more kissable." She applied a little bit to her thumb and began to lightly apply it to Naoto's lips. "I tend to prefer a bit of flavor to it, and I'm sure Senpai will enjoy it."

Naoto felt the sting and slight burn to her lips. When Rise pulled away from her lips, Naoto barely stopped herself from reaching up to touch. "What's in it?" she asked.

"Cinnamon oil to irritate the skin." Rise said. "It should only last an hour or two, but your lips will appear more glossy because of it. Tell me how it feels to kiss with it later." She said with a grin. "I think this will do, other than maybe a little bit of eyeshadow, but tell me what you think."

Naoto hesitated a moment before she looked into the mirror. Her face was flushed with embarrassment at what her friends had done. But there was no denying the fact that they had taken her request for minimal seriously. Her lashes looked much darker and brought attention to her eyes, and her lips looked a little fuller. Naoto suspected that Rise had only used a little bit so that she didn't get the full treatment.

Naoto nodded her head. "Thank you." She said.

"Do you need any help with your yukata?" Chie offered.

Naoto shook her head. "No, I won't." She said. She stood up from the small bench she had been placed on by Rise and moved to go behind the changing screen once more. It was actually a part that she had practiced before.

She removed the bathroom and reached up for the package of clothes.

 _Take Your Time_

The guys were waiting in typical fashion for guys whenever a large group of them got together and were waiting around for their women. Of them, Yosuke, Ryuji, and Kanji were already in their yukata. Yusuke was politely declining going, sketching something that he had apparently been spending most of the day on. Akira didn't have his yukata and he didn't really bring the kind of money to buy another one. And Yu didn't bring his yukata either, though he probably should have.

"Damn. Fold." Ryuji tossed his cards onto the table.

Akira ran his finger over the little symbol they were using for the dealer. It was some badge he had gotten when he finished the first step of the Big Bang Burger challenge. He rocked it back and forth, watching the others play, seemingly amused.

Yu glanced at the cards on the table. He was currently going with a Full House, Aces over Tens. Sure, a pair of tens were on the table, but he had a third and a Full House beat a three of a kind. "Check." Kanji said.

"Raise." Yosuke said, pushing two packs of gum to the center of the table.

Yu glanced over to his first friend there in Inaba. "Call." He tossed two packs of gum into the center of the table. Their bet of choice was snacks.

A door sounded. Yu thought it might have been Teddie, returning from making a run for more snacks. "Dude…" Ryuji said a bit surprised.

"Hmm." Yu was having difficulty reading Yosuke.

"Senpai." Kanji said.

"Yeah?"

Akira reached over and grabbed his head, turning it to look over his shoulder. Yu felt the surprise coming to his face as he stood up quickly, knocking the chair over in the process. His cards fell face up. "Damn, full house partner? Bad luck." But Yu wasn't listening to Yosuke as the other boy took in Yu's misfortune.

No, Yu's entire focus was on Naoto standing there.

There had never been any doubt in the mind of Yu Narukami that Naoto Shirogane was a woman. Chie, Yukiko, Rise, they were girls. Beautiful girls but girls nonetheless. Naoto was a woman. She held herself with poise and confidence and a certain maturity, even on the things that might embarrass her. Even when they had first found out about the truth of her, Yu had thought of Naoto as a woman.

This thought process never prepared him for the Naoto that stood in front of him.

Naoto was blushing, and doing her damnedest to look anywhere but at someone in the room without making her face unseen. Her hair wasn't the usual tangled and charming mess of hat hair, but instead it was brushed nicely and pinned back. Silver butterflies glinted against her blue hair. Her eyelashes look fuller and fluttered nicely whenever she blinked. Her usually pink lips were shiny and looked a little fuller than normal, almost like Yu had been kissing her already.

Her yukata was a beautiful, shimmering deep blue in color with a pattern of butterflies going down the left side in a myriad of lighter blues and even some dark purples. The butterflies alternated between being stitched with silver or stitched with black, definitely making it be eye catching. A silver obi was tied around her waist, a neat and tight bow at the small of her back. Even if the outfit was made of cotton, it was still beautifully done and really drove home the point that Naoto Shirogane was a beautiful, mature woman, even if she was a bit young for her age.

"Oh wow, Naoto-senpai looks amazing." Yu barely heard Ann as the other girl came into the room. Instead, his feet were carrying him over towards Naoto, looking to her face. He watched her cheeks flush a bit more, blushing at the attention he was giving her.

He didn't even hear when Haru went over and told Akira that he was going with her to the festival. Yu's entire attention was on his girlfriend.

"You look amazing Naoto." Yu whispered softly. His usual gift for words was failing him in describing how beautiful that his girlfriend looked.

Naoto stepped in a little closer to him. Yu got a faint whiff of the shampoo and conditioner that he recognized as Naoto's. There was no smell of perfume, just the usual scent of his girlfriend. She reached out and touched his arm a bit. "Let's go, please." she said softly.

Yu nodded and turned, leading Naoto out of the Amagi Inn. It wouldn't be a far walk, and the night had that nice temperature before a brewing storm. That night, the second night of the festival, it was just for him and Naoto. Everyone else didn't matter. They walked towards the Tatsuhime Shrine together, a couple going to enjoy the Festival on their own.

"Yu-kun, how do you like it?" Naoto glanced up to him from her spot at his side.

"I love it." He said honestly and earnestly. He stopped to actually look at his girlfriend as he said it. "You look more than amazing Nao-chan." He said softly. He shook his head. "I have… so many words, so many thoughts, things I want to say, things I could say. And none of them feel like they would properly compare." He said softly.

He saw a smile tugging at Naoto's lips and knew that, even his complete lack of knowing what to say was the proper thing. She stepped in closer and leaned up. He bent down to kiss her softly, chastely on the lips. More passionate kisses would come later between the two of them. For the time being, they both wanted to enjoy the festival together, as a couple.

"I was worried." Naoto admitted after a long stretch of silence. "That it might remind you of-"

Yu gently silenced his girlfriend by reaching out and touching her lips. "You won't." he said softly. He knew what Naoto was thinking, and he was making sure he wasn't going to think about it. "You are you, and more amazing than words can offer. And you are beautiful. You don't have to go out of your way like this all the time, but when you do, it is nothing short of breathtaking and amazing."

Okay, so his words hadn't failed him completely.

Naoto offered a small laugh and she smiled to him. "Thank you, Yu-kun. Let's go enjoy ourselves." She said and the pair continued on their way towards the Festival.

At the festival, the pair moved about the portable stands, walking close together and slowly. They were a young couple, deeply in love. And it wasn't that they were without their hardships. Any young couple had their hardships. But for Yu and Naoto, it was less about the common things like attention or money or one side pushing too much. For Yu and Naoto, their hardships came from the strange and weird, where their lives were on the line constantly. They didn't need to fight with one another when they were already battling for their lives within the Metaverse.

And they played games together. They held up masks to their faces and laughed at the absurdity that they were holding up. Yu caught goldfish, teaching Naoto how to do it with a steady hand. They set them free, but it was a matter of enjoying themselves. They split an okonomiyaki, the savory pancake packed full of a variety of ingredients locally sourced from the area around Inaba. Naoto showed off at the shooting gallery, taking a grand prize. Yu also, amusedly, found out that his girlfriend and Dojima were only allowed a single game each.

They walked together towards the front of the shrine and looked at the offering box. Naoto reached into her obi and produced her kinchaku, the small pouch jingling with coins as she opened it up. Yu reached for his wallet and produced a more than sizeable donation, slipping it into the offering box with Naoto. As they had done on New Years, they clasped their hands together and bowed their heads in prayer.

Yu's mind was empty as he thought about a prayer. ' _God, Gods, Messiah, I don't know if you're out there, I don't know if you actually listen, I don't know if you actually care, I don't know if you're even real. But if you are out there, and you actually do care to listen, please, it may be selfish of me, but please, let me have the strength to keep my friends safe. And if I can't be there for them, let them have the strength to keep themselves safe. And if I can be a little more selfish, please, let Naoto and I be together.'_

When Yu straightened up and opened his eyes, he saw that Naoto was looking at him a little curiously. "What?" He asked her softly.

She shook her head softly. "It's just that you seemed to be taking a bit longer. Couldn't think of anything?" She almost sounded a bit disappointed.

"I prayed that you and I could be together." Yu said. He was pleased to see his girlfriend flush brightly at the statement.

Naoto stepped in closer towards him and reached up, kissing him gently on the jaw. "I wished for similar." Naoto said softly. "I don't know if we'll always be together, but I want to see where our happiness takes us."

Yu smiled at that and nodded his head softly to her. "Of course." He said softly. Yu leaned in and lightly kissed Naoto on the lips, quick and chaste. "Do you mind if we check on Akira before we go? I'd like to know how he got with Haru." They had seen the various other couples moving about the festival, but hadn't really interacted with any of them.

Naoto smiled softly and nodded her head. "I admit I am a little curious after I told the two girls last night that he was interested." She blushed. "After telling Rise that I told you about her idea of sharing."

"I bet that was a little awkward." Yu said.

He led the way over towards Akira and Haru, Akira winning a grand prize at the shooting gallery as they moved up. It was no wonder the leader of the Phantom Thieves was completely comfortable around even a toy gun. "Akira." Yu said.

"Yu." Akira greeted, turning to face the pair as they showed up.

"So how'd you end up bringing Haru? No offense Haru." Yu said, glancing towards the girl in her pink yukata.

"None taken. In truth, Mako-chan and I decided that we'd split the events." Haru explained. "I get this one, she's claimed a day during the Hawaii trip."

"Wait, I wasn't told about that." Akira said, turning to look at Haru.

"Mm. That is coming up." Naoto said softly. Yu turned to look at his girlfriend who looked to be biting her lower lip.

"Something wrong with that?" Yu asked, turning to face Naoto.

She shook her head a moment. "No, simply forgot about it. And you won't be coming with, so I'll be without you.

"It'll be alright." Yu said and glanced to Akira who seemed amused by the predicament he found himself in. "Well, that's all I wanted. Make sure to watch the TV at Midnight, yeah?" He began to walk off, leading Naoto away from the couple.

"Make sure to take your own advice." Akira called after them.

Together, Naoto and Yu left the Tatsuhime shrine and began to make their way towards her apartment. She stepped in a little closer to Yu, wincing slightly. "I should have worn my boots." she said.

Yu glanced down. Sure enough, Naoto had worn the wooden geta sandals as was proper with a yukata. While not far from the Amagi Inn, a kilometer and a half or so, they had still walked to the Tatsuhime shrine and were now walking towards her apartment, probably another kilometer away.

Yu moved in front of Naoto and crouched down. "Here, I know it's not proper and probably embarrassing, but I don't want your feet to be hurting any more than they have to be." He glanced over his shoulder at his girlfriend.

"Ah… Yes… Right." Naoto blushed but stepped forward and climbed onto Yu's back. He lifted her up and felt her lean in against his back while he stood up a bit more. "This is embarrassing." Naoto said, burying her face against his shoulder blade a little bit, even as he walked.

"I want to do this." Yu said softly to her. "But if you want a more responsible reason, I do have one." He said.

Naoto gently moved her chin to his shoulder and rested her head by his. "And what's that?" she asked.

"I need you able to run tomorrow if we have to dive into the TV, which is looking more and more likely." Yu said softly. "But again, I just want to carry you."

Naoto closed her eyes. "It would figure that you would come up with a reason why I should let you carry me." she said.

"Besides, I thought you liked me carrying you." Yu said, amused as he felt her legs tighten against his sides.

"Not so publically." Naoto said, blushing as she clearly regretted telling him that.

Even with the weight of his girlfriend on his back, Yu made good time getting to Naoto's apartment. It was the only apartment building in Inaba, and had three stories to it. Naoto, with her love of heights, was naturally on the top floor. Yu even carried her up three flights of stairs.

The first rumble of thunder sounded as they were unlocking the door. And while there was important work to be done that was signified by the oncoming storm, there was still moments before that to be had.

Once inside, and the pitter patter of rain sounded, Naoto pulled Yu into a scorching kiss for him to forget about the threat of the TV world for at least a little while.

 _Take Your Time_

All over Inaba, static erupted at Midnight. A downpour of rain acted as a herald for what was to come. And all over Inaba, an image of a TV set began to show with metal rafters and old fashioned TVs stacked up. Upon the TVs were a group of shadowy figures, six in all, with one standing atop a high pile of TVs, his back faced away from whatever was filming them.

"Hello Inaba~!" A seventh appeared, as though bouncing up in front of a camera before spinning around. "Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Midnight Channel! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this lovely station doesn't show you your Soul Mate, so if you're here for that, you might as well go on back to bed now.

"No, this is a message that goes out to the Investigation Team of Inaba." The Figure kept himself to the shadows, not letting his features be seen. "We know you're watching. And we know you're probably trying to figure out who each of us is, but Ah, ah, ah, no spoilers now friends. Instead, we'll tell you what we're after, and make you come to us~! We want to bring back an old classic, an oldie but goodie that everyone wants back, that everyone wants in the future. That's right, we want to bring back the Fog to Inaba. We're going to finish what Izanami started, bringing this world into reality and combining the Shadows with all of humanity! Unless of course you come to stop us. And frankly, I say bring it, I know six others that would simply loooove to sink their teeth into you. Seven assholes with bones to pick with all of you, or simply just doing this for kicks."

The figure flopped down into his own pile of TVs, sitting back like some sort of king sitting on a throne. "Tick Tock. Tick. Tock. Clock's ticking." The static went off.

And not even a minute after, a mass text was sent out to fourteen other phones. " **Gear up. We leave at 10 tomorrow. Don't be late."**

From the living room of Naoto's apartment, Yu clenched his fist into a tight grip. He wasn't letting Inaba fall. Not on his watch.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Uhm… Oops? I finished this pretty early actually. I wasn't intending to have this finished until tomorrow, but I got to writing it tonight and it kept going and going and suddenly I was at the end of the chapter.**

 **And Inaba Day Five promises to be… a fucking monster. It might very well get split into two parts.**

 **But, regardless, I plan to go watch Broly kick the shit outta Goku and Vegeta tomorrow. No spoilers please. Enjoy the early chapter!**

 **Also, a note regarding Naoto's Yukata. I know jack and shit about fashion. I know less about makeup. I just rolled with something that looked pretty in my head.**


	29. Chapter 29: Inaba Day Five (Pt1)

Chapter 29: Inaba Day Five (Pt. 1)

As though to prove that their actions the night prior wouldn't hinder them, Yu and Naoto had been up, showered, dressed, and at the Amagi Inn by eight in the morning. They enjoyed a light breakfast, drinking coffee and just taking a moment to relax and settle down before their task for the day. It was not uncommon to have to wait two hours or so for either the Phantom Thieves or the Investigation Team.

Naoto glanced up as she finished checking the small pack she had. It rested against the edge of the chair and held a variety of things to it. Cans of her preferred soda, a medkit, her revolver. She was already wearing her armor underneath her dress shirt, the feel of it a small comfort to her.

She glanced across the table at Yu as he seemed to be looking between his phone and a piece of paper that he was jotting things down on. Looking a little confused, she leaned across to actually look. It seemed to be a list of ingredients.

"What are you making?" Akira announced his and Morgana's presence as they came out and sat down at the table, setting a clinking bag down at his feet. Naoto knew it contained a few cans of soda and probably a coffee thermos or two. But between their group of sixteen, they should be fine enough without the Phantom Thief leader carrying enough to feed a small battalion. It also contained Akira's knife and pistol. She was interested to see what would happen with the Phantom Thieves once inside the TV World.

"Grocery shopping list for this afternoon." Yu said. "I don't think it'll take us too long, we should be out in time for dinner." Yu continued jotting things down, scratching things out and making various amendments based on his own history of cooking.

"A bit relaxed aren't you Partner? I mean, we're about to take a dive." Yosuke showed up and took a spot at the table. He leaned away and yawned into his hand. From his pack, he pulled out an energy drink and popped it open to sip. "Sorry, still waking up."

"I'm not relaxed, but I have to believe that we'll make it through this just fine." Yu said. Naoto heard the edge to his voice that said he definitely was not fine. It was not often that she heard it, but it was the truth of the matter that sometimes Yu had to bury things deep.

Slowly, the various other members of the Investigation Team and the Phantom Thieves came out, each of them geared up and ready. Naoto had never understood why Chie, Rise, and Yukiko each wore skirts while they were inside the TV world if they were going to wear shorts underneath. At least Rise had stopped wearing flats.

"What are you planning for dinner Partner?" Yosuke finally asked, apparently curious as to what their fearless leader was looking up and making an ingredient list for.

Naoto was amused to watch several people begin to look over to Yu who set his pen down, folding the notebook closed. "Hot pot." He said calmly.

"Ooh, that sounds nice." Yukiko said, almost excited. "I haven't had your cooking in a while Yu-kun."

"Oh! Oh! Is there going to be steak to it?" Chie asked excitedly and animatedly.

"Relax, I have it covered." Yu said. He then put the notebook away. "Honestly, it'd be my first time preparing it. I'm rather excited to try."

Naoto smiled a that as she finished off her coffee. It was true, they didn't exactly get much of a chance to be a large enough group to constitute a hot pot. And here there were sixteen of them. Yu would likely enjoy the chance to cook not just for the size of the group, but the culinary challenge of something he had yet to have the chance to make.

Naoto checked her watch. It was about a quarter of nine. "Senpai, what's the game plan?" she asked.

Like that, there was a switch and the group went from a group of friends and teenagers to a group of people about to make a dive into something dangerous. Yosuke finished off his energy drink, Ryuji put his phone away, Yusuke set his sketchbook down, and Chie took a seat. They all were getting ready in their own ways.

"When we go in, first things first is we need to see if the PT can use their Personas' powers, then we need to determine if their equipment still works." Yu said seriously. It was a solid point. If the Phantom Thieves couldn't use their Persona, then they were a liability. Not all together useless, but definitely a liability. If their equipment didn't work, then they were dead weight. "If they can't use either, we need to send them out." Yu said.

"Hey!" Ryuji said, sitting up straighter.

"No, he's right." Akira said, calming his group down. "If the roles were reversed, and the Investigation Team couldn't use their Persona in Mementos, wouldn't you want to get them out? First priority is to make sure everything works."

"Right." Yu nodded his head. "Everything should, after all most of us were just using replicas while we were in the TV World until we faced the Reaper and got a serious upgrade." Naoto remembered her original model revolver, something she had put together in the weeks as she recovered from the ordeal of her kidnapping and the subsequent exposure to the Fog. "After that, we have Futaba and Rise use their respective abilities to see if they can't pinpoint these guys. From there, divide and conquer. Four Investigation Team Members with four of the PT, two teams. I'm thinking myself, Chie, Yosuke, and Rise with Ryuji, Ann, Makoto, and Yusuke. I'll act as a dedicated healer for my group. Naoto, Kanji, Yukiko, Teddie, you guys will work with Akira, Morgana, Futaba, and Haru. Let Yukiko do the healing, she's best at it."

Yukiko opened her fan and hid her face behind it. "Stop Yu-kun, you'll make me blush." she said amused.

"Seems reasonable." Akira said, nodding his head. "This way one group isn't clearly a weak link for the enemy to pick off."

"That's right." Yu said. "Another thing is, if you start hearing the Reaper, run. There's no shame in it, just get away from it and hide out until the rattle of chains passes."

It was at that point that the group, collectively, heard a scratching at the door. Yu stood up and let in the Fox. It even seemed to wipe its muddied paws on the rug at the entrance before trotting over to the group. It gave a short yip.

'I'm never going to get used to that thing's smarts." Kanji said.

"I have a question before we make this dive." Makoto said. "Say everything goes according to plan. What do we do if we encounter you, Yu?"

"That depends." Yu said. "On the Persona I mean. If I'm using Yoshitsune, keep your distance and avoid physical attacks. If I'm using Izanagi-no-Okami, hit hard and quick. If I'm using anything else, avoid the spell fire, try to target a weakness. Haru, Makoto, you two are actually the best for this. None of my Persona have an immunity to Nuclear or Psychic skills."

"I would hope if we encounter it," Haru said, trying to have some levity to the situation, "That you would take care of yourself."

Yu nodded his head. "I'll do my best, unfortunately I may be preoccupied and you might have to survive for a while on your own. Just stay focused, pay attention, and we'll make it through this."

Yosuke stood up and headed towards the TV. Thankfully it was in a part of the Inn that wasn't frequently used, and since it was the day after the festival people had already left or people were sleeping in before leaving. It allowed them to talk a bit more openly and transition as well. Yosuke stuck his hand in through the TV, the surface rippling.

Yu and Yosuke ushered the others in. Morgana and Ann followed by Rise and Yukiko. Kanji and Teddie, then Yusuke and Ryuji. Haru and Makoto went, then Chie and Yosuke slipped in. Naoto took his spot, holding the portal open. Akira gave a nod to Yu as he slipped in with Futaba and Yu then gave her a smile before slipping in. The fox leapt through as well.

Naoto glanced around before she slipped in and fell.

This time, the transition wasn't smooth and quick. It felt tumultuous, and Naoto couldn't see anything. It was almost like razor sharp gales ripped at her. She heard her bag tear and she quickly brought it to her chest, holding it at the tear, swearing as she felt it was pretty much her revolver left in the bag.

Something hard and metallic smacked into the side of her head and darkness took her vision.

 _Take Your Time_

Kanji grunted as he felt something shaking him. Slowly his eyes opened to see the bright blue eyes of Morgana as the cat's claws descended over his cheek. "Gah!" He bolted upright, throwing the cat off him. "The Hell did you do that for?!" He shouted.

"Shadows!" The cat barked over the rat tat tat of automatic gunfire.

Kanji scrambled to his feet, turning as he watch Ann using her submachine gun with a grim look on her face, having to give ground. But Kanji quickly dredged up memories about the advancing Shadows. They were like trees, their head swaying back and forth, wearing a green almost kimono like top.

And more importantly, they were weak to lighting.

"Maziodyne!" Kanji roared out, throwing his hand out. Magic wasn't Kanji's strong suit. His strong suit was busting skulls open. Even still, the lightning that erupted from Kanji's hands was still potent enough to blast the Shadows to dust.

"That was awesome Kanji-kun!" Ann said excitedly, no doubt happy that they had been saved.

Kanji used his fist to wipe the blood that welled up from Morgana's scratches off of his face as he took in his surroundings. "Hey, where's Senpai?" he asked.

"We don't know." Morgana said from his position on the ground. "This is a completely different game. We didn't transform, and I'm stuck like a cat. Joker has my gear."

"Joker?" Kanji asked a little confused.

"Akira-kun." Ann supplied.

"Alright." Kanji took a moment, thinking. They were attacked by Shadows in a large drove of them. That meant the peaceful land of the TV world was being thrown into a chaos again, and it was up to them to stomp it out. They were seemingly separated from their friends, just being himself with Ann and Morgana. Morgana was in no way, shape, or form capable of using equipment, which was with Akira regardless. And worst of all…

Kanji took in the area they were in and grimaced. "It just had to be this place." He said. He blushed at the implications. They were inside his bath house on the top floor. But it didn't make sense. The Shadows he had just blasted were found elsewhere. At least from what he could remember, they had been found in Adachi's crazy area.

"Damn it!" Kanji punched a hand into the other. "I'm not the damned thinker of the team!" That wasn't to say that Kanji was incapable of intelligent decisions or making some plans, but it was simply that Yu and Naoto were better at it head and shoulders than the rest of the team. During the last few days, they had gotten into so many mind bending discussions, it was what drove Kanji to do better in school.

Kanji grit his teeth. "Alright. We need to stick to the plan. Can you two use your Persona?" he asked.

Morgana waved a paw at Kanji. "Dia." A wave of healing energy flowed over Kanji and he didn't need to look to know the light scratches on his face were gone. "It's a little strange, but yes."

Ann nodded her head. "I keep wanting to pull at my mask, that's not there." She said.

Kanji nodded his head. He didn't see a Tarot card, but that could be advantageous. "Alright, Ann, I need to make sure your armor works." He said. Ann grimaced but nodded in understanding, looking to the armor beneath her tank top. If they didn't do this, then they had no way of knowing if they could even put her on the front lines or not. Already they would have to regulate Morgana to playing catch up. "Zionga!" He backed his power back as much as he could.

Ann took the bolt of lightning, crying out a little bit. Even bracing for it, it was a jarring experience getting shocked by lightning.

"Hey! Why didn't you use Zio?!" Morgana said before casting a Diarama on Ann.

"I ain't got Zio." Kanji said a bit snappishly. "I used the weakest attack I got."

"It's okay." Ann said shaking off the effects of the damage. "Armor works though." she said.

"Alright." Kanji closed his eyes a bit more. "We need to get out of here, which means going down several floors. The layout ain't the same every time, but I do know that the rooms and halls ain't infinite also. We need to check the floors below us in their entirety before we leave."

"Wait, why do we need to check the floors?" Morgana asked.

"I can't scan the area like Rise." Kanji said. "Which means we need to check for Senpai and the others. If they're out cold, then we need to get them outta here."

"That makes sense." Ann said, checking her hip. "I have my whip and gun, I have about four more clips for the gun. And two cans of tea, sorry, I forgot to stock back up and I've been drinking them while we were here."

Kanji nodded his head. And without Morgana having anything, their supplies were even more limited. He checked his pack and pulled out his weapon, the large plate resting on the ground for a moment. "I got a six pack of drinks." He pulled them from his bag. "And that's it." He then tucked them back into his bag and shouldered it. "Senpai was the one that carried the most, with Yukiko carrying the second most."

It was just good planning. Yu had to switch it up the most and tended to need more to keep going than everyone. Plus, he grew the tomatoes, so he carried the most. Yukiko had become a mother hen of the group and just carried a lot to try and help everyone out. After her, it would have been Naoto who was of the mindset of 'being prepared for everything'.

Kanji glanced to Ann and Morgana. Their situation was bad. Really, really bad. "Alright. I'll take point." He said. It used to be Yu that took point, so it'd be a new situation for Kanji. "I'll be your Shield. You guys focus on healing unless we're up against something resistant to physical and lightning attacks." He hefted the plate and held it in one hand. "We need to ration out the drinks, I have some mild regeneration because of Takeji Zaiten so I can use him a bit more, but I'll be doing the heavy lifting."

"I don't like it." Morgana said.

"Then don't but unless you can come up with a better plan with the crap we got working against us, then shaddup and deal with it." Kanji said. He started to head towards the stairs. "My girlfriend and Senpai and friends are somewhere, without me to watch their backs. You guys are good people, so I hope you guys can handle this place. We're in one of the weaker areas and the enemies are tougher than they should be."

Kanji hefted the plate and began to move forward, stepping down the stairs. The humid heat of the place was making it difficult, but he had to press onwards.

Slowly, the trio made their way through Kanji's Bathhouse. As promised, he took point, setting a good moderate pace. The Shadows swarmed them, and he knocked them back with his plate and blasted them with lightning. Takeji Zaiten helped keep his wounds from being too severe, and Ann and Morgana kept him topped off. They occasionally had to blast an enemy with wind or fire, but ultimately, Kanji did the heavy lifting.

And they had to cover every meter of every hallway that was between them and the entrance to the bathhouse.

Kanji's tank top clung to him in a mixture of sweat and just the moisture in the air. His breathing was hard and heavy. His arms ached. And panic was beginning to set into his mind. The others weren't in the bathhouse. Where could they be? They were completely out of the soda that they once had, the sodas not doing nearly as much as other things. And without Yu's stockpile, Kanji was really feeling the burn.

But finally they came to the last set of stairs, the entrance in sight. He settled down and began to climb down, trying to catch his breath.

"They weren't there." Morgana said.

"I know!" Kanji said. "We'll just have to keep looking, maybe head back to our usual starting area. They're bound to try and regroup back there. Everyone knows the way there and it's usually pretty safe."

"But what if they're not with someone of the Investigation Team?" Ann asked as she moved down the stairs.

"We can find them if we have Rise, and the others know the other ways to the various dungeons." Kanji said. He was already starting to panic, his nerves starting to fray. But he had to try and stay calm, try to stay composed for the others. For better or for worse, he was the senior member of their trio, and it was the Investigation Team's old stomping grounds.

He came to what could be called the locker room of the Bath House when he saw a figure through the steam. "That is if they even survive, but you should be more concerned with yourselves. Mabufudyne!" Kanji watched as Ann dove the rest of the way off the stairs, avoiding the blast of ice.

Kanji himself wasn't so lucky, and his body ached at the rapid cooling of his heated body. Morgana managed to avoid it as well.

"Yusuke?" Ann asked, sounding a mix of surprised and confused.

Kanji glanced up, watching as Yusuke Kitagawa stepped through the steam. A rifle sat slung across his chest and a sword held loosely in one hand. But it was wrong, he looked more ragged and he wore a school uniform to some school Kanji didn't recognize.

Was this one of those Reflections Yu mentioned?

"It matters not." The rifle was brought up, the trigger being pulled with cold calculation and without hesitation. Kanji forced his body to move and tackled Ann down behind some of the lockers. "I have a chance to kill the Phantom Thieves, and I will do so. You have ruined my life, you especially Takamaki-san."

The rifle was swiftly discarded and Kanji heard the scrape of the sword being drawn. "Goemon and I will put you to the sword." Yusuke began to dash forward to their hiding spot.

Kanji came out and brought his plate up, stepping into the swing as Yusuke swung his sword. Kanji deflected the blade and he grit his teeth at the strength behind it. "If you wanna put them to the sword, you have to go through me!" Kanji stepped forward, dropping the plate to his left hand as he delivered a heavy right punch to the other boy's face, feeling the crunch of his nose breaking.

Yusuke broke off wiping at his broken nose. "So be it." He said.

Kanji brought his plate up to hold with both hands again. He was tired, so very, very tired. And he knew that Ann and Morgana would have difficulty attacking what should have been their friend. Kanji inhaled deeply and rolled his shoulders. He could take the blows better, he had become the Shield of the Investigation Team because he could take the blows. He cracked his neck a bit.

Yusuke came in again, fast and moving low. He swung his sword again and Kanji backed away before he swung his plate down with both hands. It smacked into the ground as Yusuke leapt back from the attack. Kanji frowned a bit more. "Senpai's a lot faster." And having to keep up with Yu, Yusuke felt slow and uncoordinated.

"Brave blade!" Yusuke swung again, this time seemingly even faster. Kanji grit his teeth, even as his chest was cut open. But Takeji Zaiten helped him resist the attack, regardless of being cut to the bone, and Kanji swung his plate again, catching the Reflection in the side of the head, driving him into the lockers and causing them to dent inwards.

"Kanji!" Morgana called out from his spot, sounding worried.

"I'm fine. I'll handle this for you guys, just stay back!" Kanji said. He brought his plate up and deflected another hit before he stepped inwards at Yusuke. "Ziodyne!" He blasted the other teen with a bolt of lightning. He was the Shield to Yu's Sword. Kanji would defend Yu's friends from this poor Reflection of their friend.

"Bufudyne!" Kanji leapt forward, rolling out of the way as he came up with another heavy haymaker, laying the blue haired boy out. Kanji then stepped over the body and raised his plate up high over his head. He then brought it crashing down heavily on the other boy's head.

Kanji put his foot on the sword, keeping the Reflection from bringing it up in retaliation. Kanji then dropped his plate and stomped on it, driving his other foot hard into the plate, sandwiching the head of the Reflection between the unforgiving ground and the metal plate. He did it twice until there was a slight crunch.

The Yusuke then shattered like glass, going limp beneath Kanji.

The blond picked up his plate, and made a point to not look at the underside of it. "Let's go." He told the other two. "I know you're pretty tapped by now, but could you maybe stop the bleeding?" he asked.

Morgana held his paw up. "Dia." The spell was weak, but it did as Kanji asked, stopping his chest from bleeding so much. Takeji Zaiten should take care of the rest.

Ann shivered as she moved past the pool of blood where Kanji had rather violently handled the Reflection. "How… How could you do it?" she asked. "I… I hesitated. The Shadows we deal with aren't usually human looking."

Kanji rolled his shoulders a bit as he continued walking. "Neither were most of ours." He said a bit grimly. Indeed, most of them hadn't. "And I have no doubt I will be having nightmares about the crunch, but it helps that I can go talk to Yukiko about it. But I've never been the type to hesitate about fighting." And that was unfortunately not always a good thing.

Kanji still woke up in a cold sweat, imagining throwing Taro Namatame into the TV World and then finding out he was innocent.

But this Reflection had come after them with deadly force. Kanji just returned the damn favor.

"Let's go, the others might be waiting on us." Kanji stepped out of the bath house and into the TV world proper. Ann and Morgana trailed behind him.

 _Take Your Time_

Makoto groaned softly as she was shaken awake. "Uhgn… What hit me?" She asked as she forced herself up to a sitting position.

"I don't know." Naoto spoke, making Makoto look at the blue haired sleuth. Her brow was busted, and crimson trailed down the side of her face. Her cap was missing, and her clothes were ruffled. And unless Makoto missed her guess, Naoto had a nice bruise forming on her head.

"I can get that, I think." Makoto reached up, a Diarama on her lips.

Naoto grabbed her wrist. "Don't. We have limited supplies." Naoto said and stood up. "And you're our healer at the moment." Makoto winced as she took Naoto's hand and stood up.

Makoto patted herself down and found her revolver as well as the bronze knuckles that she kept in her pack. They were mostly in a front, smaller pouch. The larger pouch had a hole in it, some of Makoto's supplies having spilled out. And one of the shoulder straps was broken. "Still armed." She said.

Naoto moved over towards an unconscious Ryuji to rouse him. He looked banged up too. "Ugh… The hell happened? Where are we?"

Makoto grimaced at the excellent question. Some sort of music was playing? She turned around. It looked like some sort of arena, only blocky like some sort of video game?

Naoto winced. "I think we're in Mitsuo Kubo's dungeon. Why is it still here?" She asked, turning a bit. Makoto didn't know the significance of it.

"It looks like some sorta game." Ryuji said. "Oh… Man, that music is gratin'. Is there a mute?"

Naoto shook her head and walked over to her cap on the ground. She picked it up and smacked it against her thigh a moment.

"We should really get you healed up." Makoto said, moving over.

Naoto shook her head. "Again, save it. I have a feeling we're on the top floor of the Dungeon. Which means we have to go through the rest of the Dungeon." Makoto didn't like the sound of that. "I have two cans of soda." She said.

Makoto checked her pack. "Two cans here." She said.

"I got nothin'." Ryuji admitted, picking up his bag. "Looks like the shotgun went off and blew a hole in the bottom of the bag." He shoved his hand through the hole in the bag. He then pulled out a bandolier of shotgun shells and put it on around his chest. He picked up the shotgun and jacked the pump. "At least I know this works."

Naoto produced her medical pouch and used her phone. Makoto watched as she pulled up the camera and flipped it around so she could see herself on screen and touch the cut over her brow. "Here, let me help." Makoto said. She rummaged in Naoto's pack for a bandage which she pulled out and applied. "It's not too deep and will heal up just fine on the first heal."

Naoto nodded her head and jammed her hat back on. "We know the guns work. What about the Persona? Your armor?" she asked.

Ryuji punched himself in the gut. "Yep. Still works." He said. And since he was speaking without gritting his teeth, it was worth believing. He reached up for his skull mask, a mask that wasn't there. "Uhh… Not sure how I should do this." He said.

Naoto shook her head. "Think of the spell you want to cast Ryuji, then point and fire, casting the spell like normal. You're not trying to summon your Persona."

Ryuji brought his hand away from his face. "Right." He said. He held his hand out. "Zio!" A bolt of lightning struck a wall some distance away. "Alright, looks like we're in business!" he said excitedly.

Makoto glanced around a bit. "Where are the others?" she asked.

"That's the question of the hour." Naoto said. "Unfortunately, we're going to have to find them the old fashioned way, and these dungeons can be quite large." She said.

And with four cans of soda, Makoto was going to have to be extremely sparse with her healing. She belted on the holster she had for the revolver, tucking it in before she slipped the brass knuckles on. "And if they're not in here?" she asked.

"Then we regroup outside of this place where it's safer." Naoto said. "Everyone in the Investigation Team is aware of where to go from the entrance of all the Dungeons." She said. She checked her revolver and then pointed it to the ground.

Makoto frowned a bit more as she jumped up and down a moment. "And if the Phantom Thieves aren't with the Investigation Team?" she asked.

"Rise can find anyone in this place." Naoto said. "And if Rise goes down, then Teddie can sniff them out. If both of them are out of commission, then we do it the long and slow way." Naoto began to head for the large doors. "Regardless, we will find everyone, regardless of how long it takes."

Makoto nodded and headed forward, staying at the ready as she walked. She felt as adequately prepared as she was going to get.

"Ryuji, up with me. We're taking point. Makoto is our healer." Naoto said.

"Gotcha." Ryuji jogged forward and took his bat out, resting it on his shoulder as he began to walk alongside Naoto.

The trio moved through the 8-bit dungeon. As Ryuji had said, the music that played around them was grating on Makoto's already frayed nerves. She couldn't help but wonder about what happened. She thought the transition was supposed to be safe. She wondered about the other members of the Phantom Thieves. To a lesser extent, she worried about the Investigation Team, but they all seemed confident enough that they were competent enough to take care of themselves.

It was a long slog through almost endless Shadows. Ryuji had to quickly switch to simple Zio spells or Mazio spells if they were under fire from a large group weak to lightning. Anything larger like the Zionga or Mazionga threatened to exhaust him too quickly for their needs, nonetheless a Ziodyne. And Makoto quickly learned that the best thing she could do at that point in time was indeed act as the Healer. As diversified as Naoto's Persona was, it lacked in healing quite thoroughly. The sleuth however seemed to recover more and more, getting stronger as they made their way through the dungeon.

It was a maddening, headache inducing place. Makoto seriously doubted she was going to be going back to video games anytime soon after the dungeon. She'd get flashbacks to the fear, the worry, the stress building in her stomach, causing it to knot and tighten.

She wondered how anyone could go back to video games after this trek.

"I think this is the entrance." Naoto said, stepping forward. It seemed like a set of castle doors leading to what seemed like a long and winding path out to a clearing.

"It is." A feminine voice rang out. Makoto could scarcely believe the tone of voice, but there was no mistaking it.

"Haru?" Makoto asked. Sure enough, it was Haru, dressed in a pale lavender top with white leggings and a simple black skirt. In hanging from a strap on her shoulder was her signature battle axe while her hands held the grenade launcher.

The RG-6 Rotary Grenade Launcher replica raised up. A dull thud was heard before the sharp whistle of the grenade flying at them.

"Get down!" Ryuji turned and pushed both Makoto and Naoto to the ground heavily. The grenade went sailing overhead, only to explode behind them some ways off. "Damn." Ryuji was quick to his feet.

"Shadows!" Naoto barked out as she got up to her feet as well, snapping off a pair of rounds at Haru to force her to not fire a second round.

Makoto glanced behind them where a swarm of Shadows was coming in, she turned with her revolver and shot off a trio of rounds. Two hit, but one went wide. Her mind raced for what they could do, but she was drawing blanks. They had to fight Haru, or what was likely Haru's Reflection. At least Makoto hoped it was Haru's Reflection. It seemed likely to be Haru's Reflection since the girl was wearing different clothes. "I'm open to suggestions!" she shouted.

Naoto turned and snapped off the rest of the rounds she had in the current cylinder before she reloaded with practiced ease. She then holstered the gun. "Give me your guns, and your ammo! I'll take the Shadows. Get in close, keep Haru from using her launcher, I'm better suited for range." It seemed like a solid plan, built on facts.. But Makoto still hesitated. She didn't want to fight Haru, and if she was wrong about it being Haru's Reflection, she'd be hurting a friend.

Ryuji tossed the shotgun and quickly whipped the bandolier of shells off, passing them off as well. He grabbed his bat. "Either do it or come up with a new plan Queen!" He shouted before taking off towards Haru. "Damn it! Outta the way!"

Naoto was quick to put the bandolier of shells on more like a belt and she brought the shotgun up. The sleuth had a determined look on her face as she began to make sure it was fully loaded before jacking a shell into the chamber. Makoto quickly passed off her own revolver. "Joker got it upgraded to use .44 rounds." She said before she tightened her grip on her knuckles. Naoto tucked the revolver into the front of the bandolier before she began to rush the Shadows.

Makoto winced before she followed after Ryuji to get in close to Haru. Unfortunately, Naoto was quite correct. Haru was best fought up close. Milady's gun skills would be neutralized, and they would neutralize the threat of the grenade launcher. It wasn't that Haru wouldn't shoot at close range, but more that Makoto and Ryuji could stop her from shooting.

Case in point, Ryuji knocked the launcher to the side with a heavy smack with his bat, causing the next grenade to go wide and explode against some 8-bit tree.

Makoto came in quick. She brought her hands up. She had to believe it was the Reflection. She grit her teeth a moment before she threw a heavy punch. Haru stepped back and discarded the grenade launcher, tossing it away before she drew the axe with both hands. She took a hard swing.

"Woah!" Ryuji leapt back from the swing, the blade grazing his chest and splitting the shirt and armor a bit. He moved to come back in with his bat, but Haru came back around with a back swing that hit him with the back of the axe in the ribs. "Gah!"

"Skull!" Makoto worried for the boy. The shotgun blasts in the background punctuated the battle, and every so often a heavy explosion sounded out, likely Naoto using Megidolaon to thin the oncoming horde. Their backs were covered, but it meant it was up to Makoto and Ryuji to clear the way.

Haru's eyes looked dangerous. It was the sadistic side of Noir, the side of her that got a shiver of excitement down her spine whenever the Shadows ran or pleaded for their lives. She brought her axe up with both hands and stepped into the next swing, looking to bring it down hard into Ryuji's chest. "I HATE ALL OF YOU!" she screamed.

Makoto yanked Ryuji back and had to throw herself to the side to avoid the blow. She came up, almost instinctively looking to draw her revolver before realizing she didn't have it. She rushed in as Ryuji recovered enough to bring his bat up against the next heavy blow, using it on the shaft of the axe before the axe head came down on his head. The blond had to duck a little bit.

Makoto stepped in and laid a heavy punch into Haru's ribs. She heard the distinct crack of human bones breaking and Haru was forced back. Ryuji got up beside Makoto, holding his bat at the ready.

Haru righted herself and prepared her axe once more. "I hate the Phantom Thieves. They took so much from me, destroyed what was precious to me." Haru grit her teeth and came in with her axe once more. She ducked under Ryuji's swing before she swung the blunted back of the axe against his knee. There was a sharp crack sound as the knee broke and Ryuji went to the ground, crying out in agony.

Makoto rushed over and forced Haru back with a quick three punch combination. None of them landed, but it forced Haru back.

"Look at you." Haru said a bit cruelly and sadistically, no doubt anymore about it being Haru's Reflection. "Prim. Proper. Student Council Prez." She shook her head. "Always thinking she can plan for every. Little. Thing. But you can't. Always needing someone stronger, smarter, more decisive to back you. Well what will it be? Mako. Chan. Going to run away? Go let the burden of leadership land on someone else's shoulders? Drop the dead weight? Simply not care like you always do?"

Makoto clenched her fist and her head hung in front of her face a little bit. Was that really what she had been doing? Running away? Not caring? Letting someone else shoulder the burden of leadership? "Don't you ever call me that again." Makoto said. Only the real Haru was allowed to use that nickname. She was furious, with herself and this poor imitation of who was coming to be a good friend. "Ryuji, I promise we'll get your leg fixed, but I might not have the energy to do it after this."

Ryuji grit his teeth and offered a pained smile as he clutched the knee. "Alright, I trust ya."

Makoto stepped forward. She could hear in her head the way Johanna was telling her that she wasn't ready for her plan. Margaret had said that the increase of their power was only temporary, but that wasn't quite true. They still had the knowledge of the spells and abilities at the higher tiers. It just meant it was more draining at their current ability. Makoto stood in a ready stance. "I'm not running from you, you poor excuse for Noir."

The Reflection hefted the axe and gripped it tight. "Then I'll take your head." She said before coming running.

"Atomic Flare!" Johanna was right. Makoto wasn't ready for the spell. Not at her current ability, not mostly drained and running on fumes. Immediate pain spiked through Makoto's head as the Nuclear blast rocked Haru's Reflection. Blood dripped from Makoto and for a second, it felt like she couldn't breathe. Her ears rung as well, like she had someone pull the trigger of a gun right beside her ear.

But through it, Haru's Reflection came charging out. Hair burnt, clothes scorched, skin suffering from second and third degree burns, she gave a battle cry as she swung with her axe. Makoto stepped in and brought her hand up. She grabbed the axe handle and stepped in further and used Haru's momentum to throw her to the ground.

Without thinking, Makoto flipped the axe around and swung it down into the Reflection's chest with a sickening wet crunch.

The downed Reflection coughed up blood. "May Haru find out the truth of the Phantom Thieves. May they become liars, thieves, murderers, and villains to her. And I pray that she destroys the Phantom Thieves just like I did." She then shattered like glass.

Makoto fell to her knees, breathing heavily. The taste of copper was in her mouth. The repeated retort of a pair of revolvers told Makoto that Naoto was fine. But the student council President still pushed herself to her feet, seeing the sleuth with a revolver in each hand firing. It wasn't quite the same methodical and precise shooting, but when shooting into a horde, it wasn't as necessary as more firepower was.

Naoto turned and came running, Ryuji's shotgun bouncing around her hip from the sling around her chest. "Here." she said and passed over the revolver to Makoto before holstering the other one. "We need to go. They won't come past the boundaries."

"What about Ryuji?" Makoto asked.

Naoto bent down, with surprising strength for a girl of her size, she picked Ryuji up onto her shoulders, fireman style.. "Ah, ah! Leg! Leg!" Ryuji shouted in pain as the broken limb was jostled. But Naoto used her other hand to hold and help stabilize the leg while she moved. It wasn't a fast sprint, but sure enough the Shirogane Successor was carrying Ryuji out.

Makoto turned and snapped off a pair of shots, reaching to her belt for a fresh speedloader to help buy some time. But in short order, they managed to get out of the 8-bit dungeon. Makoto also vowed to start doing some more strength exercises.

 _Take Your Time_

Haru gave a loud cry in pain as she landed on her back, impacting with the bag her axe was in and the stonework. But she grit her teeth, grunting and rolling to her hands and knees. Yusuke and Yukiko both hit the ground as well with a dull thud. The Okumura Heiress pushed herself up to her feet and dusted herself off before she made her way towards Yusuke with a slight limp. "Yusuke-kun," She said as she bent down and shook him roughly.

Yusuke grunted. "Ah… I need to stop landing on my sword." He said, rolling from his hip and shoulder which had taken the brunt of the impact. And sure enough, the hard sheath of his sword was under his hip inside the bag he had.

"Ow. Ow. Ow." Yukiko dragged herself up and limped slightly, glancing down to her ankle. It was undoubtedly sprained by the way she limped. "Here." She said. "Media." A wave of her fan through a Blue Tarot card and a wave of healing energy washed over the trio. It didn't quite get rid of all the aches and the pains, but it made it so Haru's back didn't throb with every step she took.

"You have my thanks." Yusuke pushed himself to his feet and moved his bag around, taking his sword out and putting it on his hip. He then took his rifle out and slung it around his shoulder. He then shifted the rifle around on its sling before he pointed it skyward and squeezed the trigger. The sound of gunfire sounded out, making Haru and Yukiko flinch since they hadn't expected it. "Everything seems to be in working order." he said.

Haru nodded her head. That was a good thing to check. She pulled her axe from her bag and took the cover off the edge before she put the sling around one shoulder. She then got out her grenade launcher before pausing, seeing she didn't have any ammo for it. Her bag had a nice hole in it. "Any ideas where we are Yukiko-chan?" She asked.

Yukiko winced a bit as she took in the decorations. It seemed to be some sort of old castle, with plush red carpet and red drapery. "My... Castle." There was a distinct blush on Yukiko's face. "I'd rather not talk about it, okay? I know the way out, and it should be fairly simple to look for everyone."

Haru glanced around a moment. "Yes, that would likely be for the best." She said. She readied her axe on her shoulder a moment. "Psio." She said. The blast of multicolored energy told Haru that Milady still worked within the TV World, even if the connection felt… off. Like Haru was trying to see through a camera and the lens was smudged and dirty. The picture was there, but not as clean as it could be.

Yukiko grimaced a bit, drawing attention to her. "I don't have any supplies. My bag came off in the fall." She said.

Haru checked her bag. "I have… a thermos of coffee." She said. It was in a smaller pouch.

Yusuke checked his pack. "I have some teas, but not many and they are generally not that effective." Great, they were going to be working through what could probably be considered a Palace on minimal supplies. Haru's launcher was next to worthless too, and she didn't know how that was going to affect Milady.

Haru shifted her axe in her hands a moment, better preparing to do a run with it. "Well, I suppose we should get moving. Yukiko-chan, do you know how big this castle is?" she asked.

"Not as large as some of the later dungeons. But we'll definitely be making a trek, so pace yourselves. I can keep us healed up, and I got fire damage covered. I'm not exactly the most physically offensive, but I can make do." Yukiko offered.

"Haru and I will handle the frontal combat." Yusuke was quick to say. "Goemon and I are more physically oriented rather than magic, but we will have Ice covered."

"Milady has several long range gun skills. However, I don't have ammo for the launcher, I don't know how effective she'll be." Haru said. "We also have Psychic damage."

Slowly the trio began to make their way out of the top floor of Yukiko's castle. Haru felt like there was a story there, one that she wasn't likely to get anytime soon, but that was fine. It wasn't relevant to the situation. "Has something like this ever happened before?" Haru asked.

"No, not once." Yukiko said. "We've made dives after someone that was separated from the group before, but we've never actually had the group split up as we got in." She said.

The first group of Shadows was taken care of with lethal efficiency. Haru learned that Milady's gunskills, draining as they were, were still quite useable even without her grenade launcher. And Yusuke was all to willing to use his sword. And the focused way Yukiko ruthlessly set the Shadows ablaze told Haru that the Amagi girl was not a threat to be taken lightly.

It was information Haru tucked away in the back of her mind on the off chance she ever encountered Yukiko's Reflection.

And as the group continued moving through the castle, Haru decided to talk with the group. "So why a castle?" She asked of Yukiko.

"It's symbolic of our inner most wants." Yukiko said. "And no, I don't want a castle." She added as an afterthought.

Haru nodded her head a moment. They continued moving through the castle. There wasn't very many questions she felt the need to ask of Yukiko, so most of the trip was done in silence. Yusuke was focused, so wasn't making much small talk either.

"These Shadows are stronger than they should be." Yukiko said as she took a drink from Yusuke and sipped at the tea. While the sugar and caffeine wouldn't do much, it would help them stretch Yukiko's apparently impressive reserves farther.

"How much stronger?" Yusuke asked.

"Strong enough to warrant caution." Yukiko said. "If I had two of the more offensive oriented members of the Investigation Team with me, or Yu, then we'd have no difficulties. As it is, no offense, we're having to be cautious.'

"Damn." Yusuke said almost bitterly.

"What is it?" Haru asked. Was it a Shadow? A Reflection? She had only seen Akira's Reflection and that had been odd enough.

"I grow tired of watching the backs of others, and wondering how far I still have to go." Yusuke said. "Makoto, Ryuji, Ann, Morgana, and myself all had difficulties with Futaba's Palace in the beginning. Yu had apparently gone through it himself, even saved our group while covered in black ichor from the Shadows he slew. I swore to myself I would not always watch his back."

"Don't let it eat you." Yukiko said seriously. "Yu-kun is special in a way many of us cannot compare against. Not because of his Wild Card ability, but just how adaptive to things he is. I have never met anyone that could adapt to things like he could. His strength comes from his flexibility. I've seen what Yu-kun can perform when he is single minded in his drive."

Slowly they came outside to where the group encountered Makoto Niijima. She stood there with her revolver drawn and already aimed. There were no words, just the cold calculating gaze of the Student Council President. Haru reached for her axe, about to rush forward when the revolver went off.

The trio dodged out of the way and Haru was about to dash forward when Yukiko stepped forward. "You must be one of those Reflections that Yu-kun mentioned."

"Leave." Makoto said. "This doesn't concern you." She said as she quickly took aim at Yukiko's chest.

"Oh, but I'm afraid it does." Yukiko's tone wasn't that of the usually jovial and quick to laugh girl. It was that of someone that was quite angry. "You see, you hurt them, you hurt Yu-kun. You hurt Yu-kun, you bother me. So by trying to hurt them, you bother me." Yukiko waved her fan against her face a bit as she continued to step forward. "Now most of the time, I'm quite content to appear the demure Inn girl that's going to inherit the managerial position from her mother. But when you threaten to hurt and bother my friends, I bare my talons."

"So be it!" Makoto took another shot at Yukiko. The girl moved out of the way, spinning on the tip of her toes quickly before the revolver had gone off. "Freila!" Yukiko dodged out of the way again. It was like watching a graceful dancer spin out of the way of danger.

Yukiko spun her fan around in her hand before with practiced ease snapped it open. "Sumeo-Okami!" Yukiko declared as the Tarot card began to spin in front of her. "Burning Petals!" The dark haired girl struck the Tarot Card with her fan like she was throwing out a gust of wind with her fan.

A graceful golden feminine figure holding dual katanas in her hand appeared behind Yukiko, a long ribbon connecting both hands and running behind the Persona fluttered in the wind before unleashing a torrent of cherry blossoms that drifted ever so softly towards Makoto's Reflection.

An eruption of fire engulfed the Cherry Blossoms. The sheer intensity of the heat actually forced Haru to look away, shielding her face against it. The fire roared with intensity, burning so brightly and even lingering. And as the flames began to die down, Yukiko unmoving from where she had summoned her Persona, Haru glanced forward.

The flagstones were scorched black, and there was no evidence of the Reflection except for a revolver that shattered like glass.

Haru turned to look at Yusuke. "Do I get like that?" she asked.

"I believe it is in my best interested not to answer one way or another." Yusuke said, quickly moving forward.

Haru watched his back as he walked away. She shook her head and began to followed after Yukiko as well as she began to give them directions on where they were going.

 _Take Your Time_

Yosuke landed with a heavy thud, only to have someone fall on his back. He gave a wheeze of pain and lack of air that quickly set whoever landed on him scrambling off of him.

"Crap! Yosuke, I'm sorry!" Chie was quick to apologize and she bent down and helped haul him up to his feet. He gently touched at his chest, making sure nothing was broken or out of place. A third thud alerted them to the arrival of Teddie. Chie went over and helped the blond up as well.

Yosuke glanced around. "Great." He said. "This place." From his bag, he pulled out the twin knives that he had gotten from the Reaper. He quickly flipped them about in his hands, making sure to familiarize himself with the weight. Not that he'd ever really forget, but it helped to do so.

Their landing spot? Magatsu Inaba, the twisted version of Inaba that Adachi had dreamed of.

Chie bent down and stretched her legs out. The howl of Shadows sounded nearby. "Looks like we're going to have to fight our way through." She said. She came up and threw her leg up into a high kick, clearly making sure she was limbered up.

Teddie sniffed the air as he got his claw ready, sliding it onto his hand properly and gripping the handle. "I don't smell Sensei or any of the others." he said.

Yosuke glanced at Teddie. "You sure about that Ted?" He asked. They couldn't afford any slip ups on any of their parts, not his, not Chie's, not Teddie's.

"I know my nose hasn't been working right, but I don't ever forget a scent!" Teddie said. "And I'm not smelling anyone that I know!"

"Easy there." Yosuke said. While he was far more comfortable playing second banana to Yu, he knew that when Yu wasn't there, he was practically leader. Naoto was Yu's right hand, but Yosuke had been leading the backup team without their fearless leader for a while. And he was honestly comfortable working with Chie and Teddie. "I'm just making sure Ted. We need to do this right, we don't know what's going on. We've never been separated on coming into this place."

"He's right." Chie said, putting her hands on her hips. "We need every advantage we can get right now."

Teddie settled down, much to Yosuke's relief and sniffed around. "I'll have to sniff around on each new area, but they aren't around here. I know that much." He said confidently.

Yosuke nodded his head. "That works for me." He said. He turned to the entrance and rotated his neck. "Sorry guys, I won't be able to offer much in way of speed buffs this time." He said.

Chie stepped up. "It's all good." She said and clicked her heels together on her metal greaves. "That's what these bad boys are for. Do we have anything in way of supplies?" She asked. From her skirt, she took out a pack of gum and quickly put a piece in. The nauseating scent of the meat gum made Yosuke wish she wouldn't chew it.

"I got a dozen sodas." Yosuke said. "But we both know they don't do much. And I'd rather not be drinking so much I puke while running."

"Not to mention you don't want to have to use the bathroom again." Chie said, lightly popping him in the ribs.

Yosuke grunted. "One time, I swear. You're never letting me live that down are you?"

"Not a chance." Chie said with a grin.

"Ted, you ready?" Yosuke asked, glancing towards the bear.

The blond boy nodded his head. "I'm ready to run wild, rawr!" He said, charging ahead.

"Hey, wait for me!" Chie took off after the excited boy.

Yosuke sighed and took a moment. He reached into his pocket for his MP3 player and cranked the volume up a little bit. He then took off running after his friends. While he wasn't as fast as Chie or as excitable as Teddie was, his time running around Junes left him having more stamina.

The first wave of Shadows hit, and together the three moved to quickly dispatch them. While they weren't particularly powerful, the wave seemed almost endless and the three had to act as rocks for the wave to break upon. Yosuke was grateful for having settled on dual knives, the work he had put into taking advantage of his ambidextrous nature paid dividends.

It meant that he could fight two of the sword wielding Shadows at the same time while Chie broke through with a flurry of kicks.

The next wave brought stronger enemies to fight. "Chie! Robot! High Low!" Yosuke rushed ahead of his girlfriend to get prepared.

"Right!" Chie disengaged from the enemy she was fighting, kicking it to drive it down before rushing up ahead behind Yosuke.

Yosuke went towards the sword toting giant robot and he bent forward a little bit. He grunted as Chie jumped up onto his back and used it as a springboard into a flying kick like she was reenacting some epic scene from a Bruce Lee movie. Yosuke came up and blasted one of the legs hard with a powerful Garudyne. It was a move they had done several times.

The large mech fell backwards with a loud, thunderous crash as it crushed Shadows beneath it.

"Teddie!" Yosuke yelled out, bolting towards the bear.

"Bring it Yosuke baby!" Teddie slashed through his opponent and moved over.

Yosuke leapt over a Shadow, half sliding across the table as he landed behind Teddie. He felt Takehaya Susano-O flare to life and he slashed through the Tarot Card as Teddie descended down and slashed through his own.

Takehaya Susano-O sprang up and launched his hands up, kunai launching from the sleeves before arching and skewering the downed robot before Kamui-Moshiri came screaming down after the kunai. It had a broad grin on its goofy face like it was having the time of its life. It wasn't a sadistic grin in the slightest. The rocket shaped Persona exploded with Almighty Damage, the blast ripping apart Shadows.

It was nothing new for the trio. They worked well together, they knew what the plans were, they knew when and how to execute the plans. And honestly, compared to the exhausting run that was the Hallowed Forest and then later on Izanami's Dungeon, the run through Magatsu Inaba was easy. They still had to be careful not to get overwhelmed, but it wasn't like they were struggling for every inch.

They came to the entrance, the black and red portal guarded by a crouched blond figure. The group came to a bit of a pause as they were out of breath and looked to the figure guarding the portal. Teddie sniffed at the air, and frowned a moment.

"Teddie?" Chie asked, glancing between the two.

Sure enough, she was right. It was Teddie guarding the passage way, half crouched and clutching at his blond hair, whimpering slightly. "All alone. I'm nothing. No one." He lamented.

"No!" Teddie stomped his foot. "We're Teddie!" he said. "Sensei accepted us!"

"Sen...Sei?" The blond raised his hand and seemed to see the claws it had on his hands for the first time. They were a pair of three curved blades on a gauntlet, extending out several centimeters, almost the entire length of Teddie's forearm. And unlike their Teddie, this thing had one on each hand.

Yosuke also noted the crimson staining the metal.

"I… Sensei… I remember… Sensei… he abandoned me for that girl…" The figure rose up, slowly with his arms falling and hanging limply. "Even after I saved him… I remember a voice, telling me how I'd be abandoned, how I'd be forgotten, how I'd be discarded."

"That's not what happened! Sensei accepted us, and we got an awesome Bearsona!" Teddie said, clearly refusing this… thing. Yosuke had a feeling it was a Reflection like Yu told them about.

"It offered me a chance to show Sensei and the others the truth. When I came to… I had this form… These claws…" Yosuke could see where this was going, and he felt the bile in his throat begin to rise. "I cut and hacked and cut and hacked and cut and hacked… I had to show Sensei and the others the truth." Blue eyes overshadowed by blond hair looked to Yosuke. "How are you still alive Yosuke?"

"Oh enough of this! Get out of our way!" Chie rushed forward, dashing swiftly.

"Chie, no!" Yosuke shouted. Something didn't feel right about this Reflection, like it was more dangerous.

Chie went for a straight kick. Her form was flawless, it was a kick she had performed a thousand times, a sort of punt that would drive most Shadows away. It was a kick that Yosuke had felt on Yu's first day of school and she had only strengthened her legs since then.

The Reflection Teddie dove under the foot. The blue eyes flashed with something. "How could you forget about me?!" It screamed before coming up with one of those gauntlets. It proceeded to slice through Chie's unprotected leg, cutting from the calf muscle up to the hamstring.

"Ahhh!" Chie's scream echoed out as crimson began to flow freely, splattering the Reflection in Crimson. It sprang up and was beginning to spin, like it was going to use those claws to cleave out Chie's throat with a vicious backhand.

"Garudyne!" Yosuke rushed forward as the wind buffeted at the Reflection, driving it back as he went to his girlfriend. Teddie's Reflection landed in a bit of a crouch, with the actual Teddie coming up and holding his claw out.

"Yosuke! She's looking bad!" Teddie shouted.

Indeed, Chie's leg was cut to ribbons. And neither Teddie or Yosuke were that good at healing. Teddie was better, having a stronger version of the Dia line than what Yosuke had, but it didn't change the fact, it was probably too much for the bear to completely heal up. Yosuke grit his teeth. "Ted, watch her, give her aid." Yosuke gripped his knives tighter as he began to walk forward.

"Yosuke…" Chie gritted out. "He's fast." Her tone was a whimper that cut through Yosuke's heart.

Yosuke inhaled a bit and he put his headphones on properly. Anger surged through Yosuke as he gripped his knives a bit more before letting his grip lax. "I'm faster." He cranked the volume up as loud as it would go, drowning everything but the music out.

Yosuke charged forward with the Reflection coming to meet him head on. The Reflection reached out to swipe with those long claws, Yosuke reversed the grip of his knife and parried, going into a roll under the deflected arm. As he came up, he ripped his knife through the Reflection's side. Behind it, he drove his foot backwards slamming into its back.

He slid to the right, half dancing to the beat of the music as he dodged Teddie's Reflection spinning to try and cut out Yosuke's feet. Another hop and and he blasted the false bear with another Garudyne, landing as he cast the spell. He rushed forward to get in close, deflecting, parrying, and dodging the slashes. He even jabbed his knife in between the claws, twisting harshly to force the claws back and away before cutting across the bear's chest.

There was just a cold, bottomless rage in Yosuke at what this thing had done to Chie. And he was the wrathful storm exacting its revenge. Cut, by cut, Yosuke split the bear to ribbons. One after another, the cuts came fast and swift. He didn't focus on anything but the bear. The music drowned everything else out, and Yosuke was hyper focused on dodging and using his leaner form to stay out of danger.

He dodged another slash before he came up and drove the knife up under the ribs of Teddie's Reflection. The other tip of the long knife stuck out through the shoulder and Yosuke spun around the blond. The other knife came up and he slit the throat, deep and from ear to ear.

The Reflection shattered like glass. Yosuke's knife clattered to the ground before he picked it up and took his headphones off.

"Yosuke?" Chie was staring at him wide eyed. "Where the hell did that come from?"

Yosuke began to walk to the pair and he crouched beside Chie. "Ted, what's the verdict?"

Teddie actually whimpered. It caused Yosuke to look at him, and Teddie flinched. "Yuki-chan will want to look at it. I did what I could."

Yosuke put a knife down and he reached out. Teddie flinched again as Yosuke put his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I'm not going to do that to you. Okay?" He asked the bear. "You and me buddy."

Teddie nodded carefully. "R-right." He still hesitated, but then Yosuke supposed he had just witnessed his own body double getting massacred at Yosuke's hands. "Right." Teddie said with a little more confidence. "Do you mind if I talk to Sensei about this?"

"I'm sure he'd like that." Yosuke said. He looked to Chie a moment. "Sorry you had to see that side of me."

"The hell did it come from?" Chie asked. There was still some tightness in her tone from her pain, but it was clear she was focused on other matters.

"Long story short, you don't fuck with my girlfriend." Yosuke said bluntly. "Come on." He tucked his knives away and actually lifted Chie up bridal style. "Damn Chie, you need to lay off the steak."

"Oi!" She smacked him upside the head. "You don't make a stupid comment like that!"

Geez. Yosuke really wondered how Yu handled the pitfalls of his relationship with Naoto.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira grunted as he impacted hard onto the ground. He grunted in pain as he felt something pop out of place, pain shooting through his left shoulder viciously. He forced his body to get up. First to his knees and then up to his feet, pushing himself to get up. His left arm didn't want to respond, and even the few minor tests he tried had pain shoot through it, pain that almost drove him to his knees.

He breathed a bit and glanced to the arm. He couldn't tell if it was broken or dislocated. Would one of the Dia line of spells fix it? Or would it have to be set properly? He touched the shoulder, wincing in pain at just the weight of his hand on it. He had to try. "Diarama." There was a sickening pop and white hot pain lanced through his arm, driving him to his knees. "Gah!" But then a soothing sensation spread from his shoulder and he could feel his body begin to relax.

He breathed a heavy sigh of relief before he reached up and brushed the tears from his eyes away. "Oh thank you for small miracles." He whispered before he glanced around to really take stock of his situation.

He was in some kind of lab set up like it was straight out of science fiction. Large saws and drills hung from the ceiling on moveable arms. There was an operating table in the middle of it all. None of his friends were there, his dagger stuck point down from where it landed on the ground, and some distance away his handgun sat in pieces. He could also see Morgana's saber and slingshot.

"Oh fuck me." Akira allowed the swear to slip in the privacy of him being by himself. Iwai was going to ream him a new one when he went to get a new handgun, the man would probably be wondering what he had done to his work of art.

His pack was also missing, meaning he had no supplies to work with other than his current reserves, part of which had just been spent on healing a broken or dislocated shoulder.

Akira went and gathered what he could, silently lamenting the loss of money that would come when he replaced the various thermos that he had. They weren't cheap, and being a Phantom Thief wasn't exactly the most lucrative of businesses when he also had to pay for maintenance on their weapons, pay to put their armor through the wash, and more.

He tucked Morgana's saber carefully between his belt and his waist. The slingshot he tucked into his back pocket and the pieces to his gun went into his various pockets as well. He inhaled a moment and just took a second to get himself mentally prepared for what was to come. It was the first time that he had been alone inside of the Metaverse.

No, it wasn't the first time. He could feel the old nightmares creeping back at the thought of Futaba's Palace. He shook his head a moment. He gripped the handle of Paradise Lost. He didn't bother with checking the edge of it, even outside the Metaverse it was incredibly sharp.

"This must be Naoto-senpai's lab." Akira said, glancing around and recalling the memories of what Yu said. Back then, he certainly hadn't been ready for it. Even now, he wondered if he was ready for it. He didn't have a choice in the matter this time, but he did have to wonder about the difficulty of the enemies that he was about to face.

He bounced on his toes a moment before he started to jog. He would have to conserve his energy to the best of his abilities.

That last about four fights.

Akira forced himself to grit his teeth as another explosion that he was danger close to rocked his body. His skin was covered in burns and soot, his clothes were scorched. As he impacted the wall, he swore he was going to have a very long conversation with Naoto about the amount of explosive ordinance the Shadows within her Lab had. He was having to use a base Dia after every fight just to push forward. He was tired, his brow was drenched in sweat, and he knew he smelled burning hair.

But he pushed through, he pushed and pushed, running up the stairs. Sometimes he stumbled but he had to keep pushing on. His feet felt like they were made of lead, his body ached in ways he never knew were possible, and he was pretty sure he wasn't ever going to look at tanks without having some semblance of a panic attack.

He came up to the top and sucked in fresh air, half collapsing to his knees and almost throwing up from the pain his body was racked with. The cool and fresh air of the outside of the Lab made congealed sweat against his chest and half ruined shirt. He collapsed to the side, gasping for air.

Hell. He had just walked through Hell. "Never. Ever. Going. Without. Friends. Again."

Suddenly, Akira's vision was obscured by his face leaning over him. "Yo." The other him said rather cheerfully, including a wave. Akira had once slicked his hair back, trying to tame the mess of curls and tangles that his frizzy hair brought. He thought it had looked stupid.

He still thought it looked stupid as he looked up at it.

"I don't suppose you'll accept a rain check on this fight." Akira said with a grunt. He was too tired to care. He had been through too many fights at that moment to care.

"Nah…" His Reflection slowly shook his head.

"DIdn't think so." Akira said with a groan. "Look, I just blew up like… two dozen tanks on my way up her, can I get like five minutes?"

"Sure! Recharge those batteries." His other self was chipper. Great. Not only was his hair stupid looking, he was chipper. Akira was going to feel so much satisfaction when he punched him in the face.

"So what's your deal?" Akira asked. "DIdn't really get to talk with my last Reflection."

His Reflection stuck his hand out. "Ren Amamiya, Phantom Thief extraordinaire."

Akira reached up and took the hand. "Akira Kurusu, currently I smell like smoked short ribs."

Ren laughed at that as they shook hands like they were friends. If Akira could tolerate being around Goro Akechi who sounded like he was measuring Akira up to slip a knife into his back, then he could tolerate this… chipper version of himself. "Yaldabaoth called a favor in, so well… Here I am." Ren said with a grin.

"I immediately didn't like you." Akira said rather bluntly. "Your hair is stupid."

Ren laughed at that a bit. "Oh! Oh! This coming from the guy that looks like he made out with a light socket?"

"You know… Fuck the five minutes." Akira pushed himself to his feet and picked up Paradise Lost.

"That's the spirit!" Ren said. He produced another knife, but Akira noted that it wasn't Paradise Lost, so he had something to be thankful in that regard.

Akira measured his opponent. His body was sore, and his reserves were… minimal at that moment. And he was right. He smelled like smoked meat. He tightened his hand on his knife a bit as he watched Ren. "So… how'd you and Yaldabaoth become buddies?" He stepped in and took two slashes, both of which were deflected.

"Oh, he made me an offer I decided was better for the team." Ren stepped in with two probing slashes which were also avoided. "See, I can't give too many spoilers, but you just finished up Futaba's Palace right?"

"Been done for about a month and a half." Akira stepped in and the slashes came faster. Paradise Lost had a long reach, so his Reflection had to be more careful.

Ren gave a low whistle. "Not bad. You must have known about her Palace even before Medjed. Anyways, you guys should be on the top of your game. Your name should be on everyone's lips. See, I loved that. People actually believed we were doing good! I couldn't give that up."

' _So he has abandoned his Rebellion!'_ Akira was surprised to hear the deep, booming and regal voice of Satanael echoing from Paradise Lost. Hadn't he executed the Persona? ' _This cannot stand!'_

' _I must agree.'_ Arsene's voice echoed through Akira's head as he continued to deflect and block Ren's knife. ' _You once swore to me to walk the path of Rebellion, even knowing you were chaining yourself to Hell itself. Show this imposter what happens when you break our pact!'_

A red and black aura erupted around Paradise Lost, making Ren leap back in surprise at the event. Akira however just went with it. It wasn't hurting him. He saw Ren looking to use his Persona and Akira took a swipe at his arm, making blood spill out.

"Ah Shit!" Ren shouted as he pulled his gun, pulling the trigger.

Akira ignored the way the round tore through his shoulder. Sharp pain erupted in the shoulder again, but for the past two hours he had been blown up so many times he was in a constant fuzzy state of pain that he was able to ignore being shot again. He brought Paradise Lost up and took Ren's hand with the pistol in it at the wrist.

Akira then kicked his Reflection away before he bent down. He had to pry the gun out from the fingers of the severed hand which was a new concept, but Akira was going on pure survival instincts. Arsene and Satanael were demanding the death of Ren Amamiya.

And Akira knew that he wouldn't be safe until the Reflection was dead.

"Black Viper!" Ren shouted his spell out and Ren hit the ground hard, the spell flying over him to impact against the entrance to Naoto's lab.

Akira drew a bead on the chest of his Reflection and pulled the trigger. Once, twice, three times. He stood up as each shot caused his Reflection to jerk as blood splattered and stained his shirt. Akira ejected the clip with practiced ease as he approached his Reflection.

"You should have finished your Rebellion." Akira said before he drove his knife into the Reflection's chest. He watched until it shattered like glass.

Akira examined the handgun a moment and nodded his head. He tucked it into the waistband of his pants. It took the ammo he had for it, and it was quite the nice handgun.

Now… he just had to find his way out of there.

Chapter End

 **A/N: And there we have it, a lot of fights jam packed into one chapter, I tried to keep them short and fast paced so you guys wouldn't get bored reading it.**

 **Each of the Phantom Thieves' Reflections are based on sort of bad endings. Like if Akira and his friends didn't steal Madarame's Heart or Kaneshiro's heart. Now imagine the worst possible things that could happen to Yusuke and Makoto. Hell, the game makes it sound like Makoto is raped and brutalized in Kaneshiro's club. Haru was more the concept that she takes her father's death poorly and actually sells the Phantom Thieves' plot out to Goro Akechi. And Ren was of course where you accept Yaldabaoth's offer.**

 **Teddie's Reflection was sort of the idea of what if Teddie fell into the despair his shadow brought at the end of the Strip Club dungeon. Why he has a human form and weapons… Yaldabaoth. We're blaming that fuck for a lot.**

 **So… where is Yu, Futaba, and Rise? Who will they face? Are they even together? Who are the remaining two figures? God, this is starting to sound like the end of a Dragon Ball Z episode.**

 **The other half of this chapter should be about this length, so hope you guys have been liking these big updates.**


	30. Chapter 30: Inaba Day Five (Pt2)

Chapter 30: Inaba Day Five (Pt.2)

Yu grunted as his back impacted with the hard wood, worse it was done at an odd angle, making his head soon smack into the harder ground. And that pain was nothing compared to when a heel was dropped on his groin. Martial artist or not, there was just some things he wasn't always as prepared for when they occurred.

Writhing in pain and having his groin smashed in was not one of those.

Groaning, he slipped off the stage backwards and just laid there, trying to remember how to breathe and failing at most of it

"Senpai! Oh no, I'm so, so sorry!" Rise said, moving off the stage to come to his side.

Yu let out a pained grunt before he slowly forced himself up to his knees and then his feet. He exhaled in a low, slow breath. "I'm alright." He said, even if his tone of voice said otherwise. Oh, that was going to throb for a few minutes. 'The others?" he asked

Rise shook her head. "Just you, me, and Futaba-chan."

"Oracle?" Yu asked. "You alright?"

"Nng. Yeah... I think I busted my head though." Futaba said.

Yu made his way over towards Futaba. She was curled up on the stage. He ran his fingers through her scalp. "A little blood, but nothing that won't wash out. Rise? Any injuries?" he asked.

"I think I might have sprained my ankle." Rise said, sitting on the edge of the stage.

"Alright." Yu swapped from Izanagi-no-Okami to Ishtar, one of his lesser used Persona on deck. Not that she was a bad one, but simply put Yukiko was the one doing most of the healing. "Salvation." A bit of overkill for a cut on the head, an injured groin, and a sprained ankle, but Yu wasn't going to be taking any chances.

He then swapped back to Izanagi-no-Okami, not having to worry about getting tired like others would.

Yu glanced around a bit. He could hardly imagine the emotions that were rolling through Rise at being back in the Strip Club that she had almost died in. He could see that she was pointedly not looking at anyone, blushing brightly. Futaba seemed to figure out where they were at and was blushing as well at the implications.

Yu pulled his bag around and noticed that he didn't have any supplies either. Just his sword which was more than fine with him. He took it out and balanced it on his shoulder a moment. It looked like Futaba and Rise both had their things still. "Rise, use Kouzeon and scan the area. See if anyone is inside the club." He said, trying to get bring everything back.

"Right." Rise said and closed her eyes, bringing her hands up like she was praying. She frowned a moment. "Senpai, I'm getting interference with Kouzeon." She said. "I don't know what's causing it. But my range is limited."

Yu frowned a moment. It wasn't often that Rise had interference, but it was possible. "Futaba, can you scan the area with the Necronomicon?" he asked.

Futaba frowned a moment. She then took a seat on the stage and pulled her pack around. She pulled her laptop out and opened it up, beginning to tap things out. "It's a little strange, I don't think I can pull on the Necronomicon's full power while we're in the TV. At the most, I can maybe scan a floor at a time."

Yu frowned a little more. Damn. Something, or more likely someone, was causing interference with Rise's Persona, and Futaba's Persona wasn't at full power because she couldn't summon it within the TV World. He was their only combat oriented member, not that he'd wish the two girls to be by themselves or something. This was looking worse and worse the more he looked at it.

"Armor?" He asked.

"Oh! Akira made me bring some along!" Futaba said, pulling out a vest from her bag and putting it on. She zipped it up. "Little heavy though." She said.

Rise pulled some out as well and slipped it on. She also pulled out what looked like a small metal baton. "It's not much, and I won't be going front lines with you, but I can maybe hold a Shadow back. I haven't really had to use it since Yosuke-senpai made me get it."

Yu nodded his head a bit. "Better than I had hoped, to be honest." He said. And it had been a smart move on Yosuke's part to get Rise to carry some armor and something for basic self defense. Their numbers allowed for them to usually have three guards on her, but every now and then things got busy.

He sighed a bit, his mind racing through what he had to do. He swapped from Izanagi-no-Okami onto Beelzebub. The magically gifted powerhouse Persona would likely be more beneficial than his World Arcana. Plus, he could swap back and forth with ease, especially once he was a little low on energy. The frightful Persona would allow for him to blast away the enemies since it had more of the elements at its disposal.

Not that Megidolaon was a bad spell to fire over and over again, simply that something weak to fire would take more damage from an Agidyne from Beelzebub.

"Okay, here's how we're going to do this. Futaba, Rise, you're going to stay behind me. About the same distance Naoto and I stay behind the Phantom Thieves, so Futaba you set your pace. Keep your guard up, keep scanning. When we come to a new floor, Futaba do a scan as quick as you can to see if we're able to find our friends. If you can, find me the stairs and I'll clear the way. If Shadows start converging on you, let me know and I'll come running." Yu turned to the hallway leading out to the first set of stairs.

"Wow… I knew he was a leader, but he usually defers to Akira." Futaba said.

"Oh yeah, Senpai's good at leading." Rise said. "Got us through more than a few tough encounters because of his leadership abilities."

Together, the trio began to make their way down through the strip club. Yu took point, but always stayed in line of sight so that he could make a mad dash to Futaba and Rise if they needed him there. And there were more than a few times when it happened.

They came to the entrance of the Strip Club, a small seed of worry in Yu's mind at no one else being inside the club. Were his friends okay? It was impossible to tell, but it wasn't something that he could focus on. First he had to get Futaba and Rise out of the Club.

There was a bit of a giggle. "I knew you wouldn't be defeated by this place. It's going to take more than that to kill you Senpai~" Stepping in front of the group, Yu couldn't help but stare a moment. He blinked, trying to register what he was saying.

"Are you… Rise?" Yu heard the slight gasp from his friend behind him.

"Got it in one." The redhead's hair was cut almost boyishly short. It was not the tangle of hat hair like Naoto had and charming, this was more of a stylish pixie cut to her hair that had some form of product in it, making it stick up. She was dressed in a black and red skirt with torn black leggings and a pair of heavy boots. A red blouse was tucked into the skirt with a black choker necklace. And most concerning she was holding a kusuri-gama, the chain and sickle resting in her hands quite comfortably.

Well, that might explain why Rise was unable to use Kouzeon as well as they would have liked.

"Rise, Futaba… stay back." Yu began to step more solidly into the entrance.

"Oh ho… Big man himself is going to fight me." Rise said. She bent her knees a little bit and she began to swing the weighted end of the kusuri-gama. The weight traced lazy circles in the air a bit. "I'm going to enjoy killing you again, Narukami." Her tone was like venom now. "After your fuck ups as a leader, my Kanji got killed." The weight began to spin faster. "I killed you once, now I'll get to kill you again and again and again!"

Like lightning she whipped the weight out and Yu barely managed to dodge. "Get back out of her range!" he told the two girls behind him.

The weight was retracted and Rise's Reflection came rushing at him. She was fast on her feet, and now that Yu was looking she had muscle tone that his Rise didn't have. Muscle that came from running, came from fighting, came from training. She traced the sickle at him and he had to admit, Rise's Reflection was good. She knew the length of his sword and knew to get in close to make it so he had difficulty swinging it as well as he usually did. A flick of her wrist wrapped her weighted chain around the blade and she tugged, forcing his sword wide.

She came down at his thigh with the sickle. He winced at the pain of it slicing through his thigh as he took a step back. She came forward, slicing for his throat and he brought his hand up, taking the blow against his arm instead of having her slit his throat. "Yoshitsune!" He changed into his Physically oriented Persona and took the next attack against his forearm once more.

He took a chance to slam the pommel of his sword into her face. It didn't work, but it did get her to back up, even taking a few more steps away from him. He expected the chain and went charging after her. "Yoshitsune doesn't care about physical attacks! Hassou-"

"What about the poison?" Rise's Reflection asked with a smirk.

Yu felt the pulse of poison in his system. Poison spread much faster in the Metaverse than in the real world, and it was almost like his entire system was infected so quickly after those cuts. He actually and coughed blood up mid run. But he grit his teeth. "Tobi!" He would finish Yoshitsune's attack.

He came in for a hard slash and Rise's Reflection waited until the last second before she seemed to dodge under the blade and move past him, sending Yu sprawling to the ground as the attack missed. A second coughing fit took him, blood coming up to splatter on the ground. He swiped his fingers away from Yoshitsune to Ishtar. "Amrita." Relief filled his lungs a moment as he sucked down air and lick his lips of the copper tang. "Diaharan." He stood up, breathing a little easier.

Rise casually stood in front of him, swinging the weight around in slow lazy circles. "Oh, I know all about Yoshitsune. Negates physical attacks, reflects lightning… Mmm. You loved that Persona. It was so handy, especially with the ability to do eight attacks at once that you could charge up. I shoulda thanked your counterpart for this fine weapon. It compliments my Persona quite well." She continued swinging the weight around.

"Senpai!" Rise shouted out from behind her Reflection. "Shadows are converging on us!"

Yu grit his teeth and grabbed his sword tighter. He would just have to stay on Ishtar then and handle the poison as it came. He wiped the blood with the back of his hand and stood up again. "Ziodyne!" He crushed Ishtar's card to blast Rise's Reflection with the lightning spell of Ishtar.

"Sorry, Yamata no Orochi is immune to lightning." Rise came charging at him once more. "Makajam!" Rise cut through a Tarot Card.

Yu felt the spell strike his chest and sink in. It was not a spell he was completely familiar with since he had such a wide variety of spells. But since her weapon did poison damage, Yu wasn't going to take any chance. He went summon Ishtar again to use another Amrita.

But he couldn't. No words came from his mouth.

Yu's eyes went wide as he dodged away from Rise's attacks. Clever. She was a saboteur. There was no way that she'd be able to hold up to the might of Yu's multitude of Persona. By silencing him, until he got cured of that status, he'd be incapable of summoning his Persona or even changing to Izanagi-no-Okami.

He circled around Rise much the same way she had done to him and he held his sword out carefully. He still had tricks up his sleeve, even if he didn't have his Persona. He was fairly accomplished with his sword, and he still had a number of kilograms over Rise's Reflection.

"Senpai!" Rise's scream from behind made him risk a glance. She was pinned to a wall by a large lion shadow with a massive steel ball attached to it with a chain. She had her baton out and in its mouth, keeping it from chomping down on it. She was barely avoiding the claws, evident by the blood trickling down her leg.

"What will you do?" Rise's Reflection asked. "If you go to their aid, I get a free shot at your back, and I don't think you want that while you're stuck on Ishtar. If you don't go to their aid, that airhead will get killed." She licked her lips, as though enjoying Yu's situation.

No, there was a third option. Yu could see Futaba. She was standing there against a wall, wide eyed and staring at the Shadow. She could save Rise, but she needed a tool to do it with. He gripped his sword tighter before he turned and tossed it down the hallway. It clattered against the ground before spinning and sliding, hitting one of Futaba's shoes and coming to a halt.

Yu didn't have time to look and see if Futaba would understand. He dodged the weight coming at him and moved to get in close. He wasn't going to do anything from far away, so he had to get close.

Rise's Reflection gave a smirk of confidence. "I can't believe you threw your weapon away!" She charged him as well as she retracted the weight. She came in slashing with the sickle. He had to focus and he was able to dodge well enough. But he knew the slightest hesitation was going to get him killed. "Not only will you die, but those two will as well, then I'll hunt down the rest of them."

Yu caught the sickle with his left arm, gritting his teeth as the blade dug deeply into his arm. But it gave him a chance to lash out with a punch right to the Reflection's face. His strike landed true, her weapon was caught in his arm after all.

The slashes came faster, this Reflection having a pain tolerance it seemed. Yu used his arms to block, trying not to let the weapon cut too deeply. He even used his longer legs to throw a kick and force her back.

He paid for it when he took the chain to the ribs with almost bone breaking force. But he grit his teeth through the pain and grabbed the chain and yanked, forcing her to come back over to him. He ducked under the slash she tried to come in with and wrapped his arm around her waist before he lifted and slammed her into the ground.

She kicked and fought him for every inch. But Yu made quick work of wrapping the chain around her arm and yanking, forcing it back. He moved forward, pulling her upper body up. He had to struggle with her flailing and he knew he was only going to get one shot at putting her down. He released both her hands and grabbed the front and back of her head. He almost failed as the poison pulsed into his body and a coughing fit threatened to take him.

He gave a sharp twist and there was a disgusting crack. The body shattered like glass.

Yu glanced up, looking to see if he needed to go help, only to see the two girls staring at him. Rise's eyes were wide and her face was pale. He got up from his crouching spot, seeing the tears welling in Rise's eyes. He carefully went over to her and held his arms out wide. She flinched at the motion, but realized what he was going for and stepped in to hug him, burying her face against his chest and sobbing. Lightly, he stroked her hair.

No one deserved to see themselves being killed like that. Not at the hands of someone they looked up to or had romantic feelings towards. But Yu knew, if he wanted to keep his friends safe then he couldn't hesitate. Carefully, he motioned to Futaba and began to lead Rise past, making sure she didn't look and keeping her eyes covered. While there was no evidence of the deed, he had no doubt the image would be forever burned into Rise's eyes.

"Yu, do you think you can do something about the injuries?" Futaba asked as they got out of the club. She looked to be sporting a few deep cuts and Rise was definitely limping

Yu shook his head and held his hand out for his sword. She gave it back. He began to look like he was speaking, but he knew no sound was coming out.

"Senpai's silenced." Rise said, her voice a little distant. "He can't change Persona or use the skills until he gets healed. And he doesn't have any items to cure it himself." At Yu's next coughing, spitting up blood in the process, Rise explained more. "And he's also poisoned, which can slowly kill him if we're not careful. Hopefully Yukiko or Teddie get here soon."

"Morgana might be able to do something too." Futaba offered.

Yu led the way, half being leaned on by Rise and half leaning on her as a coughing fit took his body every so often. Once at the 'normal' entrance to the TV world, Yu took a seat on the stairs. His vision was swimming and he was having difficulty hearing, everything sounded as though it was distant and in a tunnel.

It was the longest he had been poisoned for, and it was wrecking his body. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth and he had to spit it out every so often. There was nothing nice or neat about it, he was a mess.

His arms dripped with blood too. The blood loss was making it difficult as well. He found it getting hard to think.

"Yu-kun!" He heard the loud cry, but it came muffled. Distant. He glanced up and tried to focus his vision. "Amrita!"

Yu lurched. His diaphragm spasmed and he turned, coughing blood up over the raining. Only it came out more brackish than actually true red as his body violently purged out the large amount of poison that had filled his system. His vision came swimming back to focus and he spat out more of the foul taste from his mouth.

A gentle hand touched his back and rubbed in circles. "Yu-kun, are you okay?" He heard Yukiko ask.

He turned to look at her and nodded. "A little weak, but nothing I can't handle." He said. He cleared his throat and spat once more. "I'll handle the rest, okay? You look tired."

"Thanks." Yukiko said. "I used Burning Petals, so I'm not at peak."

Yu turned to the collective group. So far it was only his group and Yukiko's which consisted of her, Haru and Yusuke. He was about to summon up Ishtar when Naoto came in from the side, carrying Ryuji on her shoulders. He winced at seeing the broken leg. His girlfriend's brow was covered in sweat and her shirt clung to her from it as well, her armor more visible beneath. Makoto followed up behind them and soon they helped Ryuji to the ground.

Yosuke's group came running up. Him and Teddie with Yosuke carrying an irate looking Chie that was wincing on occasion. Yu noted the blood on her leg and he felt his blood begin to boil. His friends were hurt. They were hurt by the bastards that had come into this usually peaceful world.

Kanji, Ann, and Morgana came over. There was some pauses and looks of hesitance, but they soon gathered up as well.

"Where's Akira?" Ryuji asked from his position on the ground.

Shit. It looked like Akira was on his own. "Rise" Yu said.

"Kouzeon!" Rise summoned her Persona up, and this time it came into existence like it should always have. "He's almost to us, I sent him a message on how to get the rest of the way. I'll start scanning for what's left." She said.

"Woah, you can do that?" Futaba asked, looking at Kouzeon a bit more closely. "That quickly?"

"Senpai usually kept me in the back. I had to be useful." Rise said.

Akira came up, holding his left shoulder. "Hi!" he said a bit snarkily. "Guess where I've been?!" Judging from the way that his clothes were scorched, his hair scorched, and the understandable way he was upset, Yu didn't quite blame the younger teen for his attitude.

Naoto winced a moment. "I apolo-"

"No, no. No. You don't get to apologize. Why the hell is there so many fucking explosives to your Lab?" Akira asked. He took a deep breath, let it out and shook his head. "I have a bullet in my shoulder, can we get it out so I can get a heal?"

Naoto made her way over with Makoto to do that, to dig the bullet out of his shoulder.

Now that everyone was there, Yu knew he could finally pass out the heal. "Salvation!" The spell washed over everyone, and Yu felt the dizzy lightheadedness go away as Ishtar healed him up to being healthy. Ryuji gave a wince as his leg was summarily reset and then fixed in the span of moments.

There was a general sound of relief from everyone. The pinched features on their faces slowly relaxed, and Yu could see more than a few of them just sit down and take stock of their situation. He swapped over to Izanagi-no-Okami and felt his energy come back.

Really, putting him down for good would take a lot of work.

Everyone just sat around a moment, breathing and getting their bearings. After a time, Akira spoke up. "What happened?" he asked, his mood clearly settling to be better and less sarcastic.

"Difficult to say. We've never been separated before." Yu said. "Not on coming in at least. We've had to come in and get someone that wasn't with us, but this, all of this, is new. Plus, there were stronger Shadows than what should have been at the Club.' He said.

Yukiko nodded. "There were stronger Shadows at the Castle than there should have been."

"Same with the Bath House." Kanji said.

"Yes, the same with the 8-Bit dungeon." Naoto said. "Which, coincidentally, I would like to never go to again. It makes no logical sense."

"We went to Adachi's crazy ass city." Yosuke said, motioning to himself, Chie, and Teddie. "But the enemies felt about the same."

"Senpai, I'm getting a reading." Rise said, having not dropped Kouzeon and stayed scanning. After a moment, she winced. "You're really not going to like it." She said softly.

Yu's eyes narrowed and he gripped the hilt of his sword. It rattled slightly in his grip as he thought about the inevitable place he would be going. He turned on his heel and quickly began to walk off.

"We should probably-" Akira started.

"Yeah." Yosuke was already moving after Yu.

But the silver haired adult stalked as quickly as he could. He didn't quite stomp, but it was a close thing as he made his way along a path that he had long since memorized, that he had long since hated walking.

"Where are we going?" Futaba asked from in the back.

"Heaven." Naoto said a bit grimly. "Word of warning, Senpai despises that place. He's usually more composed, and can even talk about it outside here,"

"His little cousin was taken there." Chie supplied. "And the last time we made this walk, it was to get her back. He sprinted out of there with her in his arms, collapsed and having difficulty breathing."

"That's not the worst of it." Naoto said softly.

Yu came to the gates of Heaven and didn't even slow down. The first Shadow that attacked was another one from the city that Adachi had created in that place. But Yu was well and truly beyond pissed, beyond angry. "Megidolaon." He blasted the Shadow away. And that created a cascade with him blasting each Shadow that go in his path with a Megidolaon.

He never swapped off Izanagi-no-Okami, and so he kept the blasts continuous. The path ended up pock marked and littered with rubble that crunched as he stepped over it, but he didn't stop blasting. There was a bit of a recharge time, but for the most part, Yu Narukami was completely obliterating everything in his way.

The reason he didn't just normally use the tactic was that it usually drew Shadows to them. And if he wasn't careful, he would drain his reserves much faster. With Izanagi-no-Okami this was less of an issue, but it was still ingrained in his head that he had to watch his reserves.

They were getting to the final level of Heaven when Izanagi-no-Okami spoke in his head. ' _Thou art beginning to outstrip my ability to keep thy reserves.'_

' _One more floor, can you handle it?'_ Yu asked his Persona, wondering if even he would need a pause for a few moments.

' _Thine own rage mirrors mine, let us be done with this place!'_ That was all the confirmation that Yu needed. The last floor of Heaven, he continued blasting through the path, blazing the way forward. He knew the others were concerned, but all Yu was seeing, all he was hearing was Nanako's whimpers, her gasps for air.

It set his blood boiling.

They came to the final floor and Yu quickly crossed the area up to the platform. He could see where he had fought Margaret, the small platform surrounded by flowers. And there, standing with his back to the group was another Reflection. His white coat fluttered in the wind, but there was no mistaking the build, or the mop of silver hair.

Yu was staring at the back of his own Reflection.

Slowly, his Reflection turned around to face the group. "I see the others failed." He said. "Good. Good." He began to remove the white duster length coat and he carefully folded it up. The Reflection then tossed it to the ground.

"I'm not letting you get at Akira." Yu said, stepping to the front of the group a little more.

"That's fine." His Reflection said. He raised his sword and pointed it at Yu's chest. "I want you after all. No Yoshitsune, no Izanagi-no-Okami. If the others step in, I'll summon Izanagi-no-Okami and start raining Megidolaon attacks on them."

After the display Yu had performed getting there, he doubted the others were so willing to risk that. They might, there was always a chance of dodging, but Izanagi-no-Okami would keep his Reflection fresh.

"How did you separate us?" Makoto asked.

"Izanagi-no-Okami is of the World Arcana. He can manipulate this world a little bit, I simply tried to keep you separated and sent the others on their way after the targets they wanted." Yu's Reflection said. "Of course, Rise and Teddie did try to kill me, but a bit of logic moved them along."

Yu gripped his sword a moment. "Guys… Stay back." he said before he started to walk up the path.

"Senpai, you can't be serious." Naoto said, about to follow after him.

"It's alright Naoto-kun." Yu told her. "I don't want you guys getting hurt." He glanced towards the coat in the flowers. "Nice coat." He said.

"Thank you. Kanji made it for me." His Reflection said.

Yu held up his fingers. "Alice." He said, swiping to a new Persona.

His Reflection swiped to a different one as well. "Lucifer."

Yu brought his sword up into his familiar stance and watched as his Reflection mirrored it. It was almost eerie how similar they were. If it wasn't for the way they were dressed, it would be difficult for the others to determine which one was which.

"My name is Souji Seta." Yu's Reflection, Souji, said.

"Yu Narukami. Your girlfriend didn't happen to be crazy, was she?" He had to ask.

"No, I heard about that, but no, my Naoto was not quite so… Yeah. And to be perfectly truthful, I was dating Chie." The Reflection grimaced a bit at the mention of the rather crazy Naoto that Yu had been kidnapped by.

On some unseen signal, both Fools dashed ahead. The swords clashed in a dance of blades. Yu knew every slash, every parry, every block that his counterpart was going to attempt. He knew that Souji knew every slash, every parry, every block that Yu would use. It made for an interesting battle as their blades sang through the air. Not only did they have to get creative, but both were skilled in the art of sword play. Both had taken kendo for a long time.

It was no battle between two master swordsmen, but it was a fight to the death between two students of the sword. Each flash of steel could potentially be the last, but the blades met and met, time and time again as the pair circled around one another.

Yu grunted as he felt the blade impact against his own. "You're better than my last Reflection." He said as he forced the blade back and moved to take a swing. Of course, it was met with a block of its own.

"What makes you think I'm the Reflection?" Souji asked as he moved his sword. "What makes you think you're the real one? Maybe none of us are the real one." Yu couldn't really argue that logic. "Maybe I'm the real one." They locked blades again. But neither of them were able to gain a measure of an upper hand. "I finished my journey too."

Yu grunted and disengaged, moving to punch his Reflection in the face, but it was expected and redirected before Yu had to leap back to keep from being bisected. "So why me?" He asked as he moved back to get into the fray.

Souji clashed blades with him again, but this time Yu really felt the impact. "Because I _despise_ you." He said with a grunt as he leaned into the blade. Yu felt his feet slide backwards a bit. "I _hate_ you and everything that you are." A flurry of blows came as Souji began to crash his sword into Yu's. Yu had difficulty keeping up. "You left! You left your friends behind!" Yu winced at the force of blow and more to the point, the heat behind the words. "You, a coward of a man that went back to Shibuya instead of staying in Inaba. I cannot accept you! I cannot accept that there's a version of me that was so cowardly!" The sound of the blades clashing on one another echoed about Heaven over the gentle wind.

Yu couldn't help the stabbing sensation that shot through him with every declaration Souji gave. It did feel like he had left his friends behind most days.

"How many events did you miss? How many birthdays?!" The blows came harder and it was taking all Yu had to focus on the flashing of steel that came to cut him down. "How many tears did you miss? How many of them cried without their friend around to comfort them?" Yu stopped trying to block and just focused on avoiding. The slashes were not wild, but they were definitely dangerous. "You abandoned what you learned! You stopped being true to who you are and left them like a coward! If you're me, how many times did we attempt suicide just to get the crushing loneliness to stop? And you threw it away!" Souji roared the words at Yu.

A harsh side kick into Yu's stomach sent him stumbling back. "And now because of your meddling, my friends are hostages!" And there was the rub. The friends of Souji Seta were being held hostage and making someone that shouldn't care what Yu Narukami did actually take action. "I kill you, I kill that bastard over there, and then I get to go home to be with my friends once again. So just die!" Souji came running forward and Yu bowed his head.

Thoughts raced through his mind as his hair overshadowed his eyes. He thought on Yaldabaoth kidnapping his own friends. What would he be willing to do? What had he been willing to do all this time for his friends. This one cut so much closer to home than his last Reflection. The last one had felt like it had truly taken every left turn it could while Yu took a right. Souji Seta it seemed took only one or two left turns from Yu's, and that was when it came time to leave Inaba.

But… Yu wasn't willing to die. He gripped his sword tight. "You hate me?" he whispered softly.

"Senpai/Sensei/Fool/Narukami!" The others shouted from the side.

Yu brought his sword up like a flash of lightning. He slid his left hand further down on the hilt of the blade and brought it up. Just as he had done in kendo when he returned from Inaba, he used the hilt of the blade in a bold way, to parry the sword. The blade dug into the wooden handle a bit more, but the upwards force caused the blade to slide from the wood and Yu turned the blade before bringing it down hard, cutting through his Reflection with a splatter of blood.

This time, the roles were reversed. Yu fought like a demon, putting all his strength behind his blows. "Then hate me!" He shouted at the Reflection. "I assure you, the feeling is mutual!" Yu brought the sword at different angles, forcing his Reflection back, crimson stained his white shirt. "I hate that you stayed in Inaba! That you were too big of a coward to man up to the responsibility of what we had to do." The tip of Yu's sword scraped the stones as he knocked the sword up and delivered a hard kick of his own. But he stayed in closer, pressing his advantages. "I hate that you got to see every little moment, that you got to hear all the laughter, that you got to see the smiling faces of everyone, that you got to watch Nanako grow!"

Souji attempted to move around as Yu had, but having gone back to Shibuya, Yu could claim he was just a little bit better than his Reflection in Kendo. He had that extra little bit of training and practice and he was putting it to work. His footwork let him anticipate his Reflection and he bullied the bastard.

"But more than that, I hate myself more for not staying!" Yu struck upwards with his sword again and sent the blade of his Reflection spinning through the air. With a guttural sound of unarticulated emotion, Yu brought his sword back down and sliced through the chest of his Reflection.

Souji coughed up blood, crimson splattering the stones of the platform they were standing on. Those eyes, quickly fading as life left his body looked up at Yu. "I'm… Sorry." He shattered like glass before his body hit the ground.

"Guys, go." Naoto said. Her boots sounded on the stones as she began to make her way towards Yu. But the survivor just stayed there, staring at where his Reflection had shattered, and the blood that dripped from his sword.

Victory. Yu felt like he was tasting ash on his tongue as he thought about the word. How could this be victory? He condemned alternate versions of his friends to death with this act. He glanced to the white coat, sitting in the bed of flowers and moved over to it. He picked it up and looked at the craftsmanship. Kanji had made this. He balled his fingers into it. But that Kanji would never get to make it again, never get to patch it.

"Senpai." Naoto moved into his field of vision, glancing up towards him. "Talk to me." She said.

"Just another set of sins to bear on my shoulders." Yu said as he fisted the leather more.

"They're not your sins to bear." Naoto said. "They're your Reflections. All you did was survive, Yu." she said, trying to be gentle.

"Damn it, they are mine!" Yu said rather fiercely, almost angry as he looked to the sleuth. "They're mine because I just condemned versions of my friends to death to save more of my friends. They're mine because I'd do exactly what he did without thought or hesitation! You think I wouldn't jump to some crazy ass parallel world to save you guys? That I wouldn't be willing to kill in that other world to keep you safe? Damn it, I've killed in this world to keep you safe. Shadows, Reflections, I can't say that I haven't."

Naoto stepped closer and she put her hand on his arm. "I understand, Yu, I do." She said. "I killed my Reflection as well. Pulled the trigger and blew her head off."

Yu cast a hard look at Naoto. It was not often that they argued or got frustrated with one another or angry with one another. It just didn't happen. They were both rather logical individuals and didn't let their emotions rule them. But in his current state, Yu couldn't suppress the roiling emotions swirling inside. "No! You don't get it!" He said. "My happiness comes from you." He jabbed a finger at his girlfriend. "From all my friends!" He threw his hand at where the others had headed off to. "If it meant keeping you guys safe, I'd turn to a villain in your eyes. What Souji did? I would do without hesitation. I know that none of you want that from me, but can't you see? His sins are my sins because they are exactly what I would do. And I have to bear them."

He ran a hand through his hair and pulled away from Naoto, pacing back and forth. He usually kept himself completely under control. When he finally did break, it was so very rare that most people would never see it. He yanked at his hair, frustrated that his point wasn't getting across.

He turned to face her, both hands coming up. "Don't you get it Naoto?" He asked. "You are so incredibly precious to me." He made to touch her cheek, but stopped from actually doing it. "And I keep putting you in danger, I keep dragging you into these situations that if we're not careful can, and will, get you killed. It terrifies me to no end, thinking that one day you might not come back, that you might breathe your last. And I don't want that. I don't want to be the cause of that.' Yu swallowed heavily, his throat tight and thick. "You… You should stay here in Inaba." He said. "Before I get you hurt, please. We should… we should break it off.."

It felt like he was cutting his heart out, even thinking about breaking up with Naoto. But he'd rather her hate and spite than putting her in danger. He didn't want her hurt, he didn't want her a hostage.

"Are you done?" Naoto asked in a cool tone. Before he could respond, she stepped in and smacked him hard across his cheek, making sure it stung. She then stepped in closer and the next thing Yu realized was the ground was coming up to meet him.

His chin bounced off the hard, unforgiving stone as Naoto had thrown him forward. Both his arms were jerked up behind his back with the professional ease that Naoto had before she was rolling him onto his back and half sitting on his chest. He stared up into her angry gray eyes.

"You. Are. Not. Breaking. Up. With. Me." Naoto said firmly, keeping him pinned and keeping his arms under his back. Yu tried to struggle but his girlfriend forced his shoulders down more, forcing his hands to dig into his back. "Not now, not when you're in this emotional state." She said. "If... " Tears began to well in her eyes, "If later you feel the same, then we will discuss it as a couple, as we have always discussed our issues. But I will not let you make a decision that will hurt us both when you're not in a fit emotional state to do so."

She leaned over him, still looking angry and upset. "And you, Narukami, need to get it through your thick skull, that I am a Special Investigator. Danger comes with the job description. I work with Law Enforcement. You don't get to decide for me when, and where, that job takes me. You don't get to decide for me what I do. You asked me to come to Shibuya, and I could have said no. But I came anyways because I love you, and you needed me. There's little more than I could ask for. I thought you understood that. I thought you trusted me enough to handle myself! You talked about becoming a villain, but you'd take no joy in what you would have to do. We both know that, you're not Adachi throwing people into danger for entertainment."

Naoto sat back slowly on his legs, letting him up so that his arms weren't pinned. "Please, please Yu-kun." She whispered softly, looking to him. "Don't push me away like this. My heart couldn't take you pushing me away like this." Naoto didn't often show a vulnerable side either. And he knew there was mix of fear, anger, hurt, sadness, and neither one of them were capable of coping well with the sensations. "So please, shut up and kiss me, let me know you still love me."

Yu didn't kiss Naoto. While sitting up, he simply slumped forward against her chest and began to cry. He felt her hands reach up and wrap around his head, gently stroking his hair as he just cried it out. "Close enough." He heard her whisper.

Yu didn't know how long he cried for. But eventually the tears had to stop and they moved to sit on the stairs a bit. Yu was leaning into Naoto and she was gently toying with his hair. He had been so strong for so long, it was difficult to be vulnerable. It was difficult to share the weight of his burdens.

"Did you really attempt suicide?" Naoto asked gently.

Yu closed his eyes. His Reflection had mentioned in and even looking back… "Twice." He whispered. "Once when I was ten. I… went off a bridge. A man rescued me from the river, thinking I had fallen off. It was ruled as an accident." Yu flinched as he remembered hitting the cold water. "It had been a November, the water was frigid." A shudder ran through him. "I had just spent almost an entire year in a new town, and I was told that I'd be moving away again. I thought we'd stay there longer and I wasn't going to be seeing Miss Yoshino anymore. She was one of my better babysitters." He said

"And the second time?" Naoto asked, gently rubbing his back in slow circles now.

"I was fourteen." He swallowed thickly. "I got six feet of rope, found a tree branch that was ten feet up." Yu could still remember the feel of the rough rope around his neck. "I just… I was so tired of being alone. Of seeing faces but not really getting to know anyone. It was… crushing, suffocating. I dropped and the tree branch snapped." He gave a bitter laugh. "It was at that point I thought it was divine providence that I suffer in loneliness."

It was why Yu cherished the friendships that he had. They kept him out of that suffocatingly cloyingly thick depression. It was why he had been so excited to return to Inaba, to see his friends. It was why he reacted so violently, so viciously when he had encountered a threat to his friends.

And it would kill him if he ever lost those friendships. It would drive him mad to see them hurt, but he was willing to lose them so long as they were safe. It hurt to think about, a paradoxical state of existence.

"You didn't try after returning to Shibuya?" Naoto asked softly, clearly hesitating about which buttons she could press.

"No." Yu shook his head. "Funny thing is, I thought about it. I stared at my reflection in the mirror one particularly bad day and opened the medicine cabinet. I had a bottle of painkillers, I knew if I took enough, it wouldn't matter." He shook his head again. "By the time my parents would have gotten back, I'd be gone."

"What stopped you?"

Yu was quiet a while, gathering his thoughts as he reflected on that time of turmoil. "I thought, I thought if I took them, you could be happier with someone else." He said softly. "Kanji maybe…" It would have been before Kanji and Yukiko were dating. "But… I just… I had the pills in my hand and was staring at them. And… something inside was even telling me to do it. That I was only going to bring you guys pain." Yu held up a hand to look at it. "But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I kept remember hearing you say those words to me. The way you hesitated and opened up to me, the way you glanced down to the ground, blushing before looking me in the eyes and then immediately looking away in embarrassment at saying those words." He turned to look up to Naoto from his position of leaning on her smaller form. "And… something welled up inside of me. Some selfish need that I never knew before."

Naoto flushed, clearly knowing the words that he was talking about. She tilted her hat down just slightly in a vain attempt to cover the slight blush. "I love you." she whispered. "And nothing will change that. And I hope you won't try to burden yourself with everything."

Yu nodded softly. "I'll try not to." He said. "We should get going. And I love you too Naoto Shirogane." Together they stood up and Yu looked to the leather coat that his Reflection had been wearing. Yes, they were his sins to bear as well. He slung the coat over one shoulder.

But he didn't have to bear them alone.

 _Take Your Time_

It was just after one when they returned from the TV World. Yu didn't know where the Fox had ended up, but it had been waiting for them when they got back to the TV set. By two, Yu had gathered everything that he needed to start a hot pot for a late lunch/early dinner. It required a trip to Junes, but it was fine and by three, he was inside the kitchens and working at preparing everything.

After the emotional and nerve wracking time inside the TV World, he needed the chance to cook. It was a simple task, and something that he enjoyed doing.

"Hey Partner." Yosuke came in the kitchen.

"What's up Yosuke?" Yu asked as he worked to slice the meat he had gotten for the hot pot.

"Was wondering if I could talk with you." Yosuke said. He leaned against a counter and grabbed one of the cans of soda Yu had bought to restock after what he had lost. He popped it open and took a swig. "Do you ever dream about what we do?" he asked.

Yu frowned a moment and after a moment, he nodded his head. "Most nights." He said. "Even back when we were doing it."

"I thought the mutant plant babies would give me the worst nightmares." Yosuke said. "I'm starting to be worried about my mental health Partner, it's not like we can just go talk to someone about this."

"No, no we can't. It's why it's all the more important for us to talk with each other." Yu said. And after the day he had experienced, he was willing to talk a little bit more. "The mutant plant babies were pretty bad. Some of the worst, I think. But the Reflections can be worse in their own way."

Yosuke nodded. "We uh… We had Teddie's. One where we apparently disregarded him and went more to help Rise." Yosuke took a swig. "Seeing Chie go down, she bled a lot man…" Yosuke's voice wavered slightly. "She's tough you know? But that… That was something else and I just… lost it. And I didn't realize what I had done until it was too late. Partner, he had Ted's face and I…" Yosuke brought his thumb over the neck in a slow and exaggerated manner. "And that's not hyperbole. I don't know what's going to be worse, imagining losing Chie, what I did to Ted's Reflection, or the look on the guy's face when I addressed him. Yu, he was scared of me. How do you do it?"

"I bury it." Yu admitted. "I bottle it up so tightly that when it does spill out, it's bad." He was quiet as he focused on the food and not to just hours prior. He glanced over to his friend. "Give Teddie some time, he'll bounce back. He's good at that. All I can tell you to do about Chie, is when you're alone, hug her tight and remind yourself that she's still there."

"And the Reflection?" Yosuke asked.

"Do you regret it? Would you do it again?" Those were the two questions that Yu consistently grappled with.

"Yeah, I do regret it." Yosuke said. He was quiet and he took a drink. "But I think I would do it again if the circumstances were the exact same. He was threatening mine. I just don't think I'll sleep ease about it."

"Then don't, but you're not alone in the regard of being willing to do and act again in such a manner." Yu told his friend. "So relax."

"Hey, mind if I send Teddie in to talk with you? The guy wants to talk with you about what happened." Yosuke was concerned about the bear, especially after living together for so long.

"Yeah, send him in." Yu figured it was as good of time as any to get some of the more pressing discussions out of the way. Teddie and Rise needed him again, and he was willing to talk with them. Even if he wasn't fully ready for some conversations, he had to try and be strong for his friends.

Yosuke headed from the kitchen with his drink in hand. It didn't take long for Teddie to come in. He looked a bit hesitant and unsure. "Sensei." Teddie spoke a bit more reserved.

"Come on Teddie, I'm not going to bite. What's eating you?" Yu asked. He knew, he doubted the blond boy didn't know he knew. But he wanted Teddie to say it.

Teddie shivered slightly. "I… That was more than I was prepared for Sensei. The Reflection of me… It was abandoned." Teddie moved to lean against the counter. "How close was I to being abandoned? This Bear is scared of being alone." He said.

Yu reached up and lightly popped Teddie on the shoulder with his knuckles. "Hey," He said, getting Teddie to look at him. "You're not alone." He said simply. "We weren't going to abandon you, even if you never summoned your Persona. Remember when you helped Nanako-chan?" He asked. "We all looked for you, I was ready to drag you back from the Velvet Room."

Teddie nodded his head as he looked towards Yu a moment. However, the bear was silent for a time. "I still don't know if I helped her or not." He said softly. "I just remember wanting her to live and then I was in that road… I figured out I was a shadow."

The pair were silent a little while longer as Yu began to boil and add the soy sauce and cooking sake to the broth for the hot pot.

"Sensei… Yosuke killed me." Teddie said softly. A violent shudder wracked his body at the memory. It was fresh. "Brought one of his knives up and just… right across…"

Yu nodded his head a moment. "Yes, but he wouldn't do that to _you_." Yu set the ladle down and he reached across. He grabbed Teddie by the shoulder and squeezed until Teddie looked at him with those scared blue eyes. "Teddie, Yosuke loves you. You're his brother at this point. You guys bicker, fight, rough house around, but the second you need something, the second you ask for some help and mean it, he's going to be there for you without hesitation. He was just as desperate as the rest of us to find you. And I am so, so sorry that you came in eyesight of something like that, that you had to be faced with your own mortality. Nothing ever gets you ready for something like that. We may grow apart, but you'll always have the Investigation Team in your corner."

Teddie nodded his head and offered a bit of a weak smile, but it was better than the melancholy look on his face. "Thanks… Yu." He said, trying Yu's actual name out.

"Besides, I need you bright and cheerful Ted." Yu said. "Someone has to be making Nanako-chan happy and smiling when I'm not around, right?"

"You can count on me Sensei!" Teddie said perking up at being counted on for such a thing.

Yu chuckled a little bit and he grabbed a soda, pulling it off the plastic and passing it over to Teddie. He'd get another pack before he left "Go on, and send Rise in would you?" He asked. One last conversation he had to get out of the way before they could sit down and eat.

Rise came in as he began adding some of the ingredients to the broth, ingredients that took a little longer to cook when compared to some other things. "Senpai, you wanted to talk with me?" she asked.

Yu glanced over to the idol a moment. He could see that she was exhausted, and likely still dealing with the phantom pains of claws and teeth piercing her flesh. "You alright?" he asked seriously. He knew Rise would take him seriously.

"That's a loaded question." Rise moved over to stand beside him. "But… No. No I'm not." She said. "Physically, I'm fine."

"But you did witness me…"

"Yeah…" Rise shook her head a little bit. "That was… That was heart wrenching." She said. "You looked so angry."

"I wish I could have done it faster to help you." He said softly. She was his friend and she had needed his help, had called out for him.

"Would… Would you have run for Naoto-kun?" Rise asked, tears welling in her eyes.

That was an unfair question. Yu could have called Rise out on it, but he figured he should be better than that. Rise had just had a traumatic experience. She had watched him snap her neck. And her Reflection was physically Rise. Bone structure, eye shape, eye color, everything but a few small cosmetic changes. "I don't know." Yu said honestly instead. "But if I came running for you, there's a good chance I wouldn't have survived. If I came running for Naoto, there's a good chance I wouldn't have survived. I had to make a decision to try and get us all to safety Rise."

"Yeah…. I know." The redhead said. "It's just… difficult at times, you know?" She wiped her eyes. "And that was terrifying."

"I know." Yu said. And he did know. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry." He said. "You shouldn't have seen me do that, and I should have been there to protect you." He stepped over and wrapped her up in a hug again, stroking her hair gently. He felt her lean into his touch.

"Thank you Senpai. I know you put yourself in danger to give Futaba your sword." She said softly. "And I'm sorry I'm being selfish, asking a question like that."

Yu shook his head. "You're forgiven. Now come on, give me a smile." He stepped back from her. "We won." Again, the term victory tasted like ash, but he would swallow it down.

It was better than the alternative.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Rise asked. He wasn't surprised she had him pegged that well.

"No, not really." Yu said. "But the alternative is everyone dying or worse."

Rise nodded her head at that. "I suppose if that's the alternative, I'll believe we won as well." She offered a bit of a weak smile. "Smells good at least."

Yu glanced to the hot pot and he went back to cooking at it. "Thanks. Should be ready in a bit." he said.

Rise glanced over to him before she walked out of the kitchen so that he could finish up. She had looked, briefly, like she wanted to ask him something but had apparently thought better of it.

Dinner was a quieter affair from everyone. Everyone was still processing what the hell had happened inside the TV world, though there was the usual genuine but courteous mentions of how good the food was. More thorough discussions would be had another time, but not over dinner.

After dinner, Yu and Naoto headed back for their shared room. Naoto opened her phone and sent off a quick text. Moments later, a curious looking Rise arrived and Yu realized what Naoto was planning. "Naoto-kun, a moment." He said softly. The Sleuth let herself be pulled away and Yu leaned into her a bit. "Do we really want to have this discussion now?" he whispered softly. "Rise saw me… I killed her Reflection." He said softly. "Plus, I'm not one hundred percent certain of where I stand emotionally right now either."

Naoto reached up softly and touched his cheek. "It'll be fine." She said softly. Yu closed his eyes and he felt Naoto lean up to lightly peck him on the cheek before she pulled away. "Rise, we gave a lot of thought about what you suggested."

Yu didn't need to look to know the idol was surprised. It was a bit of a surprising swing and development from their day. Yu inhaled and gathered his strength before he stood up straight and squared his shoulders. He turned to the idol. "And we came to a decision together." A decision that Yu would continue to stick by.

"Sorry, this is a lot to take in, and sudden." Rise said. "You're talking about my willingness to…" She trailed off with a blush

"Yes." Naoto said, also blushing a bit. "Senpai, you said it best." She tossed the ball at Yu.

Yu nodded and he closed his eyes. "Rise, you and Naoto are both beautiful girls. And that this was even an option, an idea tossed between the two of you and one that Naoto brought up to me is… flattering beyond all belief. I can't deny that the idea is appealing, exciting, and a whole mix of other things that are mixed in. But…"

"But," Naoto picked up. "We, you and I Rise, have a certain lack of privacy to our lives. You are an Idol loved and adored by everyone, and you love singing. You love the songs now that come from the heart and that you pour your all into. You love the dancing that goes with it, you love the industry and being able to reach out to perfect strangers and inspire them." Yu was surprised at what Naoto was saying, but then Naoto was Rise's best friend and knew more of this than he did. "The scandal of being in a threesome would destroy your career."

Rise flinched and looked away. "So that's a no." She said.

"Senpai wouldn't be true to himself if he let us destroy our careers, our livelihoods over a guy, even him." Naoto said. She took a few steps towards Rise and touched the idol's arm. "It's not that you're not pretty enough, it's not that neither of us want to." She said. "But it's that we can't. Don't you understand?" she asked.

Rise had tears streaming down her eyes and Yu stepped closer. "If we were just three small town kids no one cared about, I would say Yes." He said. "But you and Naoto-kun, you're not small town kids no one cares about. You and Naoto-kun have careers. I'm sorry. Really, I am."

Rise glanced up at Yu a moment. "Can… Can I have a kiss at least?" she asked.

Naoto touched Rise's cheek. "Don't do that to yourself Rise." She said. "I can't begin to fathom the pain you're feeling, but don't do that to yourself. It'll just bring you more pain."

Rise couldn't choke back the sob. And like Yu earlier, she buried her face against Naoto's shoulder and cried. It hurt to hear the pain of the sobs, hearing her cry her heart out. And Yu knew Naoto was right to deny the simple request Rise had.

"Stay here with her tonight." Yu told Naoto. "Rise needs her best friend. I'll go bunk with the guys." He grabbed his pajamas and toiletries before he headed from the room, shutting it behind him to the sound of one of his friends crying, and his girlfriend trying to comfort him.

It was just one of those awful days all around.

Chapter End

 **A/N: So this chapter…**

 **Rise's Reflection is based on what you can read on the Shin Megami Tensei wiki. Rise was originally intended as a combat oriented Persona user that used a chain weapon that held a sort of 'punk-esque' look to her. I took that, rolled with it, and created the Reflection.**

 **And this chapter just had a lot going on. And I know in the game both the Silence and the Poison statuses went away with time, but that's good for a game mechanic standpoint. From a storytelling standpoint, they needed to cure the ailments.**

 **Also, I did not realize how stupidly broken Ishtar was as a healer until I was looking up some Persona to use as a healer that might have Mediarahan that was of higher level. Ishtar came up and I saw she had Salvation and I was like 'huh…'**

 **Playing through the game, I did not level the Persona up as much as I should have before I got rid of them to fill out the compendium.**

 **Next time, they leave Inaba. God this chapter got away from me and became depressing.**


	31. Chapter 31: Homecoming

Chapter 31: Homecoming

The next morning wasn't a flurry of excitement and everyone rushing around. Between Akira, Yu, Makoto, and Naoto, everyone was up and had their things gathered by eight AM with the van loaded back up just as quickly. Breakfast was had at the Amagi Inn, likely the last meeting between the Investigation Team and the Phantom Thieves for some time.

And it showed that the two groups had bonded, not only between their own hardships and their own strangeness that was the journeys they had taken or were on, but also in the heat of battle. And though there were no lasting injuries thanks to Yukiko and Yu's usage of Salvation, there were still a few more emotional scars and headaches.

Yosuke seemed to nurse his energy drink a little bit more, sitting closer to Chie than he usually might have. Teddie was a bit more somber, though had seemed to have gained a quiet determination. Akira flinched at some of the louder sounds, though Naoto completely understood that. She had experienced similar after Yu had taken her into her lab after her recovery for them to train. Futaba had gained a similar determination as Teddie, though Naoto noted the white knuckle grip she held on the knife. Not a single of them had come out without new psychological scarring.

And Naoto noted that, though she sat right by Yu, he was keeping a bit of distance between them. It hurt to think about Yu breaking up with her, but she refused to let him cut her off while he needed her in his emotional state. She had seen him bundle up the white coat, eerily similar to the one that Izanagi-no-Okami wore, and stuff it in with his things. The weather was still a little warm to actually wear it, but it appeared that Yu planned to keep it. A reminder of things that transpired.

"I wish you could stay longer, Senpai. I would have loved to have taken you guys to the studio for some dancing." Rise said. Rise didn't sit on Yu's otherside. Not surprising given what had happened. And the idol had woken several times during the night, hyperventilating. It was the first time Naoto had ended up cuddled with someone other than Yu. But after what Rise had said happened, between being pinned and calling out for Yu only for him not to come, and then him snapping the neck of her Reflection…

Naoto could hardly blame Rise for nightmares.

"Mm. Sorry." Yu said. His tone was a little more reserved, a little distant. Naoto imagined it was how he had spoken when he had first arrived in Inaba. Short statements that sounded like he wasn't trying to get attached. The sleuth could only wonder how different he would be had it not been for the likes of Yosuke and Chie getting to know him.

"Naoto-kun, is everything okay with Yu?" Haru asked from her spot at the table. She sat by Ann and Rise, having apparently been talking a little bit about fashion the past couple nights.

"You know you could ask me directly." Yu said a bit drolly.

"No, no she couldn't." Yukiko said. "You'd be like Kanji-kun and say you're fine when very clearly you're obviously not." And the den mother reared her head.

Naoto took a drink of her coffee and reached out to touch Yu's hand. She squeezed his hand, getting him to look at her. "No one is okay after yesterday." Naoto said seriously. She wanted to divert the attention away from Yu. She noted how everyone looked to her. "Our enemies are dangerous. These Reflections more so than the Shadows we face. They are us. They know our secrets, they know our fears, and they know how to prey upon them. All we can do is be there for each other when we need to be." She said. "I trust that Senpai will open up when he's ready."

Yu turned his hand in hers and gently squeezed her hand in return. "Sorry." He said to the group. "I'm being a bit of an asshole." He said.

"Changing that subject, do you guys mind if we stop somewhere for an hour or two on our way back to Shibuya?" Akira asked. "I'd like to swing by home and check on my mom."

It was a rather change in topic. Naoto looked over to Yu, she figured he would be driving and so ultimately it was up to him. "I don't mind." She said, glancing over to the black haired teen.

"Sounds like fun." Ryuji said with a grin. "Get to see your old stompin' grounds any?"

"No, just checking on my mom, I promise." Akira said. "I'm afraid I've been so busy I haven't been able to call her as much as I'd like to, and the laptop I got is such an old piece of crap that I can't use Skype to video chat with her either. Plus there's just something about seeing her in person."

"Sounds peaceful." Haru said. "I'd be delighted to meet her."

Yu nodded his head. "Sure, I don't have to be back to work until tomorrow night." It was a Sunday that day after all.

"And with school not being back in yet, we still have a bit of time." Makoto said. "But we really should get back. I have no doubt I have a ton of work on my desk." She said with a bit of a whine.

"Hazards of being student council Prez." Akira said jokingly. "If it's nothing too bad, I'd be happy to help. Can't speak for the others I'm afraid."

Makoto offered a smile. "Thank you." She said.

"Plus we gotta get ready for the Hawaii trip!" Ann said excitedly.

"Not me!" Futaba said, stretching her arms over her head. "I'm going to be mostly relaxing, and don't worry, I'll keep Mona happy." She reached over and scratched the head of the cat.

"We went to Port Island for our school trip, touring a prestigious school." Yosuke said, grumbling a bit.

"I quite look forward to going to Los Angeles." Yusuke said. "We're going to be visiting some museums and I hope to be inspired for my next piece."

Naoto glanced over to Yu. "What about you Senpai?" she asked. "What do you intend to do while we're gone?"

Yu looked surprised, as though not expecting to be addressed. But Naoto wasn't going to exclude him. "I don't know." He admitted. "Maybe ride my motorcycle a bit, get a real feel of it now that it works." He shrugged his shoulders a little bit. "Finish my model? Like I said, don't know."

Naoto nodded her head. "All sound like good plans." She said. She wanted to keep him as encouraged as she possibly could. She needed to keep him away from the thoughts of what he did. He didn't need the baggage of thinking he condemned someone else to likely death.

It was a vicious downward spiral. He could not take blame for surviving anymore than she could take blame for what Ryuji did against the Reaper. They both did the best they could and let the dice fall where they fell.

The morning passed soon enough and it was time to go. Of course, the groups had some goodbyes to give, but it was natural.

"Thank you for the tips on being a manager, Yukiko-chan." Haru said politely.

"Don't worry about it." Yukiko waved it off a bit. "I'm happy to help."

"Look, if the yukata gets damaged, bring it by and I'll fix it up for ya. Don't be going neglecting it either." Kanji told Ryuji.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya." Ryuji shook his head. "Geez, I might not even wear it all that often." He said.

"Not a Shadow, right?" Morgana asked.

"Nope. My nose doesn't lie." Teddie tapped himself on the nose. "Whatever you are, I'm sure you'll find out. Just keep searching."

"Take care of them, both of them." Yosuke said bumping fists with a confused looking Yusuke.

"Which both?" Yusuke asked.

"We should spar again some time." Chie said, lightly punching Makoto in the shoulder. "And you can show me that crazy throw you did."

Makoto smiled a bit. 'We'll see. I don't know how often any of us would be able to make it out to Inaba, but it has been quite the experience nonetheless."

"Sensei, what's an S&M Mistress?" Teddie asked Yu.

"Futaba!" Ann yelled at the younger girl. "You started it, get him to stop calling me that!"

Futaba cackled and simply ran around the group like a madwoman.

Akira and Yu sighed at the same time before looking at one another. "Hi Pot." Akira said.

"Hello Kettle." Yu shook his head a moment and Naoto smiled as she leaned against the front of the van.

"Hey…" Naoto turned to look at Rise as the idol came up a little subdued. She then leaned in and hugged Naoto. "Thanks for last night, and thank you for making sure I didn't make a mistake that would haunt me." She said in a soft whisper.

Naoto hugged Rise back. "It's okay. I'd do it again. And if you need help, I'm only a phone call away. You're excused for waking me up at odd hours." And she meant it. Anyone else she would likely be irate with, especially since she didn't get a lot of sleep as it was, but for Rise then she would make an exception.

Rise pulled back and offered a smile. "Thanks Naoto-kun." She said before she headed over to Yu. She reached up and gave him a gentle peck on the cheek and whispered something to him before she headed for her scooter. She was a little more confident in her walk, a little more back to normal.

But the nightmares wouldn't fade for a while.

"Hey, not leaving without saying goodbye to me are you?" Marie asked as she came up to the inn, arms wrapped around her midsection as she usually did.

"Wasn't sure if you'd be able to get some time before we did go." Yu said as he gave his attention to Marie.

Naoto walked over, glancing at the land Goddess. "Did your powers return?" she asked. She had been a bit skeptical back in the day, but she couldn't deny that when Marie said the next day was going to be sunny, it was sunny the next day.

"Yes, thank you for that." Marie said. "It felt… odd being without them, and I didn't like it." She moved over to Yu and leaned up, whispering something in his ear. Naoto might have been concerned about it had Yu's face not turned stony. "And remember, don't have that talk with Akira there. He hasn't seen them yet."

"Can I at least tell him to keep an eye out?" Yu asked.

Marie nodded her head. "We'll get lunch next time you're in town Yu, get some steeeeak." She said with a cheeky smirk.

Yu gave a snort and he shook his head. Naoto felt like she was on the outside of an inside joke, but it seemed rather harmless. "I'd like that." He told her. He then turned to the entire Investigation Team and placed his thumb and index finger in his mouth. He gave a sharp whistle that got everyone's attention.

"It's been great seeing all of you." Yu said and offered the first real smile he had given since the events of the day before. Relaxed and at ease. "And I promise, I'll be a better friend in the coming months, but I need a few days to get this back on straight." He tapped his temple. "Until then, take care of each other, and take care of Nanako-chan for me."

"You betcha Partner. Now go kick some ass for us, yeah?" Yosuke said with a grin.

"You got it. Alright, load up." Yu called out and the Phantom Thieves began to open the van door. "Makoto, want to drive?" Yu held up the keys.

Makoto blinked a moment, eyes wide before she nodded. "Sure, it'll be a good experience." she said. She caught the keys as they were tossed to her. She then got into the driver's seat.

"Senpai, what was it that Marie said?" Naoto asked softly.

"A hint to maybe get some information." He glanced in her direction. "Are you joining me in the middle seat?" Yu asked.

"Of course." Naoto was happy to hear a little bit more life back to Yu's tone. He got into the middle seat once Ryuji, Futaba, and Haru got into the back seat. Ann, Akira, and Makoto sat up front with Akira fiddling with the GPS to get the information in.

It left Naoto, Yusuke, and Yu in the center seat, with Yu taking a window seat. Makoto took it slow through the streets of Inaba, likely for Yu's benefit, before they were heading on the road to head back to Shibuya.

Not ten minutes after they left, Naoto saw Yu's head slump forward. She smiled and reached up, helping to adjust her sleeping boyfriend so that he was leaning more on her. She tilted her cap down and leaned right back, closing her eyes.

 _Take Your Time_

"Man, I almost regret waking them up." Ann said, turned so that she was looking at Naoto and Yu. "They look so peaceful sleeping together. They're almost a perfect couple."

Makoto glanced over into the rear view mirror where the pair was indeed resting, as curled up against each other as they could get. She could almost get behind that statement, that they were almost a perfect couple. But, they had to be woken up. They were in Akira's home town, with Makoto following the GPS to head towards the building Akira's mother lived in.

She was just a little nervous about meeting the woman.

"I believe it to be a sign of how much they trust us that they can let their guard down like this." Yusuke said, not even looking up from his sketching.

"How ya figure?" Ryuji asked, moving to sit forward but not disturb the couple.

Yusuke glanced up at the question. "How many of us can truly say they know Naoto and Yu?" he asked. Makoto frowned a bit, but conceded the point. "It is not that they are not our friends, but neither exactly volunteer a lot of information. Naoto once mentioned that Yu doesn't exactly talk about his parents, yet we all saw how comfortable he was with his uncle and cousin, and they with him. This," he motioned to the sleeping couple. "Is a sign of trust."

Akira nodded his head a moment. "I'm sure if we were to ask, they wouldn't mind telling us things, but Yusuke's right, they don't volunteer as much information as they could. Honestly, seeing their guard down like this… It makes them seem more human."

Makoto frowned a little bit at that. But she couldn't deny what the others were saying about the strongest pair of them. "I hope everything is okay between them. Breakfast seemed… tense." she said. Yusuke and Akira shared a look, followed by Ryuji looking to Akira. Makoto frowned, but she had picked up on it. "Spill." she said, maybe a little more strongly and sharply than she should have.

"Yu slept in our room last night." Akira said. "He didn't say why, simply told us he was sleeping in our room and that he wouldn't take up much space. Couldn't really argue with it, but… given the nights before had Yu and Naoto in the same room, it seemed suspicious."

"You don't think they're fighting, do you?" Ann asked, worrying her lip briefly.

"It's not really our place to interfere if they are." Yusuke said.

"Not unless it disrupts the team work we've been having." Morgana said from his spot up front. "Then we should interfere."

"Up ahead on the right." Akira sat forward and pointed to the appropriate building. Makoto pulled the van into the parking lot and quickly parked. "Yu." He reached back and touched the oldest of them on the shoulder.

Yu jerked awake a moment before he stretched. "We here?" he asked.

"Yeah. Wake your girlfriend." Akira said before he climbed out and stretched. Given they had just been driving for about three hours, Makoto was all too eager to follow.

Soon everyone was out of the van and stretching, a few grunts and groans as muscles were stretched that had been resting for a while. Makoto couldn't help but to look around. With it being a Sunday, the parking lot was more full with cars. There were a couple of people milling about, but no one seemed to be paying them any mind.

"Follow me." Akira said as he took the lead and headed for the stairs. Makoto hesitated a moment, the others moving to follow before she did. Considering she was about to meet the mother of someone she was romantically inclined towards, she couldn't help the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. Even if nothing was official yet, she still wanted to make a good impression.

Akira's apartment was on the third floor on the corner. So practically almost as soon as they were at the top of the flight of the stairs, Akira was turning to the door. He seemed to debate a moment, fiddling with his keyring before he reached up and knocked on the door instead.

It must have made for quite the sight, nine teenagers of varying styles of dress crowded around the door and upperlanding of the staircase.

Soon the door was cracked open and Akira offered that half cocked smirk. "Hi Mom." He said cheekily.

The door swung open and Akira's mother stepped out to hug him. "Akira!" She said, sounding delighted to have him back. She was a shorter woman, probably around Makoto's height with thick, wavy black hair that seemed a bit unkempt. She was dressed in a pale pink blouse and a simple tan skirt. She stepped back and frowned. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Shibuya? You're on probation. You're not in trouble are you?"

"Mom!" Akira had been saying the word the entire time she had been giving him the third degree, finally resorting to shouting it. "You have guests."

Makoto hid her lips behind her hand as the woman realized that she had been grilling her son in front of guests. But the black haired woman still reached up and grabbed Akira's ear, much to his audible discomfort. "Do you think this is a joking matter?" She asked. "I don't care if you brought your friends over Akira."

Yu cleared his throat as he stepped forward. "Ma'am?" He said politely. Dark brown eyes looked to Yu, but the silver haired teen didn't seem phased. He held his hand out. "Yu Narukami, first year college student and friend to Akira." He said with a pleasant smile. "I've been helping Akira with some work he's been up to while in Shibuya. I decided it might be a treat if all of us," Yu motioned to the group at this point. "Got to enjoy summer break away from Shibuya and I spotted the cost for a trip to Inaba. We're on our way back. I made sure it was okay with Sojiro Sakura for Akira to come with."

Akira's mother looked suspicious at the group. "And all of you have been helping Akira with this work?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nope. Met him his first day of school and we were late together by accident." Ryuji said, holding his hand up.

"I sit in front of him in class." Ann said.

"I met him through Ann where he escorted her over to my former Sensei's home when I asked her to help with a project." Yusuke offered, motioning to the blonde girl.

"Yu-senpai asked me to go to Shibuya at the start of the year to help him on a project, but I have become friends with Akira through Yu." Naoto said.

"I'm Sojiro's adoptive daughter." Futaba gave a wave.

"Akira-kun helped me with an extra curricular project at school." Haru said. "After keeping me from tripping and falling on my face." She added.

"Akira-kun is also helping me learn how to reconnect with some of my peers." Makoto brushed her bangs back. "And he's definitely become one of my best friends." She could hardly believe how easily it was to distort the truth as to how they were connected to Akira, but the fact of the matter was not a single one of them had necessarily lied yet.

Akira's mother glanced over to her son, still holding onto his earlobe, slightly twisting it. She let go and sighed softly, looking probably ten years older. "I'm sorry Akira. I just worry." She said.

"No Mom, it's alright." Akira shook his head. "Can we come in? I'd like to give some proper introductions." He said.

"Of course, of course." Akira's mother brightened back up and stepped back, letting everyone in. "Would anyone like some tea?" she called out. All of them responded with a positive. "Oh, I hope I have enough mugs." She set to starting a kettle in the kitchen. "Are you staying out of trouble Akira?" she asked.

"Ehh… It was a little touch and go there in the beginning." Akira admitted honestly. "The first day of school I was late, had the reputation of a delinquent, and the P.E. teacher hated me. My records got leaked by said P.E. Teacher."

"Akira…" His mother said, stepping out of the kitchen to frown at him. "Just because you don't like the teacher doesn't mean-"

"Actually, Kamoshida-san admitted to having used his position of power to exploit students, including a student that was particularly gifted with computers. Kamoshida-san admitted to having Akira's record leaked and was going to use his position to try and expel Akira." Naoto interjected.

Akira's mother seemed surprised, having not expected the statement. "Wait, as in Suguru Kamoshida? The guy that got sent to jail for abusing the students?" She asked. "That was the P.E. Teacher?" Almost at once, the group nodded. 'I'm sorry Akira."

"Mom, it's okay." Akira said with a light chortle of laughter. "You tried to raise me not to jump to conclusions, and so long as _you_ don't believe I'm a delinquent, you can question me as much as you'd like. That's your right as my mom."

Makoto was glad to see that it didn't seem like Akira was taking offense to the way his mother acted. She wasn't so sure if she would have been able to do the same.

"Never. Not even when you got that charge." Akira's mother said. "So, are you going to introduce your friends properly?" she asked as she stepped out of the kitchen.

"Naoto Shirogane, Special Investigator and third year student at Shujin Academy." Naoto said, offering a wave.

"Oh my, you're that Detective Prince." Akira's mother seemed surprised at that.

"I really, really hate that nickname. I'm just someone trying to do the right thing." Naoto said.

"Haru Okumura." Haru smiled from her spot. "Third year student at Shujin. Akira-kun helps me with my gardening project on the roof." she said.

"Makoto Niijima, Student Council President and Third Year Student at Shujin Academy." Makoto offered a smile. She quite liked Akira's mother already, the woman seemed to genuinely care.

"Ann Takamaki, I do a bit of modelling on the side, but I'm a Second Year student at Shujin." Ann offered a bright smile.

"Ryuji Sakamoto, former track athlete and another victim to Kamoshida's abuse." The blond delinquent said. "Second Year at Shujin."

"Yusuke Kitagawa, former apprentice to the artist Ichiryusai Madarame. Second Year student at Kosei High School on an Arts Scholarship."

"Futaba Sakura, gamer extraordinaire and I'm home schooled." Futaba said with a wave, sitting half crouched by Akira.

Akira's mother blinked a moment before she offered a smile. "My name is Ayako Kurusu." She said politely and even offered a bit of a polite bow.

Makoto watched the woman a moment. "Akira-kun, doesn't your mother resemble Kawakami-sensei to a degree?" She asked.

"Huh… She totally does." Ryuji said.

Akira smacked his face with his hand while Yu started to bust out laughing like he was hearing the funniest thing in the world. Even Naoto looked at him like he had grown a second head. Makoto was a little curious as to the joke, but it seemed as though Yu was in no state to be telling it. "Thanks guys. Was trying real hard not to make that connection."

"What's wrong?" Akira's mother, Ayako, asked.

"Nothing Mom. Nothing. Just… Wallowing in misery and despair."

"Oh, about par for the course then." Makoto almost did a double take at the flippant response from Akira's mother. "What? You're all his friends, where do you think he got the snark and sarcasm from?" She asked with an eerily similar half cocked smirk

"Akira, you're bein' stranger than usual buddy." Ryuji said.

Akira shook his head a moment. "Don't worry about it Ryuji." He said. He then looked over to Ayako and Makoto could see a small smile at the corner of his lips. "Oh, also Mom, I got a cat. Come here buddy." Akira reached into his bag and produced Morgana.

Makoto could see Ayako's eyes light up and she came over, taking Morgana from her son. To Ayako, Morgana gave a loud yowl, but to the Phantom Thieves, they heard Morgana speak. "Hey!" His tone was indignant. "Oh… Oh… Oh… She's got the spot… Oh. Right there…. Yes…." Morgana was purring and twitching from the way Ayako was scratching behind the ears.

Not a cat huh? Makoto doubted it.

"He's so fat Akira, what do you feed him?" There was barely contained chortles from all around, except from Yu who was still recovering from laughing uproariously and just gave more laughs as he couldn't hold back from the earlier laughter.

"Hey! Not fat!" Morgana was back to being indignant. It caused more chortles as everyone tried to hold back and not give up the fact Morgana was a different cat

"I think he's offended Mom." Akira said amused

"Ooh who's a fat kitty?" Ayako nuzzled her face up against Morgana's neck a bit like she didn't hear Akira. "I think I have some left over tuna from last night that I can give you."

"She presents an acceptable offering and is forgiven." Morgana said.

"I dunno Mom. Sounds to me like I need to stop spoiling Morgana if he's a fat cat." Akira grinned a bit. Makoto could see Morgana giving glares at Akira. "Should probably start putting him on a diet or something, less late night sushi and more cat food."

"You're a fiend, Joker. I thought you were my friend!" Morgana said, sounding as though he was betrayed

There was something refreshing to Akira's mother. Ayako seemed almost an innocent soul that wasn't trudged on by society. Eventually, she put Morgana down and brought everyone a cup of hot tea and sat down close to her son.

"So what do you do Kurusu-san?" Haru asked politely.

"Gee Haru, I thought we were closer than that." Akira said. He was promptly popped on the back of his head by his mother. "Sorry, couldn't resist running my smart mouth."

"Ayako, or Ayako-san if you must, is fine." The woman said politely. "As to what I do, I work in game development, the coding aspect more specifically. I'm one of the senior coders for a large company, basically my job is to take the design from the design department and make it work with player input. Pull the trigger on the controller, the gun in game fires sort of work. I don't animate, design, or anything like that. I work the brain of the game. Occasionally, I get pulled over to work on things like NPC AI. Some of the bigger games are definitely a pain, you gotta keep them from glitching into objects."

Futaba was staring with wide eyes, looking at Akira before back at Ayako. "Why aren't you cool like you're mom?" she asked half teasing.

"Hey!" Akira said indignantly, though it was just in good fun.

And that was how they spent a bit of time. They just sat around, talking with Akira's mother. She asked questions about Akira, about how he was fitting in, everyone could tell that Ayako truly did care about her son and was feeling his absence. Makoto couldn't help but wonder if maybe they had been too busy and that they needed to take a step back so that Akira could visit his mother a little more often. And Makoto could see the woman's pride in Akira when she found out that her son sat at the top of his year for grades. At one point, both Ryuji and Futaba went to examine Akira's room. That led to an amusing chase about the kitchen and hallway when Futaba apparently found a signed collector's edition to some game that she, in her own words, was confiscating. Ryuji had blatantly said he was looking for any good blackmail material in the form of any magazines Akira might have had. He came back exasperated, having found nothing.

But eventually it was time for them to go and one by one they headed out the front door, Akira taking some extra time to get a few words in quiet with his mother.

"Makoto?" Ayako asked as Akira headed to his room to grab a few things he wanted for in Shibuya.

"Ayako-san?" Makoto asked, surprised but standing towards the entrance in her shoes, having just slipped them on. She had not expected to get called upon.

Ayako walked over and the kind older woman offered a smile. 'Take care of him, okay? I know my son well enough to know that he didn't tell me everything, to try and make it so I don't worry." Makoto wasn't surprised the woman was as perceptive as she was. It seemed like it had been her and Akira for so long. "But call it a mother's intuition, but I know my boy's up to something. You have a good head on your shoulders, and probably make for a fine student council president. So please, look after my boy." She half asked, half pleaded.

"Of course." Makoto said, inclining her head. She would keep Akira safe to the best of her ability regardless, so Ayako didn't need to ask really.

Makoto then stepped out, heading down to the van. The others were crowding around it, not yet ready to get back inside of it. "Yu, a moment please?" She asked politely.

Yu looked surprised but he stepped over towards Makoto. She had to look up slightly, but she met his eyes. "What's up?" he asked.

"I don't know what happened between you and Naoto, and I'm not making it my business." She said, hoping to forestall any arguments from him. "But if it becomes a problem with the team, we will step in. I just wanted to give that heads up."

Instead of being angry, Yu shook his head. "No, that's fine. I don't foresee it becoming a problem with our teamwork, but thank you regardless for the warning. I just… I need to get my emotions sorted out, get my thoughts in order, and it's not so easy as it should be. That last Reflection…" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Some things are better left unsaid."

Makoto nodded her head. "They are." She said. She then climbed into the driver's seat, watching as Yu and Naoto climbed into the middle seat.

 _Take Your Time_

"Sojiro! We're home!" Futaba called out as they entered Le Blanc. Akira was glad to be back. While he enjoyed his time in Inaba, including the nice hotspring of the Amagi Inn, he was all too eager to get back to his bed and just crash in it. Still, it had been nice seeing his mom and having her meet his friends.

Sojiro sat at the bar of Le Blanc, smoking a cigarette. And judging by the ashtray, he had been smoking a bit more than usual. The smell of burning tobacco and cloves hung in the air, the particular brand of kretek cigarettes Sojiro had always smoked. The older man watched them for a while, exhaling a lungful of smoke before he extinguished the cigarette. "I was cleaning up and found this."

Between two fingers, Sojiro held up a familiar red card with lettering cut from various prints to form the text. Akira felt his heart pounding in his chest, and he felt Morgana stirring in his bag. Futaba had stiffened up in front of him, almost shrinking on herself as the older man held the card out.

"This is a calling card right?" He asked. His tone wasn't jovial or pleasant. More confused and defensive. "I've read about them online too."

"Y-you went into my room without my permission?" Futaba asked, stamping her foot down. Of course, it didn't matter. Of course Sojiro did, and it was too late to try and shift the blame. Akira's mind raced, trying to come up with a way to get them out of this.

"I'll apologize as much as you want later, after you have explained this." Sojiro said. His tone was a little sterner, still not angry, but clearly refusing to budge. "So what is it?" he asked.

"That's…" Futaba looked away. Given Futaba's outbursts and body language, they couldn't pass it off as a joke either.

"Is it really something to get flustered over?" Sojiro asked. The man was sharp, Akira had to give him that. Under all that laid back, lackadaisical attitude was someone that was sharp enough to garner the attention of someone like Wakaba Isshiki. "I knew it, this isn't some game you're playing." He sounded genuinely concerned. "Why aren't you saying anything?" He asked a bit more focused.

"Why did you keep it?" Morgana whispered from the bag. But Akira knew. It held sentimental value to Futaba. It held value as someone actually caring enough to reach out to help her, to give her life value and meaning again. Something like that couldn't just be shredded or tossed away.

"It was memorable…" Futaba whispered under her breath. If Akira wasn't so close, he wouldn't have heard it.

"Explain. Please!" Sojiro slapped the card down on the counter. "Futaba."

Futaba winced and curled on herself. She grabbed one arm with the other. "Explain…" she whispered.

"Is it something you can't explain Futaba?" Sojiro asked, turning to them a bit more. He was still seated.

"Ex… plain…" Futaba sounded on the verge of tears, and Akira knew he had to step in.

He took two steps forward and placed a hand on Futaba's shoulder comfortingly. "I'll explain, everything." He said. "Please, don't blame Futaba."

"Oh…?" Sojiro asked, his tone quiet. "I'll get right to the point then. Is this a 'real' one? Did Futaba have one of these 'change of hearts' triggered inside her?" he asked. Futaba choked back a sob. "Well?"

"Ever… Ever since Mom died…" Futaba said. Akira could see the tears spilling down her cheeks. "There… There was no exit. No… There was only one exit." She curled on herself tighter. "But I was too scared of that exit. And I was trapped… trapped in a labyrinth of my own making in my own heart... There was no way out, no light, and I couldn't do it myself…" She choked back a sob, hiccuping.

"Futaba…" Sojiro whispered. He inhaled and pulled out his cigarettes, pulling one out and lighting it. He jerked his thumb towards the booth he was sitting next to. "Here… The least I can do is sit and listen." He said. He took a deep inhale and slowly exhaled before he got up and sat down in the booth properly.

Akira gently led Futaba over and helped her sit down before he sat down beside her.

"The Phantom Thieves saved me." Futaba said after a moment of wiping at her eyes. "My heart was so messed up, I didn't even think of your house as a home but as a tomb. A place I would die in. And… and.. It's the same as Mom's research, they changed my cognition." The tears came flowing again as Futaba bowed her head and cried.

"Seriously?" Sojiro asked, almost incredulous. "Wakaba's research about changing the cognition? I wondered about it but…"

"When did you notice?" Akira asked. He figured he had a good idea, Futaba had changed too much too quickly to not be noticed by her guardian.

"When she said she was going to go to the beach out of nowhere." Sojiro said. "The doctors had thrown in the towel by that point, and yet here she was wanting to go to a place full of people?" He sighed. "At first I chalked it up as other kids being a better support than the adults. But that TV over there plays the tabloid shows, day in and day out, on and on and on about the Phantom Thieves with that Akechi kid on there. I got to thinking about it, and I thought that your case sounded awfully similar."

"Wow…" Futaba said her eyes wide, even if they were teary.

"I'm still your guardian. I'm not going to overlook a drastic change like that." Sojiro said, scratching the back of his head. "But to think… Wakaba's Research and the Phantom Thieves changing hearts was the same thing…" He stared off, smoking a cigarette. "Back in the day, I was the government official that bridged the lab she worked at with the government." He said. "She said something odd one day when we were out drinking. That she might die soon in an odd way…" He shook his head. "Stupid me, I laughed it off. But sure enough, exactly as she said it would…" Sojiro continued looking off, his face tightening into something harder. It softened as he looked to Futaba. "If anything were to happen to you, I'd failed her Futaba."

Having just gotten back from a visit with his mom, Akira knew the feel all too well. What it was like to have someone care about them like that. And he was glad that Sojiro did care. Not that it had ever been in question, but it was a good thing that he did.

"Akira. Judging by your attitude, you knew about the calling card, didn't you?" Sojiro turned that gaze on Akira.

Akira took his glasses off and set them on the table. "Yes." He said, looking to Sojiro in the eyes.

"You should have known that Futaba had a change of heart through the Phantom Thieves as well." Sojiro said. 'I'm going to ask bluntly. Is there a connection between you and them?" Sojiro asked. "The first incident of a change of heart happened at your school if I recall. The kid that brought that painting here was a pupil of that artist wasn't he? And then there's Futaba. Who you began to nose around about. You seem to find yourself in the middle of these scandals."

Akira took a few seconds to ponder how best to answer Sojiro. Futaba stiffened like she wanted to say something in his defense but Akira held his hand up on the table to stop her. Sojiro asked him the question. "You're sharp as hell Sojiro." he said.

"You think this is a game?" Sojiro asked. "These people are called criminals by the general public, why did you introduce them to Futaba?" He asked, barely containing his anger.

"This isn't a game." Akira said sharply. It was the first feeling of anger that he really had. He didn't treat what he was doing as a game. "And if you must know… I lead them." Akira knew what sort of bombshell he was dropping. He saw Sojiro recoil as though Akira had reached across the table and punched him.

"So you're telling me… I've been sheltering a Phantom Thief since April?" Sojiro asked. His eyes were closed tightly, as though he was trying to control himself. "Not just a Phantom Thief, but who could basically be called THE Phantom Thief?" He sighed like he was in pain. "And Futaba's involved too? What the hell?"

"Akira." Morgana hissed at him.

Akira looked to the older man. "I don't care what the general public says." He told Sojiro. He saw the older man's eyes open. "It's not about money, it's not about fame. It's never been about those. It's not even about revenge. It's about giving justice to those that think they're above the law. Justice… it's a word that tastes like ash in my mouth because of what happened to me. Yet here I am, gallivanting about as some vigilante. But Kamoshida forced himself on a student. Physically abused the male members of the volleyball team, sexually abused the female members, and no one was willing to say or do anything about it. I did.

"Madarame stole the future of his pupils. He passed off their hard work as his own, allowed himself to be declared a master of the arts when many of the ideas weren't his. I've met two of his students. One that allowed himself to be blinded for a time, another that got away but couldn't find success in the art world worth a damn because he was blacklisted by Madarame. And I was told about a third student that committed suicide because of Madarame's actions. And yet again, no one was willing to say or do anything about it.

"Junya Kaneshiro was exploiting and extorting students of the various high schools around the city, including mine. He offered people a job where they could make some quick, but good money, and then used blackmail with pictures of drug trafficking in order to keep these students running his drugs and money all over town for free. Thankfully we didn't get too wrapped up with that one.

"My point, Sojiro, is that I'm doing this because I want to help people. I want to help the victims of men like Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro, the bastard that slapped me with an assault charge even though I didn't touch him." Akira didn't know where that last bit came out of, a suppressed feeling perhaps? He'd have to look at that another time.

"And I want to do this to find Mom's killer." Futaba said.

"Wait, killed?" Sojiro asked surprised.

"I remember it now. She was killed." Futaba said with conviction

"Stop this nonsense!" Sojiro shouted.

"Why won't you believe me? Are you the same as everyone else?" Futaba asked. Akira was as shocked as Sojiro was to hear her ask that question, it was why he didn't cut in "Didn't you know already? Mom's death wasn't normal! And then her research was stolen by someone! Doesn't that strike you as odd in the slightest little bit?"

Sojiro put the cigarette out. 'When she passed… I did think it odd." he said. "It was fishy. But what could I do? All I could do was run from it all."

"No." Akira said. "You did what you could do Sojiro. You took Futaba in, gave her a home and tried to be there for her. Don't belittle that accomplishment." Akira didn't know everything that had gone on, and Futaba's uncle still played a part in that picture, but Akira knew that Sojiro at least cared for Futaba.

"The reason I took custody of Futaba was me trying to selfishly atone for what happened to Wakaba. I thought… I always thought if I had said something or done something when she told me…" Sojiro said. "It's basically my fault you got burdened with all this."

"It's not your fault." Futaba said, a little more calmly from her outburst.

Sojiro gave a snort of amusement. "I acted all big, lectured and even yelled at you two kids." He said. "But here I am, being consoled. I must look like a laughingstock."

"That's not true." Akira said. "You look like a concerned parent."

Sojiro looked shocked at that before he smiled and sighed. "Don't worry. I have no intention of reporting you or kicking you out. I mean, who would believe such a story? Unless they catch you red handed, there's no way to tell you're the Phantom Thieves."

"I appreciate that." Akira said. And he meant it. Sojiro was letting him stay there as a favor. A favor that Akira hoped to one day repay.

"Let me say one thing though." Sojiro said. "I want you to immediately back out of a fight you can't win. If by chance you guys pissed off the same people that killed Wakaba… Then they're not someone kids like you can deal with, understand?"

Akira nodded his head. Even though he felt pretty confident in the strength of his team within Mementos, he did understand what Sojiro was getting at. Even still, he was going to see this Phantom Thief business to the end.

"We're done talking about this for now. Let's eat." Sojiro slid out of the booth and went over to the stove to start preparing some curry.

Morgana gave a breath of relief as he poked his head from the bag. "That… was too close." he said. "We should tell the others."

Futaba slumped over the table, giving a low sound. "I'm tired." she said.

Akira patted her on the back before he got up and went to the sink. He washed his hands and dried them off before he went behind the counter to start preparing some coffee. "Honestly, I think we have a few leads as to who did it." He said quietly to Sojiro.

"Are you serious?" The older man asked. "Didn't I just say I wanted to quit talking about this?"

"You deserve to know the truth." Akira said simply. He shrugged his shoulders. "And when I know more, I'll gladly tell you more. I'd rather you on my side than against me."

"Why?" Sojiro asked a bit suspiciously.

"Because you can limit my movements again. I might be less likely to listen, but you can." Akira said honestly. "If you asked for the key to the shop back, I'd give it up, which would mean I'd have to get back and be in here before the shop closed for the evening or else be locked out. And while I don't think you will actually limit my movements, you still did me a good turn. A second one now."

Sojiro watched Akira for a while. "You helped Futaba. For the time being, that is more than enough for me to help you. But if she gets hurt, so help me Akira…"

"I understand." Akira said. "I'll keep her as safe as possible." Thankfully, since Futaba was their operator, that meant she could hang out in the back a little easier. He had bit a bullet that night, and it was a dangerous thing to tell Sojiro the truth, most of the truth, but he had done it regardless.

 _Take Your Time_

Yu opened the door to his home, offering a slight sigh as he did so. Together, he and Naoto stepped inside and began the simple ritual of taking their shoes off. Her boots went into one cubby and his shoes went in another. Both of them tossed their keys into the bowl in the entryway, the jingling chatter of metal on metal sounding out.

"I'm not really hungry." Yu said softly. Not that they had really eaten much that day, but he just didn't have an appetite.

"Neither am I." Naoto said softly. "But some hot tea wouldn't go amiss." She said. She removed her cap and set it beside the bowl before running a hand through her hair.

Yu nodded. "Yeah, some hot tea does sound good." He said as he went to the kitchen and began to brew them a pot of tea. It wasn't going to be anything special. He prepared both mugs, slipping into old habits. He set the mug down on the counter for Naoto and just stood in the kitchen. He took a sip.

Naoto accepted the mug and took a sip, her eyes looking at him, watching him with something behind her gray eyes. Something lurking in their depths.

"What?" Yu asked softly.

"You look like you're wanting to say something but don't have the words." Naoto said.

Hm. Perhaps he did want to say something and couldn't find the words. He sipped at his tea, looking to the fluid as though it held the answers to the universe.

"Forty two." Naoto said.

Yu blinked a moment and glanced to the sleuth. "Pardon?" he asked.

"You look like you're trying to find the answers to the universe. Forty two." Naoto said calmly.

Before he could stop himself, he gave a snort of amusement. "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. One of my favorite books." he said. He didn't often talk about favorites. Not his favorite food, favorite music, favorite movie, favorite books. He just tried to enjoy everything as it was.

"What else is your favorite?" Naoto asked. When he glanced down again, she bent down to look up towards him. "Yu?" she asked.

Yu glanced to the tea a while longer. "When you've… when you've lived a lonely life without very many friends, you try to do a lot of things. Things that give fleeting moments of reprieve from that crushing loneliness. At least, that's the way it was for me. Something to get my heart going, my mind working. Maybe a bit of a smile. I've tried so many things, so many shows, so many sports, so many books that… I don't really know what my favorites are anymore. I know what brings me enjoyment, but that's about it. That's hardly a fit thing to call a favorite."

Naoto continued watching him. "My favorite color is blue. My favorite movies are detective movies. My favorite show is Phoenix Featherman R, my favorite books are detective novels. Yu, you already know all this." She said. He could tell she was concerned. "My favorite foods are mentaiko pasta and california sushi rolls. And you're my favorite person in the whole world. You're my love and my best friend Yu. And right now, I'm scared as hell on what you're going to decide to do, and I don't know if I can help. Not because I don't think I can, but because I'm not certain if you will let me and I want to help you. You let your Reflection get inside your head, and you can't get him out."

Yu closed his eyes a moment. "Blue is my favorite color too." He whispered after a moment. It reminded him of Naoto. It reminded him of the clear blue sky overhead when Naoto had confessed her love to him. He opened his eyes a moment. "How? What can you do to help me?" he asked. He wanted her help, even if he wasn't sure it would help.

"We're going to play a small game, a word association game. I'm going to say something, you say the first word that comes to mind." Naoto said. "Don't think about it, just the first word that comes to mind. Do you understand?"

Yu nodded his head. He had a feeling he knew where she was going to go with this, but he decided to let it happen.

"Inaba." Naoto said.

That was easy. "Home." Yu said.

"Fishing."

"Relaxing."

"Kanji Tatsumi."

"Brother."

"Ryuji Sakamoto."

"Funny."

"Red."

"Yukiko."

"Black."

"Akira."

"Dojima."

"Family."

"Yosuke Hanomura."

"Partner."

"Mementos."

"Liberating."

"Sword."

"Defense."

"Naoto Shirogane."

"Comfort." The word slipped from Yu almost immediately. Sure enough, he had known where Naoto was going to take it but she had gotten him on such a roll, that he just had gone on autopilot. Comfort. Yes, Naoto was comfort. She was warmth, light, and comfort. He didn't have to pretend with her. He didn't have to live up to some unreasonable expectation.

Naoto gently pried the mug from his hands and set it on the counter. She then reached up and grabbed Yu around the neck and pulled him down so that he was resting against her shoulder. "My handsome, kind, smart, and sometimes so very stupid Senpai." She whispered as she held him. Yu wrapped his arms around her in return. "You're head is just so full of thoughts, you can't let them go. It's okay." She said. "Let me be that comfort for you." She pulled back just slightly and leaned up, kissing his lips.

It was the first kiss they had really shared since he had fought his Reflection. And while that was really only a day, it still had felt like forever. But Yu pulled Naoto in a little tighter and kissed her a bit more, feeling the love she had.

For him.

He didn't know what the future would bring. He didn't know if he was worthy of that love most days. He didn't know what was in store for them. He didn't know where they would end up. But for the time being, he let go. He let go of all the complicated thoughts and went with the most simplest thought he had.

Naoto Shirogane was comfort.

He pulled back from her lips and leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you so very much." he whispered. "Don't go anywhere, please."

Naoto shook her head and pecked his lips again. "I'm not going anywhere Yu because I love you just as much. And you need me right here at your side, reminding you of the man that you are, that you could be."

Yu didn't have all the answers, but that was okay. He could find them together with Naoto.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Pretty straight forward chapter here.**


	32. Chapter 32: Bonds

Chapter 32: Bonds

"Thanks for this Makoto." Akira said, watching as she unlocked the door to the roof. They went through, and Akira held the door open, glancing to the stairs a bit.

"Yeah, thanks a lot." Ann said as she walked up the stairs a little slower, a little more carefully.

Around her shoulders was the arm of one Suzui Shiho. The girl struggled to take the stairs, sweat matting her brow as she worked her way up them. Given the height of her fall and the length of time it took for such injuries to heal, Shiho still had a long way to go with recovery. And apparently she had some minor paralysis in her left leg that had a higher than average chance of remaining.

But Akira didn't pity her. He saw the fire and determination in her eyes. The first flight of stairs had been easy enough for her, the second one she almost collapsed at the top of them. The third one she was leaning on Ann just to take those last few steps.

Makoto shook her head from beside Akira. "No, this is the least I can do. Don't thank me." she said softly.

And Akira knew why. Shiho represented the truth of things about Kamoshida. Things she missed, things she should have seen. But hindsight was twenty-twenty, and Makoto couldn't have possibly known what to look for.

Once at the top, Shiho bent half over, breathing hard with her hands on her knees. "Thank you Ann-chan, Akira-san. I... I must be pretty heavy."

"Not at all." Akira said. She had, after some convincing from Ann, agreed to let him carry her back down if she was allowed to come up on her own.

"See, isn't Akira-kun super reliable?" Ann said with a smile.

Shiho smiled, a bit strained but it was a truthful one and she nodded her head. "Yes, it's just like you said Ann." Shiho pushed herself back to standing straight and began to walk along the rooftop, looking over the courtyard below as she ran her fingers over the chainlink fence.

"Go." Akira told Ann. "Be there for her." He said softly and he watched the blonde girl give a nod before heading off to do just as Akira said.

Makoto slowly stepped up beside Akira. "Is this the right thing to do?" she asked softly as the pair watched the other girls. "I mean… the memories…"

"Are haunting." Akira said. "Every time you use Johanna and I hear those chains rattle, all I see is Ryuji's stomach getting blown out." Makoto winced at that. "Don't." He said, cutting her off from speaking. "It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine. But we're not going to be casting blame right now." He continued watching the two girls.

Really, had he just been a little faster, Ryuji's interference wouldn't have been needed. But he knew better than to burden his shoulders with that blame. It wasn't always the easiest thing to do, not blaming himself, but he knew he had to.

"I keep feel like I need to apologize to her." Makoto said. "If only I had noticed the signs, seen something." she said.

"Don't." Akira said. "You didn't see anything, you didn't know what was going on. And we all know that you would have if you did. How much effort has gone into being Student Council President since you joined us? How much better have you worked to make the school?"

"I know, it just… it still doesn't feel right." She bowed her head a moment. "And Shiho-san is transferring."

"That is probably for the best." Akira said. "I had a few days at my old school before I was officially expelled, the rumors were… devastating."

Makoto turned to look at him. "You don't talk much about your old school or friends." she said.

Akira shook his head. "Friends… Ha… I thought they were friends. Thought they would listen to me. But I suppose that's just something I've learned since coming to Shibuya. How real friends act." He shrugged his shoulders a little bit.

Ann and Shiho came back, the paler girl offered Akira a slight smile. "I'm in your care." she said with a slight bow.

Akira moved over and crouched down in front of her with his back to her. She got on his back, shuddering a moment. He could hear the quickness of her breath coming. She shook, trembled even as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked, trying to be as soothing as he could be.

Shiho shook her head. "I'm sorry Akira-san." she whispered. "It's not you… It is… but it isn't…"

"Androphobia.' Makoto said. "A small case of it."

Shiho nodded her head slightly. "I've been working with my psychologist about it, and Dad helps… but it's still…"

Akira nodded his head. "It's okay." He told her. "I'll get you down as quick as I can if you're still willing to do this."

Shiho nodded again. "I don't think I can actually walk the stairs on my knee." She admitted. And he could see the tears on her face. She looked away from him and he could hear her muttering under her breath. "He's not Kamoshida. He's not Kamoshida. He's not Kamoshida."

Akira stood up. He had to get Shiho down and he had to get away from her. Makoto held the door for him as he walked out and began to head down the stairs. He could see some of the students and faculty that were there on the final days of their summer vacation looking at him as he made his way down, carrying Shiho. But he wasn't going to shy away, not when she needed his help, not when she was muttering under her breath over and over the same mantra to try and gain strength from it.

Once outside, he bent down and set her down on one of the stone benches. His legs burned a little bit, but thanks to all the running he did, he wasn't wholly unequipped to carry one girl down three flights of stairs. And he'd be damned if he said some fifty five kilogram girl had been heavy.

But he stood back as Ann and Shiho talked a little bit until Shiho was back under control. She then went and headed for the car that was waiting for her. She turned and offered a small smile to Akira and he offered a small wave.

"She's so strong." Ann said as the car pulled away. "She wanted to reenact that moment. She said it had nothing to do with wanting to die, but wanting to escape." she said.

"I suppose in a way she did." Akira said. "The problem is, she still hasn't fully gotten away from her demons."

"No, no she didn't." Ann said. "But she's strong now, unable to push aside that side of herself that's her weakness. Thank you Akira-kun." she said. She looked over to Akira, unshed tears in her eyes. "She said she made it through Rehab because of me, seeing me strive to be stronger and to be a better model. And that's thanks to you. I've decided I'm going to become a real model so Shiho sees me in all these magazines and all these interviews."

Akira nodded his head a bit. It was a noble goal, and he was glad to see that Ann was going to be putting her effort into it.

Ann then gave a sheepish smile. "It means I'm going to have to learn all these new languages and cultural stuff so I can do overseas work. Wouldn't want to anger the locals by being ignorant, right?" She sniffed a moment and covered her face. "Damn it, I said I wasn't going to cry!"

Akira chuckled and he stepped closer. He set his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to cry." he said. "It means you feel. And that's your strength, Ann." he said.

"Am I going to be alone again?" Ann asked, looking up to Akira.

"Of course not. You have all of us. Makoto, Haru, Naoto, Yu, Futaba, Yusuke, Morgana, Me, and if you think Ryuji's just going to let you get away, you really need to get faster then." Akira said.

Ann laughed at that and offered a smile. "Do… Do you think I should go for Ryuji?" she asked. "He's… I just…"

"You know he's been cleaning up his act for you, right? You and his mom." Akira said. "I say, give it a try if that's what your heart is telling you. But if things don't work out, don't stop being friends." Ann seemed to go into thought about what he told her. He knew it was a big step to take, but Ann really just wasn't his type and wanted to give a little push to direct her to where some happiness might lie.

Ann nodded her head a moment. "Oh yeah! Do you remember that other model? Mika, the one that I said I sorta look up to because of her dedication?"

"Yeah, vaguely." Akira said. He had only seen the woman once or twice after all. It was a pretty drastic change of subject.

"So she got busted sending out emails to the other models with fake reschedulings, so that she could get called in as a backup for the shoot. She was trying to get more popular so that she was the more primary model to get called. It worked to an extent too." Ann said, smiling again.

"Well that's shady." Akira said.

Ann shook her head. "No, it's more dedication." she said. "She said that chances don't come to those that wait, and she was trying to make her own luck to succeed. Unfortunately, one of the agency reps called her out on it. And she decided to try and not hide it. I still thought it was pretty lame, but I just can't bring myself to hate her."

Akira shook his head a little bit. "I'm glad that fiasco is taken care of then. Can't be the number one model if you don't have the work, right?"

Ann smiled and she tucked her hands up behind her head. "Yeah… Though, I suppose I'm fine with waiting to become the number one model." she said. "I want to be a ray of sunshine for the whole world to draw strength from. Just like you and Shiho are for me. And… so you know… You can lean on me if you need it."

Akira smiled a bit and turned, holding his arms out. He felt Ann step into the hug and he wrapped his arms around her carefully. "I will." He told her.

Ann stepped back a bit. "I feel like I finally see eye to eye with you Akira-kun," she said. "And I'm so glad I got the chance to meet you."

"I'm glad to have met you too Ann." Akira said and offered a smile.

Ann raised her hand to her chest. "What's this sensation… this burning sensation deep inside me… Carmen… Is this the depth of my strength? It's… it's so powerful, and new… Hecate…"

Akira touched his own chest where he felt something blossom as well, just as he had felt with Ryuji. He smiled a bit to Ann. "Well, I had best get back home. Want me to walk with you to the train or will you be staying here a bit longer?"

"I'll stay here a bit longer." Ann said, moving to sit on the bench.

Akira offered a wave as he began to head for the train station. He was glad that Ann found her sense of strength, and he was curious as to what Hecate could do now. It seemed that Ryuji wasn't going to be the only one with a new Persona now.

When he got back to Leblanc, Akira took a moment to pour himself some coffee. Sojiro had already locked up for the evening and it seemed that, for the moment, he was by himself. Though he had plans to talk with Kawakami that evening. It just seemed that…

The bell to the shop jingled as the door swung open and he turned. There, Kawakami was coming in and looking like she had ran. "Sorry I'm late!" she said. "A student asked me for some help, and it seems like that's been happening a lot more recently."

Akira chuckled as he got to work on a second cup of coffee. He noted that Kawakami wasn't dressed up as Victoria, something he was sort of thankful for. As the others pointed out, his mother and Kawakami did look similar, something Akira had been able to distance himself from when Kawakami had worn her maid outfit.

'Have a seat." He said. He watched her come over and park herself on a stool. He poured the coffee and set it down in front of her.

"I wonder if the students see me in a new light recently." Kawakami said as she picked up her cup and took a sip. Black, sugarless, plain. "It's a lot less stressful not having to work as a maid anymore, but I told you I'll still help you out if you ask."

Akira nodded his head a bit. "I appreciate that Sensei, but I think I might just take advantage of getting to slack off a little in class." He said.

"Oh?" Kawakami asked. "And if I went upstairs right now, how would your room look?" she asked with a grin.

"Spotless, as it did every other time I called you over and you know it." Akira said. He didn't leave his laundry laying on the floor like an animal. "My mother would have killed me if I didn't know how to pick up after myself, and do you really think I'm going to insult Sojiro like that?"

Kawakami laughed a little bit. "I've been working extra hard on lessons." She said. "So don't expect to get to slack off too much if you want to keep your spot at the top." She said. "I want to make up for all the students I failed in the past."

"I'll like the challenge." Akira said. And he did enjoy when he was mentally challenged by a problem. It was good thought provoking entertainment. "But I'm glad you want to help people."

"Apparently they like my laidback nature." The teacher said as she sipped some of her coffee. She offered a sly smirk. "So… serious discussion time, coming from me as your homeroom teacher."

"Oh?" Akira asked. Something settled in his stomach, like he was about to be razed by his mother. The laid back demeanor had also helped with the comparison between his mother and Kawakami, and it wasn't something he wanted to dwell on.

"You are… Waaaay too lax with your diet. You need to shape up, start eating a lot better." Kawakami said. "I swear, all I ever see you bring for lunch is curry, curry, and ramen. Not to mention all the coffee you drink." she said. She shook her head.

"Hey!" Akira said. "I take offense to that. I make my own curry, it's delicious and nutritious."

"I'd argue the nutritional value of it." Kawakami said, sticking her tongue out at him. "Just shut up and agree Akira."

"Yes Mom." Akira said, blatantly being a smart ass. "Jeez, it's like my actual mom is here." He turned, scratching the back of his head. "Fine, fine! I'll start adding more vegetables or something with my lunches, but you can't exactly expect me to have much more available to me than Curry. I can't even cook anything but curry." Not that Akira had tried yet, he didn't want to set fire to Sojiro's kitchen.

Maybe Yu would let him experiment?

Kawakami shook her head. "You have a whole grocery store down the block from you. Experiment." she said. "But I'm glad you're going to take your diet a little more seriously." She sipped from her coffee more. "You're a member of the Phantom Thieves, right?" she watched him rather closely.

"Nope." Akira said, keeping himself relaxed. They had worked with Naoto, having her grill them on trying to figure out their tells, just so they could deny it when questions like these were brought up. So Akira knew, for certain, that he wasn't giving anything away.

"You shouldn't lie to your homeroom teacher, Akira-kun." Kawakami said.

"I'm just a highschooler." Akira said, still denying it.

"That thing with Takase-kun's guardians worked out entirely too well for me." Kawakami said, her tone indicating that she wasn't buying it. "Then there's the fact the incident with Kamoshida occurred shortly after your arrival, with you being on the chopping block. And all that weird stuff you find for me to wash for you. Then there's the scars and musculature you've developed." Akira said nothing as she drove each of her points home, each of her very good points. "But what really drives home that you're a member of the Phantom Thieves, Akira-kun, you asked me about Takase-kun's guardians, their names specifically, and were the only one that knew about my situation."

Akira took a moment and inhaled. He leaned against the shelf of beans and crossed his arms over each other. "...So what if I am?" he asked after a moment.

"Weeellll…" Kawakami drawled, as though she had a few ideas in mind. "Don't worry, I have no intention of telling anyone." she said with a smile. "So long as your grades stay up." She said teasingly before she looked at her cup of coffee. "There's tons of stories about the Phantom Thieves. But in the end, you guys are helping people like me, victims of situations we have no control over." She then grinned, looking up. "That is sooo you."

"Yeah, yeah, yuk it up." Akira said, rolling his eyes. How did this keep happening? First Toranosuke, then Sojiro, now Kawakami. Jeez, so much for discretion. He was going to get busted, he just knew it. Somewhere, someone along the lines would find out about them and tell the wrong people.

"I just thought you were a problem child with a criminal record. I was actually scared and tried to get swapped as your homeroom teacher." Kawakami said. "And I'm sorry that I let Kamoshida know about you. But now I know better."

Akira glanced up as he saw Kawakami looking into her cup of coffee once more. "It's alright Sensei." he said in a reassuring way.

"No, no it's not. But I'll support you one hundred percent." Kawakami smiled to him once more. "You're no longer just a student to me. You're someone that helped me become the teacher I wanted to be again. You've become special to me. You've opened a new path for me, one where I'll never abandon my students ever again."

"That sounds promising." Akira said with a smile, laxing his stance a little bit. He stepped back towards the counter. He felt that sensation in his heart again, like something was being let go and he just knew he was getting stronger, strong enough to make a difference.

"Alright then, fifty terms!" Kawakami said, standing up with a broad grin on her face.

"Wait what?!" Akira asked.

"I don't want you flunking your exams Akira-kun."

"I'm not flunking my exams Sensei!" Akira said. "Besides, it's still summer vacation until tomorrow! I. Am. Lazing. About. Like. A normal. Person." He said.

"And is your homework done?" Kawakami asked, eyes narrowed on him. "Or are you skirting by like Sakamoto-kun?"

"It's been done since before I went to Inaba." Akira shot back at her.

"Inaba?" Kawakami blinked. "Why'd you go all the way out there?" she asked. "Hmm, I had a student from last year that came back from Inaba now that I think about it…"

Oh right, most people didn't know that Akira knew Yu. "Yu Narukami."

"That's… Wait… How do you know Narukami?" Kawakami asked.

"Oh… through Naoto-senpai who has been kind enough to help me out with studying from time to time. Hence why I know Makoto-senpai as well." Technically, he knew Naoto through Yu, and he had been the one to bring Makoto in.

"They're Phantom Thieves too, aren't they?" Kawakami asked, her tone flat.

"Nope." Akira denied yet again. He could at least try to keep his friends from being outed as such.

"Uh… Huh." Kawakami clearly didn't believe him, but Akira had at least tried to make it sound like they weren't. She shook her head. "Look." She said, pointing at Akira. "I know what you do is dangerous." she said seriously. "Again, every time you've asked me for a massage, your body has new scars. Scars I never saw a bandage for, and you don't get that fit without doing something reckless. So I'm going to say this once, and only once. Be. Careful." She said. "I'm not going to out you or your friends, but that doesn't mean others won't."

Akira nodded his head a little more seriously since he could see that Kawakami was being serious. She finished her cup of coffee in one go. "Want another?" he asked her.

"No, I think I'll head out. Like you said, it's the last day of summer vacation. Even us teachers should get the chance to laze about." Kawakami said. "Are you prepared to go to Hawaii?"

"Sounds like a lot fun." Akira said with a slight grin. "Sandy beaches, clear water, sun, can't wait."

Kawakami nodded and stood up. "Let me know if you need a massage." She said, walking backwards towards the door. "I trained my skills as a maid pretty well."

"See you around Kawakami-sensei." he said, watching her go. Akira sighed a moment and leaned on the counter.

He kept having his secret of being a Phantom Thief found out. Would everyone he was making a bond with figure it out? He supposed that wasn't so bad. None of them seemed interested in turning him in and were willing to keep his secret. He turned his back to the counter and sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

If Kawakami knew, then there was a good chance that Takemi knew as well. How many times did he have to take his shirt off in front of her? And then there was the fact he and his friends handled the doctor's problems. Jeez… He'd go see her the next day, no doubt she would have a lot to say.

He just hoped that Takemi had been able to help her patient out.

Akira sighed softly and drank the last of his coffee. "I'm getting a bath." He grabbed his things before he headed out for the bath house that was almost literally right across the alleyway.

After the realization that he hadn't been so discreet as he had hoped, he needed one.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira stretched a moment as he got off the train for Yongen-jaya, his feet carrying him through the alleyway. After that day of school, and the group's meeting after school to touch base and make certain everything was still good, Akira knew he needed to just have a bit of time to himself. It was a little late in the afternoon, but not too bad.

His feet carried him briefly to Leblanc a moment and he saw a few customers still there. "Boss, I'm getting a thermos of coffee." Akira said as he pulled one of his new, empty thermos out and went behind the counter. He set some money down that Sojiro grabbed and put in the cash register before Akira washed his hands. He then went to prepare the coffee.

"A whole thermos huh? Got someone in mind you're sharing with?" Sojiro asked.

"I got something I want to talk to Doctor Takemi about and I thought a good cup of coffee would be appreciated." Akira said. Especially after the talk he had with Kawakami the night before. If his homeroom teacher knew, then there was a strong possibility that his primary physician knew.

"Then you don't want those beans." Sojiro said, stopping Akira before he could start grinding some beans. "You want these ones." He motioned to a different container.

A different, more expensive container. But Akira had long since shown he was a master of brewing Sojiro's famous coffee, so it wasn't too big of an issue for Akira to use them and make the thermos of coffee. He also paid the difference in price.

He then headed out of the clinic and headed towards Tae Takemi's clinic. He hesitated a moment, the person that represented his Death Arcana tended to be a bit of an interesting woman at times. Still, he headed up to the door and headed inside. He saw the little girl that the Doctor had been seeing and he moved to stand to the side.

"Hey Doctor, does it matter who likes someone first?" The little girl asked.

"No, why do you say that?" Takemi asked patiently as she jotted a few things down on her clipboard. Akira held up the thermos of coffee and she motioned him on through. "You know where my mug is." she said.

Akira stepped through the door and went to get Takemi's mug. He even did her the courtesy of washing it out properly. He didn't add any cream or sugar to it, not knowing how Takemi liked it. But he then sat down in the back room and waited.

She came in after a moment, shaking her head. "She's gotten so much better. So good in fact, she's started to gossip." Takemi gave a chuckle as she sat down. She took the mug of coffee and from her desk pulled out some sweetener and creamer cups. Akira grimaced at the artificial sweetener and the particular brand of creamer.

Sojiro used real cream and real sugar. It was what made his coffee so good.

"She's almost recovered." Takemi said. "Which reminds me, the new medicine is almost completed." She said with a smile. "Your data has been extremely useful due to your generic body type and boring health history."

"Jeez Doc, way to make a guy feel special." Akira said in a flat tone of voice while he sipped from the plastic cup that had come with the thermos.

"You've been a splendid guinea pig, I mean participant." Takemi said, clearly messing with him.

"Happy to help Doc." Akira said, and he meant it too.

"By the way… how have I been doing?" Takemi asked. "Have I been helping?" She fanned herself with a clipboard and closed one eye, looking at him with the other. "For your escapades with the Phantom Thieves, I mean."

"I knew it." Akira said and sighed.

"Let's face it, you and I both know you were lying your ass off when you said you needed additional medicine to help you stay awake for entrance exams. Not only that, most of what I've given you has been for things like blood loss or wounds. And, I visited Oyamada in jail. A swing of fortunes like that could have only come from the Phantom Thieves. Then there's the fact you asked for his name, the timing of it all…" Takemi shook her head. "But the real kicker is how you look without a shirt on. I'm a Doctor, they don't give out Doctorate's to stupid people usually. I do have to be able to make logical conclusions based on facts."

Akira inhaled and exhaled again. "You're not the only one to have said something about how I look without a shirt on." He ran a hand through his frizzy hair, trying to think about what to do about this.

"Well, I don't care." Takemi said and reclined into her chair a bit, crossing her legs at the knee and sipping from her mug. "I'm too grateful to you for everything you have done. Because of your contributions, I was able to complete my mission. I would have never finished that medicine because of Oyamada's deceit. But thanks to you, thanks to you a little girl might be able to live a normal life."

Akira shook his head. "No Doc, that was all you." He said a little firmly. "I just helped, but you synthesized the medicine and ran the tests."

"Regardless, I should be thanking you Akira-kun." Takemi said. She set her coffee cup down and leaned in. "Yes, I realize our deal could be bad for the both of us, especially me, but you have helped me actually feel like a Doctor again and not a quack. I can't thank you enough for giving me that feeling back. I'd have never met any of the townspeople around my clinic if it wasn't for you."

"You're a great Doctor." Akira said. He hadn't realized what if might feel like for someone like Takemi to go from feeling like a doctor to being called a quack and then actually getting to feel like a doctor again.

"I'm willing to go out on a limb for you." Takemi said. "And I'll keep having even more powerful medicine for you. I don't know what it is you do exactly, but you're going to need all the help you can get. I trust that you'll use them appropriately."

Akira felt something shift in his heart once more. And for a moment, he almost thought he heard chains rattling and Arsene chuckling in his head. But ultimately he dismissed it as his Death Arcana coming to be as strong as it would get.

"I'm not giving them to you for free though. Still costs money to make them." Takemi said.

"No, I got it." Akira said. "I wouldn't ask you to give them away either." He said. Not with as good as the medicine was within the Metaverse. Yes, Dia spells worked a little faster and better, but when they were in a safe room it was simpler to just take some medicine and let it work while they waited, rested, and planned.

"Now, before I send you off," Takemi stood up. "Let's give you a proper physical." She said. She went and washed her hands before putting on a pair of latex gloves. "Strip down to your boxers for me."

It was about an hour later when Akira walked out, feeling just a touch violated. But Takemi had given him a clear bill of health. He doubted he was going to be able to look her in the eyes ever again. Not after he had to turn his head and cough.

There was a reason Akira didn't play sports.

His phone buzzed and he sighed, unlocking it to see a request from Iwai to come help out at the store. He still had a bit of time, so Akira headed out towards Central street and beyond. A quick stop at Yu's house to pick up the rather impressive firearm that he had kept from his Reflection in Inaba before he began to make his way towards Untouchable.

Again, a lead ball seemed to settle in his stomach. Would Iwai have figured it out as well? Possibly.

Akira stepped inside the airsoft shop. He went behind the counter and quickly set his bag down. "Iwai! You in the back?" Akira called out.

"Yeah, yeah, be out in a sec." The old Yakuza said.

The door jingled open and Akira saw Kaoru walk in. He offered a wave to Iwai's son. "Hey, Dad said you might be around today." Kaoru said.

"That so?" Akira mused, wondering if he had been played by Iwai a moment.

"Yeah. I wanted to thank you for what you did the other night. I learned a lot about myself and I wanted to show my appreciation." Kaoru offered a smile.

Akira waved it off. "Relax, you did your thing, I just offered some words."

"Hmph. Intruding on another private family affair huh?" Iwai asked as he came out of the back and leaned against the counter.

"You still droning on about that old man?" Kaoru asked. "I mean, yeah it was a shock but it's what made you take me in. So who honestly cares?"

"Woah there kiddo." Iwai closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"If you had just told me all this sooner, then you'd have never been threatened." Kaoru said.

Akira shook his head. "No, then they would have threatened him over something else." He saw the looks he was getting. "What? It's true."

Iwai nodded his head and stood up a bit more. "Who you are, who your parents are, and where you come from stays with you for your entire life. I didn't want you getting known as the Yakuza kid, or the kid with a drug addict for a mother. Thanks to my loser parents, I got bullied by complete strangers and-"

"My dad isn't a loser though." Kaoru said. "He's a brilliant business owner."

"He's got you there Iwai." Akira quipped, more interested in the byplay between father and son.

"Ah stow it you." Iwai said, but there was no missing the slight smile on his lips. He shook his head. "So in the end, I was just fighting my own demons. Stuck in my crappy childhood and all the problems I had growin' up."

"Those demons aren't exactly easy to let go." Akira said, the words coming out a little more somberly. He saw the other two looking at him. Iwai a bit strangely, Kaoru like he had grown a second head.

"No, I suppose they aren't. Still, I let my view of my son get all distorted." Iwai shook his head. "Well, I'm going to have to work on that."

"I forgive you." Kaoru said.

"Wow…" Iwai said in a bit of a sarcastic tone. "You've really matured."

"Don't ruin the moment Iwai." Akira said.

Kaoru turned to look at Akira a little bit more. "Why did you help my father out?" he asked. "He told me you helped him gather some information on Tsuda-san. You got involved in a Yakuza dispute. Willingly. Why?"

"I couldn't just leave him." Akira said. "I mean look at him. All gray and frail looking."

"I'll show you frail looking punk!" Iwai held a fist up menacingly.

"I'd understand if you were a member of the Phantom Thieves, but… It just doesn't make sense." Kaoru said. Akira made sure not to react to the words. "Fighting for the underdogs, like a gentleman thief would, you know? People have their own opinions, but me, I think the Phantom Thieves are super cool."

"Sure, I recommend reading up on Arsene sometime then." Akira said. This time, there was no mistaking Arsene's laughter in his mind.

Iwai glanced to a clock. "You gotta go Kaoru, the supermarket is about to close." he said, a slight smirk on his lips. "Aren't you in charge of dinner tonight?"

"Oh crap! I gotta run!" Kaoru then booked it out of the shop.

"Sheesh… Kids grow up quick. They can be a right pain in the ass, but they're worth it." Iwai said as he took the toothpick from his mouth. "Help me close up real quick, go close the shutter."

Akira nodded and headed towards the front to do as the former Yakuza asked. It was a simple enough ritual that he had long since gone through.

"You know, Tsuda changed rather suddenly." Iwai said as he was still by the counter. "Seems like he had a… change of heart like them people they've been talking about on the TV. I can't be the only one that was saved by his change of heart… I wonder who else knows…" Iwai was almost being coy about it.

Damn, it seemed like he really wasn't being as discreet as he had hoped. But how could Akira honestly stand back and watch these people, people he had grown fond of, become victims of their situations? "It's a coincidence." Akira said.

"Heh... If you say so." Iwai said as the shutters came down and Akira made sure to bolt them in place. "Don't worry, it ain't none of my concern. The whole gun enthusiast was total bullshit, had me fooled. I thought you'd be a good pawn and now you're Kaoru's bro. Answer me something though… How are the Phantom Thieves using my guns to take down the bad guys? They're just models."

Akira chuckled a little bit. That was the question of the century, but he just didn't have an answer for Iwai regarding it. He headed back behind the counter and he picked up his gun. "So… how else did you know?" he asked carefully.

"Oh come on, given the life I live? The life I used to live?" Iwai asked. "You can always tell when someone isn't on the up and up." Iwai said.

Akira shook his head. "Fine, fine. But can you look at something for me? Just real quick?"

Iwai crossed his arms. "Sure, I can look." he said. "Am I going to want gloves for this?"

Akira reached into his bag and pulled out the gun that he had gotten from his Reflection and set it on the glass countertop. He knew the spot where the cameras didn't quite see "So I found this." he said carefully.

Iwai looked it over before he grabbed a pair of gloves and put them on. He picked the gun up and gave a low whistle. "Found it huh?" he asked. "It's definitely not one of mine." He pulled back on the slide. "It's heavy like a genuine article too." He touched the button and the slide on gun shot back forward. "Seems like everything is in working order too." He pressed the eject button and caught the clip that came out. "Very, very nice. Most won't include the clip." He slotted it back home and held it up. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that's a real deal genuine article."

"So it is a model?" Akira asked.

"Difficult to say without popping it open, and that's not something I have time for." Iwai said honestly. "But a punk kid like you isn't getting a gun on the streets, the families keep a close eye on the guns they have. Can't have the police cracking down cause some idiot decided to blow a couple holes in someone." Iwai leaned in a little bit. "So… You wanna sell it?" he asked.

Akira shook his head a bit. "Let's just say I have need of it, and that I accidently broke the one you made me."

"Tch." Iwai set it back down on the counter and slid it over. Akira was quick to tuck the gun away again. "I'll put my all into that special menu." He said. "But make sure my name never comes up. If you're ever caught by the police, I don't know you."

"I understand." Akira said. Together, they began to lock everything up and soon they parted ways.

And as Akira began to walk away, he touched his chest again. He kept feeling the strength of his bonds. Maybe it was getting time for him to look at some more powerful Persona.

Something in his gut was telling him that he'd need it.

 _Take Your Time_

Yu hummed a little bit as he continued with the process of making the California Rolls. Naoto was leaving for the airport for the Hawaii trip soon, and so he wanted to make a special treat for his girlfriend before she left. Something that said he was going to be anxiously waiting her return. Sure, it was only for a few days, but he had come to rely on her.

"Senpai!" He heard her call from up the stairs. "Have you seen my hat?!" she called down.

Yu thought about it for a moment as he continued wrapping the sushi treats, using a bit of extra avocado like Naoto liked. "Nope!" he called out after just a few moments.

"Damn." He could hear the loud swear, even as she tried to hide it. He chuckled a bit at that. She had been packed for a while, but she had been tearing their rooms apart for the last hour or so looking for her hat.

Naoto came down the stairs and Yu turned briefly to look at her. He watched her run her fingers through her hair. "Senpai do you think you can help me-" He watched as she trailed off and tilted her head at him. She crossed her arms and he saw her face turn a bit more stern. "Senpai. What is that on your head?" She asked.

Yu glanced up, barely suppressing the almost childlike smile on his face. "Mm. What is that indeed?" he asked. He saw the brim of the blue cap that was so often on Naoto's head. It looked somewhat childish sitting on his own head simply because he didn't touch the band to resize it. His head was larger than Naoto's and so it was just more resting on his scalp.

His girlfriend came over towards him slowly. "Why is my hat on your head?" she asked.

"Why indeed?" Yu said a bit childishly, the grin he was trying to suppress slowly coming out.

Naoto rolled her eyes and held her hand out. "Give." she said.

"Mm… Nope." Yu said and turned to the sushi to continue preparing it.

Naoto stepped closer and reached up to swipe it from his head. Yu gave a sharp nod of his head, throwing the hat off his head to catch in one hand and he backed away from Naoto, a playful grin on his face. "What's in it for me?" he asked as he used his own height to hold it up.

"Sen. Pai. Hat. Now." Naoto said. Though he could see the way her lips were. She was trying to be stern and scolding but wanted to smile with him.

"Let me think about that…" Yu tilted his chin up. "Mmm.. Nope, still not seeing the benefit in it for me." he said.

Naoto arched an eyebrow at him. "I will climb you for that hat." she said. "It is going with me to Hawaii." Her hat was as much a good luck charm as it was an accessory for the sleuth.

"Well come on then shortstack." Yu grinned broadly as he saw the surprised look on her face. He knew he was probably the only one that could get away with a crack at Naoto's height, and even then he would likely be paying for it.

"I can bring you back down to my level, Senpai." Naoto said, putting a hand on her hip.

"I thought you don't make a threat you don't keep." Yu said teasingly.

Naoto nodded her head. "That's how it's going to be?" she asked. She took two long strides and reached up. She put her hands on his shoulder and then pulled up, quickly locking her legs around his waist. It also had the unique benefit of pushing her breasts up against his chest.

And putting her at good height for Yu to steal a kiss, which he did while still holding her hat up over his head, holding it up as high as he could.

"Senpai. My hat." Naoto said, looking at him from only a couple of centimeters away.

Yu glanced up to where he was holding the hat. He knew his ceilings were around three meters up from the ground. He then looked at Naoto. "Well I guess you're going to have to climb higher Nao-chan." he said.

She jabbed her finger into his chest. "You're privileges of using that nickname are revoked for this, Narukami." she said. But she unclasped her ankles from the small of his back and quite impressively, began to climb him even more. Yu grunted a little bit as her foot dug into his hip, but he had told her to climb.

She got around to his back and soon was up on his shoulders, her feet dangling by his stomach. She jerked the hat from his hand and very promptly put it on her head. "And how long have you had this hat in your possession Senpai?" she asked. Her head was brushing dangerously close to the ceiling, so Yu crouched just slightly.

"Mm… Since just after you went into the shower." Yu looked up at her with a grin.

Naoto shook her head and rolled her eyes a little bit. "You are incorrigible. You've had my hat for almost two hours, listened to me tear our rooms apart looking for it, and didn't bother telling me?" she asked.

"To be fair, my head is now between your thighs, so I think I still won." Yu said, teasing his girlfriend and being a little cheeky at the same time.

He got smacked on the top of his head for that bit of cheek. "Now am I going to have to climb off you or are you going to let me down?" she asked.

"I think I'm going to keep you on my shoulders a little while longer." Yu said. He went and washed his hands before he grabbed the plate of Sushi. He then put it on top of his head and balanced it. "I want you to have fun on this trip." he said.

He could feel Naoto reach down and grab one of the california rolls. He knew his girlfriend was a fiend for them and would probably eat them a lot more than she should if she could get away with it. "I will try, but Kawakami-sensei is asking for Makoto to act as the proxy for the senior staff who can't get away while the police are questioning them. And by that logic, Makoto asked myself and Haru at the very least to help her. My hands will be full watching over some of the other students."

Yu didn't nod his head, not wanting to ruin the treat for his girlfriend. "I'm sure you'll still find a day where you get to relax. So take it, enjoy the sights. I'm sure a hard boiled detective like you can stay outta trouble for a little bit. Oh, and bring back souvenirs." he said.

He heard Naoto sigh and she lightly kicked her foot so her heel bounced off his chest. "Enough of that from you." she said.

"What?" Yu said a bit cheekily.

"I'm glad you're doing better Yu-kun." Naoto said a little more fondly. "And I'm glad you seem to be in a better mood, willing to joke with me like this." she said. "It's nice… getting to cut loose."

"Speaking of, did you ever find out if your Shadow ended up vanishing?" Yu asked her.

"No, no I didn't. I can still use Yamato-sumeragi, but she hasn't made her presence known. Perhaps it is something we can do when we get back, after we've finished infiltrating the Palace of Haru's father. The Phantom Thieves can do the actual heist, we can go into Mementos and do a bit of investigating of our own." she said. Naoto sighed ever so softly. "Then again, Inaba has been hectic, and you and I usually are not in Mementos with the others."

"I hope she didn't disappear. She was you, afterall." Yu said and smiled a little bit more.

"You can barely handle one of me, Senpai." Naoto said, teasing a little bit. California Rolls usually were the key to making her loosen up a bit.. "You'd be overwhelmed by two."

"Probably." Yu said. He grinned a bit. "But I could probably ask her to wear a bikini and see it." He said a bit playfully.

Naoto's response was to bounce her heel of his chest again. "Stop that." she said. He knew she was blushing.

"Detective! My girlfriend is being abusive!" Yu said up to her. Some days were just too easy to have fun with.

"Your girlfriend is one hundred and fifty centimeters, and fifty nine kilograms. You'll be fine." Naoto said.

Yu was thoughtful for a moment. "Fifty nine? Last I checked you were around fifty to fifty five area."

"I was fifty four point six kilograms when I came to Shibuya." Naoto stated factually. "Since then, I've rose to fifty nine point two, and gained an additional two centimeters to my bust size. I blame my boyfriend that makes sure I have breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as all the running we do in the Metaverse. It's a lot bigger than the TV world was it seems."

"Good man." Yu said teasingly. "Your lover would have to kick your boyfriend's ass if he didn't take good care of you." He felt Naoto take another piece of sushi before she passed the plate down and he took the plate to set it on the counter.

She leaned over his head a little bit so he could look up to her a little better. It made Yu grab her thighs to help her stay seated on his shoulders. "Senpai, do…. Do you really want to see me in a bikini?" He could see the flush on her cheeks. She was embarrassed of course. "I really don't think I have the body type like Rise or Ann to wear a bikini. Even Makoto and Yukiko have better-"

"I mean, from a certain standpoint, yes." Yu said, cutting her off. "I want to see you in a bikini. You are a gorgeous girl, my girlfriend, my lover, and without a doubt the most beautiful and sexiest girl I know." He was laying it on a bit thick and she knew it, evident when Naoto arched her brow at him. An interesting look considering she was half upside down as he looked up at her from her position on his shoulders. "But I don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you really don't want to wear a bikini, I'm not going to force you. I'm not even going to ask. So quit doubting yourself Nao-chan."

She reached out and lightly smacked his forehead. It didn't even sting. "I told you, your privileges for using that nickname have been revoked." She then swung her body back up and he felt her legs move to either side of his shoulders, letting her slip down off his shoulders. But she caught herself on his shoulders and she wrapped her legs back around his waist, leaning into him from behind. "But thank you." She said. "Some days… I don't know why but I feel conscious about how I look. I'd say it's a case of body dysmorphia, but it's not that severe. I'm comfortable with my body, I even like it, but I sometimes feel like I'm not the most feminine and have to wonder why you picked me to love."

Yu smiled a bit and leaned back into her as he cupped her thighs to help support her weight. "That should be obvious." He said. "I picked you because I fell in love with you. You're smart, you're beautiful, you're driven, and you have this cute little look of surprise on your face when I surprise you." He saw her eyes widen a bit. "That exact face in fact." He said teasingly. "But most of all, I love hearing you Naoto. We have sat and had two different conversations at once and didn't miss a single beat of the other's conversation."

Naoto laid her head on his shoulder. "Stop. You're embarrassing me." She said.

Yu smiled and slowly let Naoto down from his back. He then turned to face his girlfriend and he touched her hips softly. "That's my job." He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, holding the kiss for a time before he drew back. "You need to get going, or you'll be late."

"Mm, I'm sure you'd make it worth it." Naoto said. She gave him another quick peck to the lips before she grabbed one more piece of sushi and popped it into her mouth before heading to grab her bag.

Yu saw her out, standing at the door and offering a wave as his girlfriend began to make her way towards the train station. He smiled fondly. He hoped she had fun.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Again, a fairly straightforward chapter here. I'm going to be doing probably another two chapters like this where it's going to be mostly Akira centric as I write up the finish of his various confidants. The obvious ones will be the ones that don't end up in a chapter like this. Magician, Judgement, Justice, you know, the ones that are more story related. Also, I'm going to combine rank 9 and 10 some times. Like Ann's rank 10 was bullshit. Her rank 9 would have made for a better rank 10 in my opinion.**

 **And I tried to show Shiho as having issues from Kamoshida still. Both mentally, and physically. Can't jump off a 3 story building without some severe side effects.**

 **The part with Yu and Naoto surprisingly got away from me, but I had a lot of fun writing that fluff.**

 **Also, Naoto is 5', Yu is 5'11, so her sitting on his shoulders should be technically possible with 10' ceilings.**


	33. Chapter 33: Hawaii

Chapter 33: Hawaii

It was only the first day of the Hawaii trip for the students of Shujin Academy. Thursday, September the eighth. Yu had gone about his daily routine as he normally would. School, Kendo practice, and now he was on his way home. But along the way he would be making a small detour since he didn't have the same obligations as he would if Naoto was there.

Not that he minded meeting his girlfriend or helping decide on what to do for dinner on a given night, there were just some things that he thought was better that he take care of alone.

His feet carried him through the alleyway leading towards Untouchable. But instead of the airsoft store, he headed for the doorway to the Velvet Room. He pulled his key out and unlocked the gate.

Yu had half expected for the room to somehow warp and twist and change into his version of the Velvet Room. The comfortable back of a limosine with Margaret sitting to one side of Igor would have been a welcome sight. Instead, as he passed into the Velvet Room he was still entering inside of a cell that held no barred door. He stepped into the Velvet Room proper with little issue.

He passed by Margaret who was still seated in her chair, watching him for a moment before deciding that he wasn't there to speak with her. The Twin Wardens watched him carefully, as though carefully deciding the best route to go in regards to him. He was not their precious 'Inmate' but another guest.

Yu stepped up in front of Igor's desk and looked down at the decidedly strange looking Proprieter of the Velvet Room. His bulging eyes stared right back at Yu, never seeming to blink, that knowing grin stretched across his face. Yu inhaled a bit deeply, thinking back to what Marie had told him to ask. "A certain acquaintance of ours told me a question to ask." He said carefully. "She's not going to get in trouble, is she?"

"I do believe the latin phrase _Quid Pro Quo_ may be applicable in this case." Igor said and unfolded one hand from the other to hold it palm up. "You have done for her, freely without seeking compensation. She has done for you in return. That is the marvelous benefit of your bonds, Yu." He crossed his hands back over each other again.

"Who, or what, are the blue butterflies?" Yu asked. He remembered, very vaguely, the first time he had gone to Inaba and had taken a walk to try and settle his stomach. After Izanami had touched him and bestowed upon him the power of Persona, a blue butterfly had landed on his hand, wings fluttering before taking off once more.

A seemingly innocuous thing, and now it was his understanding that it was some higher power at work. Higher than Marie, higher than Igor.

Igor's already very toothy grin seemed to stretch even wider. Almost threatening to take over as his most prominent feature. He grinned so very broadly. "Marvelous. What a serendipitous day this is. The Seeker of Truth seeks more." Igor leaned back in his chair and he actually began to clap his hands together, genuinely happy at Yu asking the question. "You are truly a fascinating guest. That is a correct question, Yu Narukami."

"A question you still haven't answered." Yu said. He didn't particularly feel like playing Igor's games.

"And so I shall." Igor leaned in a bit. "In the beginning, there were two forces, like a coin they could not tolerate one another. Like Reflections upon a mirror, they would never agree to anything. And they sought to destroy one another. They raged, battle after battle, conflict after conflict, game after game. And this occurred for time immeasurable." Igor began to shuffle his tarot cards. "They could not best one another. And so, they decided to change the game from each other, to proxies. Humanity. It was deemed that humans were susceptible to great good, and great evil. They could either rise to their great potential, or they could squander it. They made for the perfect proxies. But for proxies to do battle, they had to have weapons."

"Persona." Yu said softly.

"Yes, and no." Igor said. "That is only half the answer. Persona and Shadows. Humanity fights itself in an ongoing war. Will humanity rise up to their potential, or will they fall sway to their base desires? This was the game that was played. And people, people much like yourself, were chosen to stand as humanity's champions. They ones that could rise and stand tall and proud against insurmountable odds. You want to know who, or what, the blue butterflies are? They are the one that stands for humanity's potential. Philemon, my Master."

"Philemon." Yu said, testing the strange name out.

"Indeed. He bestowed upon you not the gift of Persona, but the gift of the Wild Card." Igor said, holding one finger up. "There are many, many games going on at once. And generally, per game, there is but one Wild Card anymore. It was by sheer chance, sheer happanstance that you, a Wild Card of another game, entered into the game of a new Wild Card." Igor began to spread out the Tarot cards. "Your game is but one piece of the puzzle, merely one." With unnatural ease, Igor balanced a face down Tarot card on top of a pair of other cards standing on their edge, swords and wands on the faces. "Akira's is yet another." Igor continued stacking cards, making some sort of three dimensional form with the cards. It wasn't a house of cards, it lacked the form.

"Anymore?" Yu asked. He had caught onto that tidbit.

"Indeed. Philemon used to bestow the power of multiple Personas upon all Persona users. Anyone could change their Persona. It only takes a strong difference of your personality. Not necessarily a new personality, but more like a new perspective of the same personality." Igor explained. "But a Wild Card, they can change their very Arcana. You and Akira represent the Fool, Zero." Igor flipped up a face down tarot to expose the fool. "As all Wild Cards do in fact. And you go through a journey, over and over, each and every Wild Card. But as you change your Arcana, you change your very personality. It can be subtle, it can be vast, but regardless, you change your very Personality whenever you change your Persona, changing to a new Arcana."

"What happened?" Yu asked. His mind was spinning from the implications. He could understand why Marie had told him to ask about the blue butterflies. This wasn't information that was just going to be casually gleamed from Igor. This was information that had to be sought after. "No, wait. I'm barely keeping up as it is." Yu touched his forehead a moment and began to pace. His mind spun and whirled at the implications. "The Blue butterflies are… an avatar of this… entity, Philemon?" he asked. "And by touching me, he granted me the power of the Wild Card?"

"That's correct." Igor said, sitting down. "And I apologize for my zeal, it's very rare indeed that anyone splendid enough comes along to ask the correct questions."

Yu paced back and forth, trying to figure out everything that Igor had said. Everything that Igor had done. The gesture with the cards was not one that Yu was letting go of. "So Philemon is one side of this battle. Who, or what, is the other?" he asked.

Igor actually frowned. That wide grin turned sour and the teeth were hidden away. "I do not dare speak its name. The Crawling Chaos gave birth to the Shadows of humanity in order to do battle against Philemon. It is, as much as Philemon, humanity in and of itself."

The Crawling Chaos. Yu frowned a moment. "And at first, this Philemon gave the power of multiple Personas to multiple Persona users per… Game." Yu didn't necessarily like calling the life he led a game. Not when it had been life or death in Inaba. But he had to try and stay objective towards it. "Why stop?" he asked.

"The last time that Philemon got that involved, the Crawling Chaos almost destroyed the world. In order to curb the Chaos, Philemon had to back off. Balance had to be had. Still, the Crawling Chaos still attempts to upsurp the game, such as when Yaldabaoth took control of my Velvet Room." Igor said. "This could not have happened without the Crawling Chaos' influence."

Yu began to pace back and forth a little more, slowly digesting what he was being told. His life was but a game for these higher powers. "But Akira hasn't seen the blue butterfly." he said.

"No." Igor said. "Hence why you were told to come here alone for this questioning. His Power of the Wild Card was bestowed upon him by Yaldabaoth."

Why? Why was Akira given the power of the Wild Card by his enemy? It didn't make sense to Yu. "So Philemon isn't the only one that can grant this power." he said.

"No." Igor said, a slight grin working its way back onto his face. No doubt he was enjoying the way that Yu was working through things. He was a guest to Igor, an esteemed one that was apparently interesting.

Yu continued thinking about it. But if this Crawling Chaos was behind Yaldabaoth… It was maddening. Was Philemon then responsible for Yu entering into Akira's 'game'? If so, why? Why not use that chance to do something more impressive.

"You, Yu Narukami, are an anomaly." Igor said, as though reading Yu's mind. "I have watched many a Fool become the World in their individual tasks. A young man chasing Death, A young man pursuing the Truth, a young man rebelling against the unfair shackles of the world… But you, you are so unique Yu Narukami." Igor held his hand out and touched the perfectly balanced card sitting upon knives and wands. A flick of his wrist and the card flipped itself over to reveal the World Arcana. "Only you, in so many, many Wild Cards, have had the ultimate Persona. That of the World. The rules change around you, Yu." Igor said. "A Shadow Cannot Have a Persona. A Persona User Cannot Have A Shadow. Yet you, by being simply there, have broken both of these cardinal rules. Your Star and Fortune. Her Shadow should be tearing at her, but her love for you is such a strong bond that this dichotemy works in wondrous harmony."

Yu ran his hand through his hair. "Damn it Igor!" Yu said. "I'm not that special!" He wasn't. "I got pulled into someone else's game, but for me it was serious! It was life and death!" Yu paced back and forth. He had been given too much information, too quickly. "Let's take another step back." He said.

From his pocket, he pulled out a coin. "So one side of this battle is Philemon." he said, holding the coin up. "On the other, this Crawling Chaos. Because they couldn't gain any ground fighting against each other, they decided to have proxy battles using humans. Persona are the other selves of humans." Which begged the question as to what it meant for Izanagi and then later Izanagi-no-Okami. "And Shadows are the repressed sides of humans. Am I getting that right so far?" he asked.

"Yes." Igor said, his grin still etched onto his face. Yu honestly felt like reaching out to punch him, but he doubted that would go over very well.

"Philemon picks humans, and grants them the ability to summon multiple Persona, multiple aspects of themselves where we literally change our Personality." Yu said. "This Crawling Chaos picks entities that are… what? Against humanity? Izanami didn't want to destroy humanity. As twisted as she was, she thought she was fulfilling humanity's wishes."

"The Crawling Chaos picks entities that will further its agenda. To lead mankind into a downfall and prove itself victorious against Philemon." Igor corrected. "Izanami truly believed she was fulfilling humanity's wishes, but it would still lead mankind into a downfall."

"Right. And Yaldabaoth wants… what? The same?" Yu thought on it. "Why pick Akira?" he muttered. "Of course…. Yaldabaoth intends to show itself as unbeatable. Raise the Phantom Thieves to a pedalstel and then knock them off when the time is right. And to do that, he had to have someone that would be willing to trapize about the Metaverse." Yu cupped his chin a moment. Damn, he wished Naoto was there.

"A likely assumption." Igor offered.

"Then these Reflections…" Yu said.

"Are from the Reverse of this World, but are not inherently evil." Igor said. "The Crawling Chaos' hand no doubt, helping Yaldabaoth as you have entered the game, quite possibly under the influence of Philemon. As I told you before, you are to never interract with them. They are countless, all of them a possibility. But you, Yu Narukami, are their Reflection. Neither you, nor they, are incorrect. You are each a unique existence."

Yu ran a hand through his hair. Damn, damn it. This was a lot to take in. Why did humanity have to keep proving itself? Were these two entities that bored? And why was he picked? Why was he so special that he was thrust into Akira's 'game'?

Yu looked to Igor. "I have more questions." he said.

"Ask away, my venerable guest." Igor said with a toothy grin

 _Take Your Time_

Akira yawned a bit as he stretched, looking out the window at the setting sun of Waikiki beach. He could hear Mishima tapping on his cellphone, clearly working at the Phantom Thieves Afficianado Website. Despite his protests, Mishima had included a poll on the website to include some names. Goro Akechi had been on the list briefly, but even the barest of glimpses at the website showed that Kunikazu Okumura was in the lead of the polling by a landslide.

If the request hadn't come from Haru, Akira would have ignored it simply based on the poll. It felt too much like a trap. Damn, he was getting more and more paranoid. But as it had been explained to him many times, it was only paranoia if someone wasn't out to get him. And Akira knew of a very big name that was out to get him at the very least.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, thinking of what the next day would bring. Makoto had told him she'd get some time away so that they could hang out the next day. He still wasn't certain what to feel.

His heart wanted two different girls and he knew he could only have one. He imagined it was for very similar reasons that Yu and Naoto's relationship didn't become a threesome with Rise.

Makoto wanted to become police commissioner. She'd need a reputation that wasn't just spotless but shined. The fallout from being in a relationship with two other people would be… catostrophic to that dream. Haru's life was already closely watched. For her father, she had to go to charity events and other public places. She was in the public's eye. She wasn't wholly famous, but she was the Heiress to a surprisingly large corporation of restaurants. Akira knew she wanted to open her own little cafe, but he didn't want it to fail because she had a reputation of a harlot.

Both would already catch a lot of flak just for dating him, a delinquent with an assault charge on his file, he didn't want to try and be greedy and add to the flak that they were bound to get. He didn't want to ruin their chances at succeeding in their dreams because of some happiness.

It just meant he had to figure out who to choose. Haru seemed a bit more openly interested. Makoto was a little bit better at disguising it, but he could tell she seemed interested as well.

A firm knock on the door dragged him away from his musings and he watched as Mishima got up and went to the door, opening it. "It's Sakamoto!" Mishima said, coming back through with Ryuji right behind him.

"'Sup." Ryuji said before he sat down on the bed. "You guys mind if I crash here tonight?" He asked, dropping his head and shoulders. "Should be good for one night, right?"

"What happened?" Akira turned to look at him. Had it been a fight? Would they need to go to Kawakami? If that was the case, then they needed to move so that Ryuji's bunkmate didn't get to her first and get Ryuji into trouble.

"The guy I was bunkin' with brought his girlfriend." Ryuji explained. "Felt like a third wheel, and I definitely didn't want to risk anythin'."

Ah. Yeah. Probably for the best that Ryuji had left then. "I'm fine with it." He said. "I was fine with bunking with you until Kawakami-sensei said no. Mishima?" Akira asked politely. It was as much Mishima's room as it was his, he wasn't just going to cut Mishima out.

"It's cool." Mishima said, sitting back down again. "I'm just looking at the site." he said, looking back to his phone once more. "The Phantom Thieves are even starting to get some targets over seas." he said. "I wonder how that would work."

Not well was Akira's first thought. While they were pretty easily pinpointed to Shibuya, the simple fact of the matter was there was no telling where someone's Palace could end up at. And he didn't just take any request sent to him for someone to ask for someone's shitty behavior to be changed.

Another knock sounded and Mishima got up once more, going to the door. "Takamaki-san?" he asked, even as Ann half pushed her way past and flopped on the bed with a heavy sigh.

"Ann?" Akira asked. "What's up?" Was this going to be a thing? Did he have to warn Mishima of Makoto and Haru?

"Ugh… My roommate went to her boyfriend's room and took the key with her." Ann said. "I stepped out and the door locked behind me." While Akira didn't want to think about how many couples there were in Shujin Academy, and how many were using this opportunity to get together for a bit of a romantic time, Akira did find it curious regarding Ann and Ryuji's roommates.

"You do know you can go to the front desk and get a replacement key card, right?" Akira asked politely. He saw Ann looking at him owlishly. "All you need to do is say you accidently locked yourself out and they can easily make a new card for you to get into your room with."

"Huh." Ann looked at him for a while before giving a grin. "I didn't really think about that." she said. "But do you mind if I stay here a while regardless? It'd give me someone to talk to." There was a moment of surprise from the guys for obvious reasons at Ann staying with them. Her grin broadened a bit more. "Don't worry, I trust you guys."

"Saw that one comin'," Ryuji said as he lightly pressed his palm to his forehead.

"How would we do the bed situation?" Mishima wondered as he came back in.

"You and Ann get the beds." Akira said. "I'll take the floor and Ryuji can have the couch." He scratched the back of his head a moment.

"No way dude, I'll take the floor." Ryuji said.

So it was some time later, with everyone in their respective spots, that Akira had his eyes closed and just trying to find some semblance of comfort on the couch. He glanced up as he saw Mishima head for the bathroom a moment. It was a while longer before Ryuji spoke up.

"I'm in Hawaii, and I'm stuck sleeping on the floor." he groused.

"I offered the couch." Akira said. Now it was his, and that was all there was to it.

"Yeah, but why'd Mishima get the bed? Speaking of, where is he?" Ryuji asked.

"Mishima gets the bed because this was originally our room." Akira said. "I gave up my bed for one of my friends. As to where Mishima is… well, he made a common mistake and drank some tap water." The dark haired teen was glad for the vent that was running in the bathroom. It blocked out a lot of other sounds.

"Gross." Ryuji said.

"So… I have a question." Ann said, sitting up a bit. "What type of girls do you guys like?" she asked with a grin.

"The hell?" Ryuji asked. "Where's this coming from?"

"I mean, it just feels like we should learn more about each other." The blonde girl said.

"She's gotta be smart and willing to work." Akira said bluntly.

"Wow. That's… straightforward." Ann said. "Nothing about her personality?"

Akira looked over towards Ann. "If she's got a bad personality, I'm not going to go after her, now am I?" he asked.

"Suppose not." Ryuji quipped from the floor.

"S-someone…" Akira could hear Mishima from inside the bathroom.

Akira shook his head a moment and stood up. "I can't sleep." He said. "I'm going to go for a walk. You guys stay here, keep an eye on Mishima. When he comes out, give him one of the bottles of water from my pack." he said.

"You sure you don't want one of us with you?" Ryuji asked. "I hate to feel like I'm kickin' you from your room."

"You're not." Akira went to the door and walked out. Out in the hallway, he tucked his hands into his pockets and began to walk. It wasn't that Ryuji or Ann, or Mishima for that matter, was kicking him out of the room, but for Akira he just couldn't sleep and his body was feeling awake and alert.

Maybe a walk would help him settle down.

He had begun to turn the corner to walk around the hotel floor when he heard his name get called. "Akira." He turned to face Naoto as she came walking up. It was a bit odd, seeing her in the Shujin Academy uniform, the men's uniform at that, with her cap on. Any time he saw her at school, she didn't wear the hat as per dress code policy.

That didn't change the fact that, as a female, she was always breaking the dress code policy by dressing as a male. But given it wasn't widely known, even among the faculty somehow, that Naoto was a girl, she managed to get away with it.

"Naoto-senpai." Akira greeted as he turned to face her fully.

"What are you doing Akira?" Naoto asked. He could see her lips in set in a firm line.

He checked his phone a moment and saw that he was technically past curfew for the students. "Damn." he muttered. He hadn't expected that. "Look, I'm feeling restless alright?" he asked. "Can't really sleep, but if you need an excuse, I'm meandering to the lobby to use one of the restrooms."

"What's wrong with your bathroom?" Naoto asked, looking concerned.

"Mishima's been drinking tap water." Akira said and he saw the look of understanding on her face. "Yeah, but I'm also feeling a little restless and wanted a chance to maybe blow some of that energy off."

Naoto tilted her head down a moment, thinking. He saw her eyes open. "Very well, I'll walk and meander with you for a bit. You're less likely to get into trouble if you're with a chaperon." she said before stepping up to walk alongside Akira.

Akira didn't mind. It just meant he had someone he could talk to while on his walk. "So… what's being Chaperon like?" he asked.

"Mostly boring." Naoto admitted. "I did however offer to patrol until midnight, make sure none of the students were sneaking to another room."

Thinking back to Ann and Ryuji, Akira suppressed the slight grin. "How's that working out for you?" he asked.

"I'm sure a few have slipped through the gaps." Naoto admitted. "But they will have to deal with the repercussions of their actions much more than I will. I'm not infallible, regardless of what sort of pedastal I am placed upon."

Akira nodded his head. No, Yu and Naoto were very much two teenagers. One from the city and with the heart of a small town kid, the other a small town kid with a strong desire to help people. It wasn't their fault they ended up in the strange situation with the Persona. "What's being a Detective like?" he asked.

"Special Investigator." Naoto corrected. "A detective is more likely to be involved in the arrest and might be called upon by the prosecution or defense. A Special Investigator generally remains away from the arrest and is only called upon if absolutely necessary. There's a certain increase of red tape, working as a contracted part of the police force."

"Do you like it?" Akira asked.

"The red tape or the being a Special Investigator?" Naoto asked. "Because at times the red tape does get in the way." she admitted. "But it's there for a reason."

"I meant the being a special Investigator." Akira said. He could only imagine the sort of red tape that Naoto had to deal with in her line of work.

"It is what I chose." Naoto said. "Are there other jobs that I might be better suited for, perhaps, but I chose to be a Special Investigator. To be the Fifth in the Shirogane Line of Detectives. While I intend to go to college, the future is a bit uncertain. I can remain a Special Investigator, going from Prefecture to Prefecture to offer my services, much as my grandfather has done before me, or I can become a dedicated Detective in a particular Prefecture, likely Inaba, like my parents before me. This path was mine to choose. I could have not taken it. And perhaps in some way, my grandfather pushed it on me when he indulged an eleven year old's desire to get to work. But I have no regrets about walking this path."

Akira nodded his head a moment. "I suppose that's all anyone can do is get to choose their own path. It's good that you have no regrets, Senpai." he said. "It's just we don't know as much about you two as we know about each other, and I figure just asking directly might be the best way to go."

Naoto nodded her head. "That is a very mature idea, Akira." she said. "But if I might ask a question. We met your mother," She started.

"Where's my father?" Akira finished for her and he watched her nod. "Deceased. He died in a car wreck when I was about four." Akira admitted. "I don't really have many memories of him, but Mom says that I have his hair. Up until he started keeping it cut shorter at least."

"I'm sorry." Naoto said, sounding like she genuinely felt for him. And perhaps in some way, she did. She had lost her parents as well if Akira recalled correctly.

He shook his head. "It happened so long ago, so don't be sorry." There had been no time to form either bad blood or a tight bond. "Being away from Mom like this is… difficult at times." Akira admitted freely. "We're close. She needed me to grow up a little faster unfortunately, and that's what I did."

"That's not always the best thing, Akira." Naoto said. No doubt she spoke from example.

"Yeah, I know." Akira agreed readily. But, it was too late for anything else. "So, what's your grandfather like?' Akira asked. If he wanted to know more about Naoto and Yu, so they weren't as secretive, then he might as well ask them.

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto sighed as she sat on the bench and just watched the sunset. She had thought about maybe dressing in more feminine clothes, mostly so she could get out of the chest binder for a few additional hours, but the fact of the matter was there were too many of her Shujin Academy classmates there. While she wouldn't have cared on way or the other, this time was for her to relax.

She wasn't going to get to relax if she was being bothered by a ton of questions from her peers that wouldn't understand why she did what she did.

A collection of short detective novels sat on the bench beside her, even as she just looked out to the setting sun. After a brief moment, she pulled out her cellphone and took a picture of it. She then proceeded to send the picture to Yu. ' **WISH YOU WERE HERE.'** She typed out quickly before hitting send.

And she did wish that her boyfriend was there. If for nothing else than the chance to act like teenagers without a care in the world and just find a quiet corner to do something. They were a bad influence on each other like that.

She had walked by Ryuji complaining to Akira and Mishima that they hadn't had the chance to make any lasting memories there in Hawaii. That they had only walked around and even ate at Big Bang Burger. To Naoto, that was on them. They had the chance to make this trip more memorable, and while she didn't have Yu there to make it more memorable with, she had taken the chance and eaten at a restaurant that served more local foods.

It was the first chance some of the chaperons had been able to get away, to get a break. Naoto knew that she had spent a fair bit of time on her feet, making sure other students weren't goofing around. She knew some of the other third years might have been more lineant.

She stretched her hands out above her head, offering a slow sigh. More than a few American girls had tried hitting on her too. She wondered what sort of fallout would come about if she started to dress in a more feminine manner. She'd certainly get more admirers of the male variety then. There really was no good answer to her dilemea.

"Naoto-kun?" Naoto's thoughts were pulled away at her name being called. She turned to see Haru dressed in her summer outfit. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"By all means." Naoto collected the book she had been reading before she got introspective and shifted over a little bit to make a bit more room. Haru sat down and seemed to grab at the hem of her skirt a moment. Naoto had a feeling Haru was there to ask her a question that she likely couldn't ask anyone else. So Naoto turned a bit to give Haru her full attention.

And by simple process of elimination, Naoto had a good feeling as to what the conversational topic was about to be about. They were both Persona users, so there was no real need to ask about that, and if Haru had any questions, she could have gone to any number of the members of the Phantom Thieves regarding any questions. It wasn't about any business, Naoto didn't run a business the way Haru might want to talk with anyone about.

"How did you know that Yu-kun was the right one for you?" Haru asked quietly.

Naoto pondered the question a little while. It was a bit of a loaded question to be certain. What worked for her might not work for Haru. "This is about Akira." she said simply. Less question and more statement.

"I… Yes." Haru replied honestly. "I just… I feel so strongly for him. And I don't want to force the issue and make him decide something in haste that he would regret later."

A conundrum for certain in Naoto's opinion. If Haru acted on her feelings, on her impulses, without being certain that Akira felt similar, then the relationship might not work out, no matter how strongly Haru felt about it. Naoto wished that Yu was there, he would have a better chance of explaining things than Naoto did.

Still, she'd be determined to try.

"Yu has never made it a secret that he proclaimed his love for me first." Naoto said carefully, slowly. "So my experience in the field of not knowing is a bit… lacking." She said. And not a bad thing in her mind to be lacking on. "I can only imagine the uncertainty currently going through you. There certainly was… no small measure of uncertainty that I felt, when I finally asked Senpai to help me with the final piece to my grandfather's game. It took me almost a week to work the courage up to do so."

Naoto could still remember the worry she had felt at the idea of Yu rejecting her, of cooler heads prevailing. A part of her had hoped that he would, that after she had said her piece, he would recommend that they focus on the investigation than their feelings for the time. It would have stung, but Naoto would have at least been able to compartmentalize things easier.

Almost two years later, Naoto was glad he hadn't.

"I was scared. Even though Yu had said those words, I was scared. It was why I had to leave as quickly as I did after he shouted those words at the Tatsuhime Shrine." Naoto admitted. She didn't look at Haru, but she didn't need to. She knew her words were being listened to with rapt attention. "It took me almost two days of little sleep to actually be able to admit to myself that I loved him as well." She said. "Two days, questioning why he would say such a thing, two days of pacing in my apartment, fretting about it. I realized that I had fallen in love with him, and fell hard." Naoto said. "He's more than just smart or kind or funny or anything like that. He's special in a way that even I have difficulty describing. And he treated me to a different side of myself I didn't realize could be a thing. The woman detective, to not be coddled or looked down upon because of my gender, but to be respected and admired because of both my gender and my profession."

Naoto turned to look at Haru. "I'm afraid I might not be able to help with this." She said politely.

Haru nodded and she looked to her lap. Her hands balled up in her skirt, gripping the fabric a bit. "I just… I'm scared." She admitted. "I'm scared that he won't pick me. I want him to be happy, and if he's happy with Mako-chan, fine…"

"But it still would be happiness at the cost of yours." Naoto said. And Naoto knew that a lot of this was just being a teenager. To feel strongly because of a rush of hormones, but there were times where genuine love could be found. It didn't happen often, but every so often it did. And it was common for teenagers to still be scared of rejection.

"Did… Did you ever decide what you were going to do about Rise-chan?" Haru asked.

Likely it was to try and get an idea if she should attempt to bring up the idea of a threeway partnership with her, Makoto, and Akira. Naoto took a moment to think on it. She didn't want to hurt Haru, but she knew there were some instances where the bandaid just had to be ripped off. "Ultimately, we decided against it." Naoto said.

"Why?" Haru looked up at Naoto, as though hurt that they weren't even going to try it. Perhaps in a way, Haru had been hoping for the idea.

"Likely for much the same reasons you have not brought it up with Akira and Makoto." Naoto said. Likely for the very reason that Akira and Makoto hadn't brought it up, or any number of people over the world were grappling with the idea. "Simply put, Haru, you're not concerned about your reputation. As the Heiress to the Okumura name, you don't care. You would weather the storm if it was just you of notable name and stature. But it is not, and so you have to be mindful. Especially knowing what Makoto's dream is. No one, not even the most liberal of people, would accept a Police Commissioner in a three way partnership.," Naoto said.

Just as it ruined the idea for Naoto, Yu, and Rise, it would ruin the idea for Akira, Makoto, and Haru.

"And Rise is somewhat glad we did not try to push for it. She confided in me that she might have been worried about having to force such a thing after she had seen Yu snap her Reflection's neck." Naoto added.

"There's just no happy end for all parties involved, is there?" Haru asked softly.

"I'm afraid not." Naoto stated. Not so long as they cared more about the other parties' well being, happiness and dreams over their own. And if they didn't, then there was a good chance they wouldn't have been so drawn to one another.

Haru was quiet a moment. "I'm not going to give up." she said after a moment.

"No one is expecting you to." Naoto said, hiding the slight smile on her lips.

 _Take Your Time_

"Well, are we ready to get back to it?" Makoto asked the group. They were sitting in Yu's living room, loitering about at the moment as they had been waiting on everyone to show up. But since everyone was there, it was time to get things started.

"I find myself a little reluctant to go after Haru's dad." Akira said from his position by the wall that had the bar to the kitchen.

"What?" Ryuji asked with a hint of surprise. Everyone, even Makoto, was looking at Akira like he had grown a second head. He never hesitated to help anyone out. Ever. And Haru had asked the group for this.

"This isn't like you Akira, to hesitate like this." Morgana said, eyes watching Akira intently.

"Hear me out." Akira said, holding his hands up a little bit. He directed his attention to Haru the most who was sitting there at the kotatsu, across from Makoto and staring with wide eyes. "We'll do it." He said firmly. "I want to make that clear, but I want everyone twice as alert while we do this. We've been having success, after success, after success. This Persona user in the Black Mask that we've heard about from Madarame and Kaneshiro, whether it's Goro Akechi or not, is bound to feel a little threatened by the success we've had. Everyone here knows I don't particularly care about Mishima's site. It's useful to get a couple of targets, but the fanfare, the congratulations, that's not why I do it."

Makoto pondered the point that Akira was making. She could feel the way that her lips set into a fine line. What did Mishima's site have anything to do with… "You're concerned about the way that Haru's father rose to the top of the polls on the Afficianado site."

"Right." Akira said. "So Futaba, I know you can get into Mishima's website without a problem. As talented with computers as Mishima is, he doesn't hold a candle to you. Once inside, do whatever you can to keep anyone else but Mishima and yourself out.

"Sneaky, but I can do it." Futaba said with a bit of a grin. She frowned a few moments later though. "I can keep most people out, but something a dedicated hacker won't be able to get through? That's next to impossible, Mishima used too public of a domain. Still, I'll see what I can whip up custom."

"But if someone did play with the numbers to make Haru's father rise through the ranks more," Yusuke started. "Would that not tell them that we are onto them when they are unable to access the website without more dedication?"

"They might not try again." Makoto said. "They have the name at the top already, and no one but us knows how the targets of the Phantom Thieves are picked. Unfortunately for us, I think we had already agreed to go after Haru's father before the name even came up on the website." She brushed her hair back behind her ear out of habit, thinking a bit harder.

She could see why Akira was hesitant. It felt too much like a play by someone else to push the numbers of Haru's Father up. Kunikazu Okumura might have been one crooked businessman, but to think that he had an almost seventy-seven percent standing on Mishima's poll, it did look more and more suspect.

"If you think it's a trap, Akira-kun, we don't have to." Haru said worriedly. "I can maybe begin talking to my father, try and get him to change back to the man he used to be..."

Yu stepped from the kitchen where he had been inside. "Do you honestly think that will work?" he asked her. Makoto felt for the girl as she saw the indecision play across her face. "Let's infiltrate his Palace, and you can make your own decision then. You'll have your answer to that question before long."

Haru nodded her head. Makoto could only wonder at what all was going through her mind. Her father had been at the top of the Poll that Mishima had put up. They were about to infiltrate his Palace and see what there could be to be found. Akira was understandably concerned with what was going on, and they had an unknown, though suspected enemy. There was just so much going on that they didn't have enough information to go on with.

But infiltrating the Palace would be a good start.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Fuck this chapter. It underwent two revisions, refused to flow, and has fought me every single step of the way. In the time it took me to finish this chapter, I finished God Eater 3, Kingdom Hearts 3, and just… GAH!**

 **FUCK THIS CHAPTER**

 **I'll be trying to go back to more frequent updates here in a bit, frequent and longer. Next we infiltrate Okumura's Palace, and after that is a chapter I have been wanting to write since the beginning of this story.**

 **Sorry for the lackluster update folks, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but I can't do anything more with it.**


	34. Chapter 34: Thieves in Space

Chapter 34: Thieves in Space

"So this is it, huh?" Akira's comment was one of surprise as he slowly spun around to take in the sight that they were looking at. The Palace of Kunikazu Okumura was quite the sight to behold, all advanced looking technology straight out of some high budget science fiction film.

To Haru, it was just a disgusting reminder of the man that her father had become, consumed as he had been by his greed.

"If it's anything like Headquarters in the real world, I should be able to get us in most anywhere. But I wouldn't trust the doors to stay open for very long." Haru said. In fact, she was already pulling her security badge out of her bag and tucking it in a more convenient spot. "There will still be areas that I don't have the clearance for."

"If there's a central mainframe, I can get us additional clearance and maybe a map of the area." Futaba said. "But just doing a surface scan already, this place is huge."

"Over here." Yu said out loud, getting the group to go over to the glass he was looking at.

Haru gasped a bit as she saw how her father saw his employees. Nothing but robots. Worse, they all had the same features. Every last one of them. Did her father think so little of his employees? Truly? That they were undeserving of any notice or attention?

And when one machine broke, likely due to overwork, it was merely grabbed and put on a conveyor belt to be taken away.

Haru gripped the haft of her axe a bit tighter. She could feel Noir starting to peek out. The anger that she tried so hard to keep under control. This… This exactly was the sort of injustice that made her believe the Phantom Thieves were right. She had to stop her father, to get him to come to his senses. She was not so naive as to believe that everything would go back to the way things were.

She barely got to see her mother anymore, especially now that she was in high school. She had barely been dealing with the creep that she had been engaged to. It revolted her. This, this was why she had become Noir. She was tired of being betrayed, it was time for her own betrayal.

She yanked herself away from the window and began to walk. The heels of her pumps stomped hard into the ground with each footstep she took. She came to the first door that she saw and watched as it slid open even before she had gotten to it.

Akira came rushing up and he touched her shoulder. "Easy there." He said. She knew she gave him a sharp glare. "Noir, easy." he said, leaning in slightly. "You're going to be up front with Queen and I. Mona, front and center."

The Thieves began to shuffle around a bit more, letting Morgana, Akira, Makoto, and Haru take point. And Akira began to move, leading the group. Haru stayed close behind him, her axe in her hands. This… this entire place was unacceptable.

Was it like this for Yusuke in Madarame's Palace? She had known her father was not the best of men, but think that his wretchedness had grown to such an extent. He didn't care about anything but money it seemed. And as they infiltrated deeper, and Haru had to see the state of the Palace, how things seemed run down. What could possibly be possessing her father to act like this?

She didn't think she wanted to know. But then again, she remembered the words of Sugimura. Her father wanted to get into politics. Did he really believe that all of this would let him do so?

They eventually came to a sight that made Haru's stomach want to revolt. Her father stood near a cognitive version of Sugimura and the cognitive version of her. His cognitive version. Her father was dressed in a black space suit out of some cheesy science fiction film complete with a large, and fragile looking, fishbowl helmet and a red lined cape, the collar of which framed the helmet.. His skin was tinted blue and he even had some sort of space aged blaster on his hip.

Her cognitive version was dressed in a white space suit with the same fish bowl helmet, and had the blue tint as well. Did he perhaps see them as being different somehow? Did he see them as being better? It didn't matter. She was as much an enemy as her father was at the moment.

Sugimura was, surprisingly, just dressed in his usual cream colored suit. But he had that condescending smirk on his face again, that smirk that she absolutely hated. It made her stomach revile in disgust.

" **A second Haru?"** Sugimura said, apparently interested. " **Twins, perhaps, Okumura-san?"**

" **That one is nothing but a fake."** Her father said. Haru gripped the haft of her axe a little tighter.

"I once told you that I would do my best for you." Haru said. She stepped forward. "This is my answer. This is what is best for you." Despite the anger she felt, despite Noir being out in full force and wanting nothing but to tear into her father, she didn't really want to fight her father. She wanted to help him. If only he would listen to reason.

" **Hoh? Are these the rumored Phantom Thieves? It seems this fake is attempting to make a plea for my forgiveness by handing them over. Very well, for being such a good girl, I will accept your generosity and let you be by Sugimura-kun's side. I picked out such a wonderful fiance for you. 'Overcome failure at any cost, even if it means betraying all others' You truly do embody the Okumura motto."** Her father's words told Haru that he had no intention of letting things slide. She felt her stomach twist into knots.

" **Isn't that great, Sugimura-kun? You get two of us."** Haru's head snapped towards the cognitive version of herself and she couldn't help but stare in shock. Was that how her father really thought of her? A submissive child that did everything she was told?

"That's enough!" Haru said, actually slamming her axe into the ground with enough force that it sparked against the metal plating. "This isn't about losses and gains! There is more to life than trying to get ahead of everyone else!"

" **Life is about what the people with money and power dictate it to be."** Her father's Shadow said.

"That is why the company has such a _Merde_ reputation!" Haru swore at her father. Something she'd never do in real life, but this version of her father pissed her off something fierce. "You treat our people like they're tools! To be used and abused and discarded when they have no more use!

Her father closed his eyes, as though they were of no consequence. " **To gain is to give. To stand above, you must give even more."** He opened his eyes. " **We are on vastly different levels it seems. I will soon rise to a higher plateau, the Political stage. Virtue and sentiment are for losers. The cold reality is that kicking people down is business."**

" **Okumura-san, we don't need a girl that has been sullied and soiled by thieves."** Sugimura's cognitive representation looked down on her. " **Unless some compromises are made, I can't introduce her to my father.** "

" **She needn't be your lawful wife. Take her as a mistress or whatever you so desire."** Haru thought she was done being shocked. But it sounded like her father had known how Sugimura thought of her, knew and even allowed it. She shook and trembled with rage. " **You should be overjoyed to know you are playing a role in the success of the Okumura family."**

" **Now, why don't you come to my place?"** Sugimura stepped forward, arms spread. Shadows overtook him as his size began to grow until he looked like one of the large robots that her father thought of the manager. Complete in a white suit. And when he spoke, it came out all synthesized. " **I'll play with you until I get bored!"**

"Fuck You!" Haru raged out, lifting her grenade launcher with one hand. She barely let the axe drop before she grabbed the grenade launcher with her other hand to handle the kick. The launcher took Sugimura's Cognitive version in the chest, causing him to rock back.

The explosion also rocked her and set her flat on her ass.

"Joker!" In the distance, she could hear Yu yell out before the doors slammed shut, likely blocking them from advancing. Haru shook her head though and broke the grenade launcher open before slotting in another grenade launcher.

She got back up to her feet, raising the grenade launcher up again. Makoto had often remarked how she needed to learn about effective ranges with her launcher. Haru was currently of the mindset to just blow everything up and deal with the fallout later.

"Queen, boost!" Makoto was just recovering from dealing a heavy punch to Sugimura's large body when she heard Akira's command. She turned and crouched down, hands cupping together. Akira raced past Haru as she dropped the grenade launcher and readied her axe.

Akira leapt, planting a boot in Makoto's hands before she tossed him up. With grace, he twisted his body around grabbing the mecha Sugimura by one of the plugs on the side of his head. Akira drew his pistol as he clung to Sugimura, knees planted against its back while he took advantage of the fact it couldn't seem to grab him from its back. Akira then put the pistol to the robot's neck and proceeded to empty his clip into the neck.

"Mona! Legs!" Akira climbed up onto the shoulders and leapt forward, grabbing the head.

"Garudyne!" Morgana blasted the legs of the large robot with a blast of wind, forcing them back while Akira dragged it forward from up top.

Sugimura came crashing down with Akira rolling away from the form and bouncing up to his feet with practiced ease. "Noir!"

Haru didn't need told twice. She took two steps forward and spun with her axe. She raised his up high and let the haft slide through her upper hand to hit the bottom hand. She brought the axe down with a yell, cutting through where Akira had blasted a significant portion of the neck away.

The head came off and bounced twice before it and the body dissolved.

Haru turned her attention to her father. She dashed forward, even as he began to fall backwards and slap the controls for the elevator. She was just about to step onto the platform as it began to rise and her cognitive version got in her way. "Out of my way!" she said. She was almost blindingly angry.

Glass shattered as her axe came down.

Haru stared, a bit wide eyed at what she did. Her face was reflected in the dying light of the eyes of her cognitive self. Contorted in such rage, such anger. Her hands shook as she realized that she had 'killed' herself. Buried the axe as deep as possible into its shoulder, even cleaving off her cognitive self's ear. Was this what she was turning into? This creature of such rage and anger? Was this what her father was turning her into?

She stepped back as the cognition turned to black ash. She trembled, her axe clenched in a hand tightly. Her father, her father was turning her into something she didn't want to be even when he wasn't trying. She screamed before she slammed the axe into a control panel of some kind. Sparks flew, even as she yanked the axe out and continued smashing the axe into it.

Akira stepped in and caught the axe before she slammed it in for another time. He stepped in towards her and pulled her in tight with one arm. "Easy, easy." He whispered in her ear. "That's enough Noir, that's enough." He pulled her in close and laid her head on his shoulder.

Haru sobbed, angry with herself. Angry with her father. Angry at this twisted world that showed the perverted desires of the people around them. Why had her father turned into this symbol of greed? Why?

"We're calling it here for today." Akira said to the group. Haru wanted to argue, but she knew if Akira was saying it then it was probably for the best that they didn't continue. Did she ever want to argue though, she wanted to chase her father down and beat him until he returned to the man she thought he had been.

"We've made a lot of commotion." Futaba said. "And Shadows are converging on the room behind us where Fool and Scientist are."

Haru pulled away from Akira and she wiped her eyes. Now wasn't the time to be upset. Now wasn't the time to be emotional. "Let's go then." She said. She grabbed her axe in a firm grip ."I'll be okay." She had to be okay.

Akira gave her a nod before the group went over to the door. Haru swiped her ID badge through the card reader and the doors hissed back open. What they walked into was… something else entirely.

"Senpai, trade!" Naoto rushed towards Yu emptying her revolver before reloading with a practiced hand. She went into a baseball slide between Yu's legs as he disengaged from the Shadow he was fighting and went to take on the one that Naoto was fighting. Naoto came to her feet, taking shots at Shadows weak to her gun but reflected Yu's sword.

Yu slashed through the Shadow that Naoto had been having issue with, even as more converged on them. Robots that transformed into fighting Shadows that seemed to have it out for the pair. He spun a moment. "Down!" The volume of trust between the two was such that Naoto didn't hesitate, dropping to the floor and rolling away as Yu stepped into another fierce slash.

But Naoto wasn't done. While upside down, she cracked off two shots into another Shadow before sitting up and cracking off another four into four advancing shadows. Yu stepped into her and looped his left arm around hers, hauling her up to her feet. Naoto opened the revolver and emptied the brass with one hand. When she was back on her feet, she reloaded her revolver and snapped the cylinder back into place. "Follow my lead Senpai." She went down to one knee, a blue tarot card coming up as she turned her back to the Phantom Thieves.

Yu turned towards the same direction. Lighting cackled around his form as he summoned Izanagi-no-Okami. At the same time, jutting bones ripped from the floor and an explosive force seemed to go off at the majority of the horde of shadows trying to advance on them.

"Anyone else feel like we don't measure up whenever we see them in action?" Ryuji asked, tapping the metal plated toe of his boot on the ground. "I mean, daaaayum."

"We are catching up however." Yusuke said firmly.

Akira nodded his head. "We are. They're not that far ahead, it just means we need to push further on. Scientist, Fool, what was that?" he asked as he began to approach.

"The various members of my team used to do combination attacks, I suppose I just fulfilled Kanji's place." Yu replied.

"That's correct. There's something about our Persona synchronizing when we synchronize when we summon them, allowing them to perform a powerful attack." Naoto offered.

"We should see if we can't come up with something like that." Makoto said. "It could be worth having a heavier hitting attack."

Akira shook his head. "Later. For now, we need to go. I'm taking point again." He said before he started to move. Haru, Morgana, and Makoto began to follow his lead while the others hung back to protect Futaba.

Yu and Naoto brought up the rear, almost a full room behind simply because, as they had just proved, they were still the strongest of the group. But as Akira had said, it was not long until they would catch up to them.

Haru had to believe that.

 _Take Your Time_

Makoto sat at Yu's kotatsu. She tapped her pencil on her notebook, a bit of a bad habit that she had picked up when her mind was racing full of thoughts. And sadly, her mind was indeed full of thoughts at the moment that she couldn't really begin to draw in.

It had been three days since Haru's episode, three days since they had started the Infiltration. Haru promised that, as long as they didn't run into her cognitive version or her Father's Shadow, that she should be good for the time being. The mental stress of that place had to be severe.

Then there was Naoto and Yu's performance. It had been particularly mesmerizing to watch. The way they trusted one another to act in the benefit of the other. Naoto hadn't fought as Yu practically manhandled her up to her feet, merely unloaded her revolver's brass to make way for the next set of rounds. They moved as one, it was a bond they shared that Makoto wasn't certain many of the Phantom Thieves would be able to replicate.

Maybe Ryuji. Since his Persona had transmogrified, he had been trying to be less abrasive with the group.

Plus there was Sae's Palace. Makoto mentally winced at the thought of that disgusting place. How was she to bring it up with the Phantom Thieves that her sister had such a place? But she knew she had to bring it up. But she didn't want to interfere with Haru's father's Palace either. Maybe they could handle it next.

And she looked up to her sister.

Then Makoto had exams coming up. Exams piled on exams pile on exams. Whether they were actual exams or practice exams, it didn't matter. As a third year high school student that graduated in March, there wasn't much time left before she was done with high school. Already she had sent several requests to universities for an acceptance to attend.

Had she prepared enough? Her grades weren't slipping. Her performance as Student Council President would help. She showed herself to be driven. But even still, there was a dozen other things that could go wrong, and the last two times that grades had been posted, Naoto had managed to take Makoto's top spot. Not that Makoto was upset, but it was pushing her to try and perform more.

And then there had been Futaba's request to steal data from her sister's laptop. While Makoto had done it, it had been so stressful, and she was still terrified that her sister might find out what she had done. Makoto brushed her hair back a bit, tapping her pencil as she continued on with the calculus homework while she waited for everyone to get ready.

But her mind kept getting pulled in several different directions. The Phantom Thieves progress, the few outstanding targets. How she might best use Naoto and Yu's abilities. Her friendship with Haru. The feeling of possessiveness that she felt towards Akira. All the mounting stress of a Third Year student along with the stress of being Student Council President.

She heard the tapping sounds of some mobile game that Ryuji was playing. His fingers tapping rapidly and the beating of the melody. Ann's fingers tapped across the screen of her cellphone as she chatted with likely Shiho. The scribbles of Yusuke's sketches played in her ears, clouding her thoughts more. She heard the clinking of dishes in the background as Yu washed the dishes and got coffee mugs ready. Futaba's fingers flew across her laptop's keys like a machine gun, typing well over a hundred words a minute.

It all sounded so loud. So very, very loud. And Makoto couldn't think. And her mind was being pulled in so many directions. She needed it to be quiet. How could she operate like this? How could she manage to help anyone of the Phantom Thieves when everyone was so loud?!

"Can everyone please be quiet for ten seconds?!" She yelled out before she realized it. Makoto's eyes then slowly changed to dawning horror as she realized that she had been muttering quietly about it being too loud and that she actually yelled it. Her face paled before she flushed, knowing that everyone was looking at her. Had… Had she?

Yes. Yes she did. She wished she could just disappear in that moment.

"Makoto? Something wrong?" Akira asked concerned.

"I got this." Yu said as he wiped his hands on a towel.

"Yu?" Akira asked confused.

"Relax, I got a pretty good feeling about what's up." Yu seemed amused. He prepared a cup of coffee, lots of cream, light sugar and placed it in front of Makoto. She was not surprised that Yu knew how everyone liked their coffee by that point.

Makoto tried to bury herself in her homework again. They were waiting for Haru and Naoto wouldn't be joining them that day. Goodness, this was embarrassing. How was she ever going to live it down?

Yu came back with an MP3 player and a pair of headphones that fit over the ears. "Here. Put that on." He said.

"How will that help?" Akira asked, still concerned. Makoto didn't blame him. She'd be concerned in his shoes as well.

"Makoto is a third year high school student, crammed with exams and the expectations of getting into a good school, is taking advanced classes, is student council president," Yu kept ticking each of her thoughts earlier off his fingers. "And is the combat analysis for the Phantom Thieves. Having been in her shoes, taking the advanced classes and being crammed with exams, I know what she's going through. She's under a lot of stress from those two as is, and we've added more. I'm honestly not that surprised she snapped. I was expecting it sooner. Believe it or not, I was in a cafe studying when I did it. The MP3 just has the sound of rain on it."

Makoto looked up to the only graduate among them with a hint of relief. "So I'm not crazy?" she asked.

"No, no." Yu shook his head. "Just stressed. It's to be expected. Relax, take a drink of coffee, and put the headphones on. It'll drown out the background noise so you can focus on your work. I've actually heard you go from talking about the Nobunaga, Calculus, English, to the Phantom Thieves, and through the whole litany again. Breathe, relax, focus."

Makoto blushed a bit as she realized her thoughts had been more scattered than she realized and that her mutterings had not been as quiet as she had hoped. "Thank you." She said before she took a sip of the coffee.

"So do we all have that kinda breakdown to look forward to?" Ryuji asked. Makoto couldn't help but shoot the blond a dirty look. "What?" he asked.

"Doubtful." Yu said. "Like I said, Makoto is in all advanced courses, plus she's expected to attend a prestigious university. There's a lot of pressure just dumped on her shoulders with those two things. Naoto has often complained about it."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Makoto said.

"At least you didn't do it in a cafe and ended up with the whole place looking at you before being asked to leave." Yu said amused. "Come to think of it, shortly thereafter I had found Le Blanc, so it wasn't all that bad."

Makoto shot him a dirty look as well before she put the headphones on. She turned the MP3 player on and just sighed as the sound of loud rain began to drown out the sounds of everything else. It wasn't like it was a downpour, more a soft steady raining with the volume on it turned up. But she no longer heard anything but her own thoughts. She'd have to do something nice for Yu.

She shifted the headphone on her left ear back. "Do you mind if I borrow this for a while?" she asked almost desperately. Sometimes silence was as damning as noises.

"Not a problem." Yu told her. "Just give it back when you're done."

Embarrassed, but glad that she hadn't made a complete and utter fool of herself, she put the headphone back on and just let the rain drown everything out. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. Slowly, she exhaled a moment to try and refocus her thoughts.

Just as she had been prepared to have to step into things if Yu and Naoto's relationship started to affect the team, she would have to be prepared to step in if Haru's mental state was going to cause problems. She said she'd be good to be up front still, so Makoto had to believe in her. She did understand a bit where Haru's outburst had come from. It wasn't difficult to tell that Haru was experiencing some of the same things that she was.

The exams were pressing in. The concerns regarding Akira, all of these thoughts had to be swirling in Haru's head. On top of that, she got through seeing the ugliness that lay within her father, how her father actually viewed her as nothing more than a commodity to be bought and sold. It was one thing after another, and with Noir being the forefront paradigm to Haru at that time, she took the one chance in front of her to vent that stress.

Makoto couldn't help but be concerned that Haru might have a slight case of Dissociative Identity Disorder. The way Haru was able to segregate Noir from her outward persona. Then again, it might simply be because they were Persona users that they were able to mask certain persona of their personalities. Most people thought that Haru Okumura was a sweet, proper, prim girl, and they would be right. But Noir was just as much part of Haru, and Noir wasn't sweet. It was like Noir was specifically designed to be Haru's outlet for stress, anger, frustration and that, sadly, it had all compounded when they encountered her father's Shadow.

Yu and Naoto's performance was nothing new. The Phantom Thieves knew that the pair's abilities outstripped their own still. It wasn't that they weren't close to catching up, but that Yu and Naoto were just such heavy hitters because of their experience in Inaba. It wasn't something that they could so easily replicate.

But regardless of it, Makoto was glad to see Yu's relationship with the sleuth was just as strong, just as close. They had a rocky bit there for a time, but it seemed like their bond was still there, maybe even tighter than before. And that translated into combat. Yu trusted Naoto, and Naoto trusted Yu. If Naoto told Yu to duck with her gun pointed at him, he wouldn't hesitate. Just like how Naoto had not hesitated when Yu told her to get down, already in mid swing of his sword.

And really, Ryuji was getting to be like that. When he and Akira got to work together and give an absolute beatdown on something weak to more physical attacks or lightning, it was like watching two cogs in a machine working flawlessly together. There was little communication outside of one or two words. And the rest were slowly catching up to that even. In fact, Ann was starting to do the same.

It was things like this that Makoto needed to take into consideration when she came up with various ideas. Ann and Ryuji were slowly becoming more in sync with the needs of Akira, more in tune with him. It wasn't wholly unsurprising, they had been with him the longest and the most open with him the longest. Perhaps she and Morgana should step back and allow Ryuji and Ann to fill their roles on the forward team for the infiltration of the Palace.

No, that would leave Akira without a dedicated healer up there with him. And Haru would need to be up front. Ann was okay at healing, but Makoto was better and Morgana even better than she was. It would be better if she and Morgana stayed up front for the infiltration purposes inside the Palace. But in Mementos, it might be worth having Ann and Ryuji be part of the forward team, at least until the rest of them caught up.

And then there was Sae's Palace. That was a headache in and of itself. Makoto, despite knowing she shouldn't, had even gone there to scout out what she could. She hadn't really been able to find a way in, she didn't have Akira's knack for seeing things that needed to be seen. She knew that eventually she would have to bring it up with the others.

It was almost as stressful as her exams. That her sister had a Palace, and just by looking at the parameters of it was mind boggling. That Sae thought of the courthouse as a Casino… She supposed that there was some measure of luck within prosecuting a criminal, but hadn't their father taught them that Justice was more than that?

She knew that eventually she would have to bring it up with the rest of the Phantom Thieves properly.

As to her exams and her future, she just needed to take a deep breath and relax. She had been doing everything properly. She had been taking her studies seriously, she had taken her responsibilities serious. She had already sent out several letters for acceptance with a number of letters of recommendation from people. It was just a matter of waiting, and doing the best she could to be prepared.

Yes, Naoto had taken the top spot for their grade year. But Makoto could hardly blame the other girl. Makoto herself was simply lacking the experience that Naoto had by working police cases. It helped her with certain things like sciences or English or mathematics. Naoto had to use it. Makoto was in the process of learning it. Makoto was still doing better in things like history or literature. They just had their own strengths and weaknesses.

Someone tapped her shoulder and she looked up, pulling the headphones down. "Haru's here." Akira said.

Well, it was time to get to work. She turned the MP3 player off, noting it had a standard Micro-USB charging port. She tucked it into her bag, thankful that Yu was letting her borrow it. "Why rain?" She felt the need to ask of the older teen.

"Seem appropriate after Inaba. I can't tell you how many times I just sat in my room in the rain, studying while it hit the window. I had to wait for Midnight, felt like the right thing to do, use the time wisely." Yu said with a shrug.

Makoto nodded her head. It did seem understandable. But she was grateful for the help.

 _Take Your Time_

Today was the day. The Phantom Thieves had already sent off the calling card. Everyone was gathered once more in Yu's living room. The oldest of the group however was coming down from his bedroom, his riding leathers on as he came down. He went with his usual riding jacket as opposed to the coat his Reflection had worn.

The coat wasn't tailored to riding a motorcycle.

"Yu?" Akira looked surprised as Yu came down. It drew attention to the silver haired adult.

Yu glanced to the group a moment. The only one that wasn't surprised by his appearance was Naoto of course, they had already discussed this course of action. "Naoto and I aren't going with you guys on this heist." He said.

"Wha-?" Ann asked, eyes wide, dropping her bag in surprise.

"But you're our backup!" Morgana said, standing on the kotatsu on full alert now

"Dude, the Hell?" Ryuji was standing more at attention.

"Hmm. This will change things." Yusuke frowned as he put his chin in his hand in thought.

"Yeah, no kidding." Futaba said, actually in mid typing of something to look, head whipping back and forth between Naoto and Yu.

"I assume you have an ulterior plan of action then, dressed as you are?" Makoto asked.

Yu tossed a bundle he had under his arm to Naoto. She fumbled with it a second as she caught it before she unfurled it. A set of leathers fell open. "Hopefully I got the sizes right. I also got a pair of chaps if you'd rather them over the leather pants." He said to his girlfriend. Personally, he preferred the leather pants. Something about the chaps was just… awkward.

"Senpai, how much did you spend?" Naoto asked, eyes wide. Riding leathers were not the cheapest of things, so the surprise was understandable.

Yu instead directed his attention back to Makoto. "We're heading into Mementos. There's a couple of things we want to investigate while you're gone. And relax, you guys don't need us to act as backup anymore. You're all plenty strong. Watch each other's backs, if you see something say something."

"So you're taking your motorcycle?" Akira asked.

"Yeah, Morgana's going to be with you guys, and it's just the two of us." Yu said. He watched as Naoto headed up the stairs. A small part of him was even slightly eager to see his girlfriend in tightly fitting leathers.

He might have even managed to get her into a riding suit, but he had decided against that course of action. She was going to be embarrassed enough about riding behind him, regardless of how practical it was.

"Damn." Akira muttered after a moment. "I had hoped you guys would be with us. I'm really not looking forward to this." He said.

"I know." Yu said. Akira's concerns had come up in his and Naoto's discussion regarding this course of action. He had understandable concerns, and even more understandable was his hesitancy to go through with the heist without them. But the fact of the matter was the Phantom Thieves didn't need them to act as backup for this. "Just remember to be careful, remember to play it safe, and if someone has something to say, listen."

Akira was a leader, but he could only lead as well as his ability to listen allowed.

The frizzy haired teen ran his hand through his hair and shot Yu a look. "It's not going to be much longer before we're on even footing."

Yu smirked a little bit. "Izanagi and I actually look forward to it." And it was true, he and his Persona were looking to the day that Akira was matching him, Persona for Persona.

Akira inhaled a bit. "Alright everyone, this doesn't change the plans, just changes how we do things. Haru, Makoto, Ryuji, you guys are up front with me. Haru, this is your father, it's only fitting. Makoto, heal as you feel you have to, but don't feel like you only have to heal. Ryuji, I want my bruiser up there with me."

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji tapped his bat on his shoulder. "Just say the word."

"Yusuke, I don't have to tell you that you, Ann, and Morgana are watching over Futaba." Akira said. "But you're the leader of my rear team. If you feel something is off, say the word. Let's finish getting ready to go."

Naoto chose that moment to come down. She was dressed in the dark brown leather jacket with the leather pants. She seemed to be hesitating a moment before gathering herself and coming down fully. The pants hugged the roundness to her hips a bit more than here usual slacks would showing more of her figure, but the jacket definitely was bulky enough to cover everything. "Everything fits fine, Senpai. A little stiff, but I think that's because of the leather being so new."

Yu nodded his head. "Mine's the same way. Still breaking it in." he said. After not having been able to ride for so long and just only recently getting the chance to ride again, his own leathers were stiff. He grabbed his bag and Naoto's holding it out to her. When she took it, he also grabbed the motorcycle helmets.

Her safety had been a top priority.

"Ready?" She asked.

Yu held up his phone with the MetaNav and pressed the button. " _Initiating Travel into Mementos."_ Since he had only set the Parameters for the app to take two of them, with him laying a hand on Naoto, it automatically took her with. The area distorted around them, leaving the two alone from the Phantom Thieves.

Together, they walked outside. and Yu casually slipped onto his motorcycle. He scooted as forward as he could while he started it up. He reached back to pat the seat. Unfortunately it would be a close fit because his Shadow Sabre wasn't equipped with more than a rumbler seat for a passenger. "Come on Nao-chan." he said with a bit of grin.

Naoto looked at him a bit accusingly. "You're enjoying this."

"A little bit." Yu took a moment to zip his jacket up. "I spotted the extra money for helmets with mics in them, so you won't have to yell to talk to me." he said

Naoto shook her head a bit before she climbed onto the back of the motorcycle a bit hesitant. It wasn't the intimacy that was the issue. She zipped her jacket up as well. "Have… you ever done this?" she asked.

"Can't say that I have, so we'll take it slow until we get used to it together." Yu said. He put his helmet on. "Just don't be afraid to hold on."

Naoto put her helmet on and wrapped her arms around his waist a bit. "This is embarrassing." she said with a slight sound of distress to her tone.

"Well, do you want to swap spots? I'll hold onto your hips." Yu said in a teasing manner.

"Damn it Senpai, this is serious." Naoto said a bit snappishly.

"I know." He did. He really did. "But you need to relax, we both trust one another, and we're both protected. We're also in the Metaverse so if something does happen, I can patch us up. This is as good as we can get."

He heard her inhale before exhaling slowly. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry for getting like that."

"No, I shouldn't have pushed like that." Yu looked ahead. "We're here to do a bit more investigation of Mementos, not flirt with one another. About the other thing, can your Shadow materialize still?" he asked.

Naoto held her hand out a moment, the blue Tarot card spinning in her hand. "It's difficult to say." She said. "It's not something I've ever had conscious control over before. And reaching out to Yamato-sumeragi, it feels like I could summon him. I don't really know how to materialize her."

It was one of their objectives for that day. To see if Naoto's Shadow still existed. While they were happy with how Naoto was beginning to express herself more and knew that eventually the more childish Shadow would have to cease to be, they weren't sure if they were ready for it yet.

Eventually, Naoto shook her head. "I don't think she's here anymore Senpai." Naoto said a little saddened.

Yu frowned a moment. A Shadow with a Persona and a Persona user with a Shadow. Igor hadn't exactly been forthright with answers about why Naoto might be able to have a Shadow still. Only that it was supposed to be an impossibility. He took his helmet off and set it on the handlebars a moment. "If you're out there Nao-chan, you can come out." He called out.

"Senpai?" Naoto asked.

"I accept you both. I've always accepted both sides to you, and I promise I won't be stupid and try to push either of you away again." Yu had been told their love for him was so strong, so pure, that their paradoxical existence actually worked. Naoto's Shadow was her more feminine side, her more childish side. It wasn't that she didn't express either or accept either, but that her Shadow was represented by these things.

So it stood to reason, that if Naoto's Shadow wasn't coming, it could quite possibly be something that Yu had done. And all he could think of was that he had been trying to push Naoto away. While he knew Naoto knew he wouldn't be so stupid anymore, Naoto's Shadow might not. He had to at least try the angle.

After waiting a few moments, Naoto shook her head. "Nothing Senpai. I think she is gone."

Yu sighed and closed his eyes. He hoped that her Shadow had found happiness, short lived as her existence had been. He turned to look back at the helmeted figure of Naoto, his wonderful girlfriend and thought that she might have. "Well, that's one mystery solved." he said.

"You sound sad about it." She said.

"In a way, I am." Yu pulled his helmet back on and revved the engine before he started to drive.

It took some getting used to, having Naoto right there on the back of his motorcycle, and she held on carefully to him. And turns were taken with great care. And going down the stairs into the subway was a bit of a hassle, but they made it work.

Yu wasn't looking forward to dragging the Mementos version of his Motorcycle back up the stairs. But it was too great of an asset to leave there. Though he could possibly experiment with leaving it at the entrance to Mementos. Still, there was going to be plenty of stairs they would have to drag it back up.

Yu avoided driving on the rails as much as possible, to keep the ride smoother. He couldn't exactly carry a spare, and he had no way to change the tire if he did. And slowly, he got a little more comfortable taking the twisting turns in Mementos, taking the turns more at speed than having to slow to a crawl. It was just about practice, practice, and practice. And Naoto was getting good at leaning with him on the turns to making it easier as well.

They would have to definitely come back down into Mementos for more practice on their off days. It wasn't like any of the Shadows, at their current level, would fight them.

They eventually came to the last stone doorway that the Phantom Thieves had made it to. Yu put his hand to it, feeling how the door was solidly closed behind them. "Well, there's that." Yu said. "It doesn't open if it's just the two of us."

"Hmm. I had hoped it would since we are strong enough to handle ourselves in the depths." Naoto said.

That had been their theory. That because the Phantom Thieves were not strong enough with their Persona, the doors would not open. It made more sense than the popularity theory that Akira and the others were working with. No theory seemed to make sense.

But they still had one other thing to check on, so together they moved his motorcycle up the stairway to the next floor. "We're going to get a workout like this." Yu said from the back as he would take the majority of the weight while Naoto moved it up the stairs.

"How much does this thing weigh, Senpai?" she grunted out.

"Two hundred and sixty kilos." It was heavier than a scooter, that was for sure. And if there was a ramp, there'd be no problem in pushing it up. But because they had to deal with stairs, they had to make do. Thankfully, Yu was not small and no slouch when it came to strength, especially since he was abusing Yoshitsune's greater levels of strength. And Naoto was no slouch in strength either, even if she was a tiny thing.

Not that Yu would often say that aloud.

"How far have we come?" Naoto asked. No doubt she was considering, like him, to ditch the motorcycle.

"Odometer read about thirty four kilometers. Mementos is damned deep." Yu said. If it hadn't been for the odometer reading that, he would have dropped the bike and be done with it.

Together they made their way towards one of the rest areas within Mementos. There, they waited on the platform until a train pulled up. This was the defining moment of their entire trip. Together they made their way over, with Yu pushing the motorcycle.

The doors shut just before they got there, but seeing that Shadows continued to congregate on the platform, they decided to wait. Another train pulled up, and this time Naoto and Yu stepped on. Naoto reached out and grabbed Yu's wrist, no doubt concerned with what came next. Truth be told, he was as well. And he heard the door hiss shut, turning his hand to better take Naoto's, just to be safe.

They wanted to answer the question of where the trains in Mementos went. They also were aware that, if they gained anymore teammates, they were out of space in Morgana. It was only due to how small Futaba and Naoto were that they could all fit inside the cat with moderate comfort.

The train began to move into the darkness and Yu glanced around. The car was almost full of Shadows, with the exception of him and Naoto standing behind his motorcycle. The car had no lights and was soon plunged in darkness as it went. Yu still felt Naoto's hand though in his, so he tried to relax.

The train came to a slow halt in front of the stone door that impeded their progress. Yu glanced to his left, making sure that Naoto was still with him and felt relieved at the sight of the sleuth with her helmet off and in one hand. The doors then hissed open.

"Senpai. Look."

Yu followed Naoto's gaze to the car itself and paused. He then cut his eyes towards the other end of the car. Despite how powerful he had become, despite how powerful Izanagi-no-Okami and Yamato-Sumeragi were, there was something… unnerving about the Shadows.

Especially since every last one of them was looking at the pair.

"Should we stay or go?" Yu asked.

"Let's go. We've answered a lot of questions today." Naoto said. "And there's a few more I want answered."

Yu nodded and pushed the motorcycle out onto the platform, Naoto following behind him. As soon as they were off, the doors hissed shut and the train barreled further on, picking up speed rapidly. Yu breathed a sigh of relief. "That was…"

"Creepy." Naoto finished for him without hesitation. "But we still have a few more variables to test." The pair went to start pushing the motorcycle back up the stairs.

After all, the trains in Mementos only went in one direction.

 _Take Your Time_

Makoto could hardly believe that they were at Destinyland. That Haru had used some originally cancelled company reservations to get them a private outing was impressive. And the food had been truly wonderful. It was nothing gourmet, but it was still a much better meal than what Makoto was used to.

And the view was spectacular. While the amusement park wasn't launching fireworks as it might do on a busier night, it was still lit up in a dazzling display of colored lights. There wasn't a parade, but they still were able to make a pleasant trip out of it. It was truly a blissful evening. About the only thing missing from it was Yu and Naoto. Naoto because she couldn't get away from a case, and Yu because he was covering for someone's shift at work.

But more importantly, it was also getting to be 8PM when Haru's father would be making his press conference. And Okumura was apparently going to say who was really behind the Mental Shutdowns. He had admitted to having them happen, a contract to get them to occur. It was almost disgustingly similar to how the Phantom Thieves worked.

Unfortunately, they had to book it out of there before Okumura's Palace was destroyed and before he could give them the full answer. They hadn't even been able to find a good spot to come back to the real world at.

"It's about time for the conference." Akira mentioned, his mind clearly drifting to the whole reason they were there. They were celebrating a successful heist, sure, but they had been doing it while waiting on Haru's father.

Almost as one, the entire group brought out their phones and started to bring up the news feed. They listened with rapt attention as Okumura confessed. He confessed and apologized to the crimes he committed. The labor issues, the cover ups, the sanitation problems, everything. And then it came to the part they were all looking for. Okumura mentioned a critical piece of information.

That's when it happened. It took a horrible turn. Makoto brought her hand to her mouth as she watched, unable to tear her eyes away as Haru's father seemed to cry out like he was in pain, clutching his chest before he slumped forward. A black ichor seemed to drip onto the pristine white table cloth before it cut the live broadcast off.

"What's going on Morgana?" Haru asked, sounding clearly and obviously distraught over such a thing happening.

"No, no, don't tell me… Was he caught in the explosion of takeoff?" Morgana wasn't looking at any of them.

Akira's cell phone began to ring. The dark haired teen answered the call and put it on speaker as he set it on the table. It turned out it was Yu. "What the Hell just happened?" He demanded.

"We don't know." Akira said. "We followed all the same steps as we usually did. I swear. We did nothing to Okumura that would cause this."

"Damn it Akira, you were supposed to be more vigilant." Yu said.

"I know!" Akira shouted. "Damn it, I know! But fuck!" Everyone stared at him as he swore. "Look, when we got there he had been gearing up to take off. The whole station was threatening to collapse by the time we finished the fight. We had to book it out of there. Do you think someone might have done something? Maybe he got caught in the destruction of his Palace?"

"If his Palace collapsed, would his Shadow even exist still?" Ann asked.

"I need to call home." Haru said, already dialing the number and turning away from everyone.

"This… this isn't our fault, is it?" Ann asked, half pleading to be told that it wasn't.

"It's worked not just on the big targets, but the little targets as well." Akira said.

"Alright. Everyone, be damned careful. I don't know what happened, but… We'll talk more when we meet up again. I'm getting a call from Naoto" Yu said. He then hung up and Akira picked his phone up to tuck it away.

"Damn it!" Ryuji shouted. "The hell's goin' on here?"

Futaba was shaking and she curled herself in a ball on the chair. "It's just like with Mom." she whimpered.

"A mental shutdown." Yusuke grit his teeth. "It was a trap. We knew it was a trap and we walked right into it."

"We couldn't not walk into it." Akira argued. "Not because we were after our next big target, but because one of our own asked us for help."

"I… I have to go." Haru said, putting her phone away. She wasn't looking at any of the group. She then took to leaving, quickly.

"Haru!" Ann said.

"I got it." Makoto said. She stood up and quickly went after Haru. Despite the good intentions of all of them, only Makoto knew the loss that Haru was currently going through and she knew that Haru couldn't… No, shouldn't be going through it by herself.

Not only that, but Makoto couldn't help but think back to the Reflection of Haru that she had fought. Was this the turning point? Had this been the tipping point? Had no one helped Haru after her father died? Did her father die? Is this what she had meant by the Phantom Thieves had taken from her? Well, regardless of what the Reflection thought, Makoto wasn't going to let Haru do this alone.

"Haru, wait." Makoto said, moving to catch up. But the Okumura Heiress kept walking. "Haru!" she said moving forward and grabbing Haru's arm to turn her around.

"What?!" Haru snapped, staring Makoto down with tears streaming down her face from how badly she was crying. It broke Makoto's heart.

Makoto pulled the other girl in and hugged her tight. "I'm sorry." she whispered to Haru who stiffened in the hug before sinking into it. "I'm so sorry. It's not okay, and I'm not going to say it gets easier, not having them around. But we will get the bastard that did this, together." She said softly, running her fingers through Haru's hair to try and soothe her.

Haru began to sob into Makoto's shoulders, wrapping herself in the hug a little more. "Why?" She sobbed. "Why? Why? Why?" Over and over.

Makoto wished she had the answer to the question. But she swore that she wasn't going to stop until whoever was behind the Mental Shutdowns had been brought to justice. For making Haru cry, she was going to keep fighting on. She hoped that the next time that she spoke with Yu and Naoto, that she would be able to get more information from them on who did it.

Because as much as she wanted to go after Goro Akechi, there was still some doubt. And she wanted to be absolutely certain when she broke the jaw of whoever did this to Haru.

"Come on, let's get you home." Makoto said softly, turning to walk with the distraught girl.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Yeah… Yeah… I know some of you might have hoped that Okumura would have survived. But… his death was kinda sorta a pivotal plot point in the game. And well… Sae's Palace still needs to happen cause of reasons.**

 **Hooh Boy. Next Chapter! I can't wait! Cause there was a pretty important event between the end of Okumura's Palace and the start of Sae's Palace, can you guess what it was? Careful, it might not be what you think it is.**


	35. Chapter 35: High Stakes Gamble

Chapter 35: High Stakes Gamble

Naoto Shirogane inhaled a little bit as she sipped at her coffee. It was the sixteenth of October. A fair bit of time since Okumura's death. The Phantom Thieves had been dealing with the fallout of that event, from the downswing in their popularity to having their numbers questioned by the police.

Poor Akira had been the very first student pulled in for question for… obvious reasoning. Thankfully, he had the foresight to leave Morgana at home on the day that the police were going to be at Shujin so that when they had inevitably searched his bag, the cat wasn't inside it and he wasn't getting in trouble for having an animal at school.

Haru was… Managing. Naoto was familiar with the sensation. She wasn't going to be the same for a little while. Makoto seemed to be helping her out thankfully.

And Naoto herself was doing something she despised. She hated with every fiber of her being but felt the need to actually do it. She sipped more of her coffee, ignoring the hustle and bustle around her of the TV crew setting up cameras and doing finishing touches on the makeup of the host and hostess. Cables were strewn about.

Ugh… Interviews. They were the bane of her existence. But one of the officers she worked with asked her to go on when she had been about to decline the invitation with a shredder. Thankfully because the station had been wanting to get this particular special for so long, they were willing to concede to a few of her demands. The first was for coffee. There was no way in Hell that she was going to go through with an extended interview on television without caffeine in her system. And the coffee they provided her sucked which made the situation worse, but it was coffee nonetheless.

She didn't even have to fight to keep her hat. The producer that had sent her the invite to come onto the studio had said it was sort of her trademark and that people would be able to better recognize her if she had it on. So she didn't have to give it up. And she had made it blatantly clear she wasn't going to wear any form of makeup for the damned cameras. She was a human being, not a doll to look perfect before the masses. Besides, it wasn't like her complexion was bad to begin with and she didn't have obvious blemishes on her face except for a faint hairline scar above her eyebrow that would be hidden by the hat.

But the one she had to fight almost adamantly for had been a necessity. Speaking of…

Her co-interviewee had just arrived. And judging by the look of surprise on his face, Goro Akechi clearly had not been expecting her to be there. "Ah…. Shirogane-san." He said, putting a pleasant, but faked smile on his face.

"Akechi-san." Naoto said politely. She didn't bother with a smile.

Hence her last demand to be on the interview. She was to not be seated beside Goro Akechi. She didn't want to waste perfectly good, if horrible, coffee by spilling it 'accidently' on Goro Akechi and his damned briefcase.

Thankfully the hosts of the show and the producer had seen no issue with keeping them seperate. Something about how it would bring in more views if people didn't think Akechi was partnered with Naoto Shirogane, or even apprenticed under the 'former Detective Prince.' Naoto let them believe what they wanted.

She just didn't want to sit beside a murderous hypocrite.

The time approached for the show to go on the air. The cameraman held up three fingers, two, one before signalling to the hosts of the show. Naoto drowned out the name of the show and the hosts' names. She honestly didn't care.

"And tonight we have a special treat for everyone! The illustrious Naoto Shirogane, the Detective Prince himself, joins us for this special interview with Goro Akechi, the second coming of the Detective Prince." The male host said, clearly trying to gain everyone's attention. The camera zoomed in on her a moment and she looked towards the host. "Naoto-kun, we've been trying to get this special for a long time. A once in a lifetime interview with both Detective Princes. Can we ask why, up until this point, you have declined the invitation to come and what changed?"

"Shirogane-san, please." Naoto asked politely. "Many times that Goro Akechi has been on this show was because of the recent crimes perpetrated by the Phantom Thieves. That has not been my jurisdiction, and still is not. I have no intention of stepping in on the toes of Akechi-san as he has so vehemently decried the crimes of the Phantom Thieves. However, I was asked to come by one of the officers I work with, hoping that I might shed some light on the Phantom Thieves and their actions."

"Yes, thank you for that Nao… Shirogane-san." The male host said carefully, having not expecting Naoto to, politely, correct him on the use of her name. She did not know him well enough for him to use her given name and the '-kun' suffix. "Akechi-kun, since this is your case, can we start with your thoughts on the recent murder of Kunikazu Okumura by the Phantom Thieves?"

Akechi seemed to be watching Naoto sharply, eyes narrowing slightly from her words. "I still believe that the Phantom Thieves are quite wrong, despite my opinion being met with strong criticism." He said. "And I intend to bring them to justice. However, I do not believe that these recent string of murders, including Kunikazu Okumura and Keiji Kobayakawa, was the result of the Phantom Thieves."

"W-what?" The female host asked, finally inputting on the conversation. "Weren't you the one that first cautioned everyone about the danger of the Phantom Thieves?"

"I was. And this doesn't change the fact that they are indeed a dangerous group." Akechi said, his smile becoming less forced and more confident. "But linking them to these murder cases is too hasty. I feel as though there are far too many questions to be answered here." He said.

"Hmm." Naoto made a sound with her mouth. "Why?" she asked.

"Why?" Akechi asked.

"Yes, why. What is your thought process? Why do you think the Phantom Thieves were not the ones that did this?" Naoto asked.

"Surely you have had gut intuition before, Shirogane-san." Akechi said. "This is what my gut is telling me." Naoto scoffed at that and took a sip of her coffee. Akechi smiled at her like he was going to do something she wouldn't like. "Do you have something to add instead, Shirogane-san?"

"I have experience." Naoto said calmly. "I have history on my side. I have friends in other Prefectures willing to validate what I have come up with. The criminal profiling that was released recently was a biased piece of work intended to work as propaganda to discredit the Phantom Thieves. Make no mistake, I do believe they are a dangerous group, and that they didn't commit these murders."

"Would you care to enlighten us then, Shirogane-san?" The male host sounded excited at the prospect. After all, usually anytime she was in the public eye, she kept the interview brief, succinct. She hated doing them.

"Let's begin with Thieves. Thieves implies… theft." Naoto said. "What they steal is ambiguous, but tangible enough to produce results and to be worth their time in stealing. Thieves often don't commit murder as it is bad for them to do so. I would have to look through the various records of the Shirogane Estate, but there have been maybe one or two instances in which a Thief has actually killed someone that we have been called in upon. Police Prefectures have quite a bit of crime to deal with, and they do take the various forms of larceny seriously, but the number of options that an officer can perform regarding larceny is, sadly, limited based on what is taken and how cooperative the victims are. Murder on the other hand immediately bumps things to the Homicide unit, where they have a great deal of officers that can, and will, find every last detail that they can. A thief will go out of their way to not commit murder. The Phantom Thieves have, since they started, had a sizeable albeit token task force dedicated to catching them. By decrying them with the murder of Kunikazu Okumura, that task force has doubled in size. More manpower, more people to look over evidence, and more people to go over information with a fine tooth comb. History says that a Thief will try their very best not to commit murder. That they stole from Okumura-san and left him alive, indicates that the Phantom Thieves did not actually kill him."

Naoto could see the sour look that Akechi was giving her with his eyes. And despite herself, it pleased her to see. She really couldn't stand the hypocrite. "As to Principal Kobayakawa, he was unfortunately killed at the height of the Phantom Thieves' success and popularity. But, again, he doesn't fit with the pattern, even if a calling card was sent. And therein lies the problem, the calling card. Anyone with a few spare yen could go to a convenience store and pick up a pack of calling cards. It could have been written by anyone." Naoto took a slow sip of her coffee. "I had to dig a little bit deeper in order further rule out Principal Kobayakawa, but it was doable." She added.

"And what did you learn?" Akechi asked. His smile was a little strained.

"Further proof that the criminal profile didn't match." Naoto said. "The Phantom Thieves' victims can be categorized into primary and secondary targets. Primary targets are those that receive a calling card directly. These include Suguru Kamoshida, Ichiryusai Madarame, Junya Kaneshiro, and Kunikazu Okumura. The Medjed incident can also be considered a primary target, but a 'Change of Heart' wasn't induced so there is some controversy with that theory. Each of the primary targets of the Phantom Thieves were individuals who committed crime on grander scales. Kamoshida was sexually abusing the female volleyball team members, abusing the male volleyball team members. Madarame was plagiarizing his students' works, driving many away from the art world or even blacklisting them. One student was even driven to suicide. Kaneshiro was a mob boss using students as drug runners that the Police couldn't touch because of how careful he was being. Medjed was threatening the very financial stability of all of Japan. Okumura was overworking, underpaying his employees and keeping other corporations from being able to expand within Japan. All of these are more significant crimes. In hindsight after an investigation, Principal Kobayakawa was only guilty of receiving a few bribes and turning a blind eye to Kamoshida's actions in lieu of the reputational boost that Kamoshida brought to Shujin Academy."

Naoto wanted the people of Tokyo, of Japan, to _think_. Not just be blindly led about like sheep, but to actually think for themselves. Yes, she was decrying the Phantom Thieves as a dangerous group. They were, even if they were her friends. One small slipup, and they could kill tons of people. But she wasn't finished by a long shot. And perhaps it was a fool's errand to try and get the masses to use their brains, but she had to try.

"The secondary targets of the Phantom Thieves took a bit of work to find. First you have to look at the behavior of the primary targets. Increased risk of suicide that, if they can work past, instills a drive to become even better than they were. Kamoshida is teaching fitness and wellness to inmates. Madarame is offering free lessons in artistry, Kaneshiro is offering lessons in finances. So once a pattern is established with the previous victims, you can start looking into the secondary victims of the Phantom Thieves. They made a mistake in using the Phantom Thieves Aficionado Website. It takes some scouring through the various false positives to find others, but they are there. Individuals who show the same pattern as the primary victims. Increased risk of suicide followed by an almost manic drive to be better than they were. If Principal Kobayakawa should have been a victim, he would have been a secondary victim and would have received a 'calling card' through the website." Naoto took a moment to take a deeper drink of her coffee. She knew she had dropped a lot on the viewers, the audience, everyone. And she knew the Phantom Thieves would be watching so it would be good to give them the chance to digest the information..

"But what about Okumura-san?" The female host asked. "According to you, Okumura-san fits with the Primary targets, and he ended up deceased." She spoke in a manner as though what she was saying was busting the theory wide open.

"Yes, tell us what you think, Shirogane-san." Akechi said.

"A shell game." Naoto said succinctly.

"I'm afraid I don't follow." The male host said, clearly getting enraptured in what Naoto was saying. This wasn't a talk about gut feelings, this was cold and clear thought out logic based on experiences, based on the experiences of the past. And despite what people might think about Naoto Shirogane, Takashi Shirogane's reputation was stellar and he had most certainly dealt with thieves in the past.

And if in his long and illustrious career he didn't deal with many thieves killing people, then there was a damned precedent to say that the Phantom Thieves didn't kill Okumura. Not that they weren't capable of it, but it wasn't their modus operandi, as established by the long line of what could be dredged up on the actions of the Phantom Thieves.

"A shell game is a common phrase to indicate a game of sleight of hand in which a magician uses three cups, or nutshells, to hide a ball under. The magician will then shuffle the cups or shells and the participant must pick the right spot the ball is under. It's a ploy as the magician controls where the ball ends up. Okumura was a cup, with the ball being underneath him being the Phantom Thieves. But it wasn't the Phantom Thieves that killed Okumura, it was the Magician controlling things behind the scenes. They're just using the Phantom Thieves to try and get away with it." Naoto said. Oh, she knew she was poking a few hornets by doing what she was doing. And worse, she was doing it without Yu's knowledge.

Akechi started to laugh a bit from his side of the stage. "Oh… Shirogane-san." He laughed a bit more. "Listen to your paranoia." He said, not quite mockingly, but making it clear he didn't believe her for the audience. "I'm starting to think you're not cut out for the job of Detective anymore." he said. Naoto arched a brow at him, turning to give him more attention. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I touch a sore spot? It's well thought out, I admit, but it sounds ridiculous. Then again, what can one expect from someone such as yourself." He offered that charming smile.

Naoto felt red flags raise in her mind. But she couldn't stop herself. "Oh? Someone like me?" She asked.

"A fraud." Akechi said, the smile on his face coming away. "Someone that has had to act like a tough broiled detective their entire career to keep the fact away from who you are. Someone that has had to obsess over facts and cases, trying to keep the officers from finding out what a fake you are. Naoto Shirogane, the Detective Prince, an insecure little girl trying to play Detective like her parents because she's lonely. A child needing to prove herself."

Naoto arched her brow again and took a sip of her coffee, but stayed quiet. She looked into the cup, noting that it was almost empty. She had probably another good pull from it.

"What's wrong?" Akechi asked. "Your silence can be rather damning."

Oh, he was enjoying this. She was going to enjoy busting his bubble more. Naoto sighed. "I'm lamenting that the media has given my title, loathe as I am to admit it is mine, to such a spoiled child. Instead of poking holes at my logic, you are poking holes at my character. Your argument is weaker than the coffee I've been drinking." With that she finished it. "And frankly, mostly false." She set the cup down. There were whispers abound from the audience.

"I did not become a Detective because I was lonely. I become one because it was a matter of doing what I chose to do." Naoto said bluntly. "I do not act like a tough broiled detective, I act like a professional, as you have failed to do so. I admit, I have obsessed over facts and cases in the past, but I like to think that all Detectives, Officers, Private Investigations, and Special Investigators are obsessed to a point over a case. I'm not an insecure little girl, I am a very much secure woman that doesn't want to cause any more issues in the workplace than there already is."

She didn't need to keep her gender a secret. And just trying to hide it or deny it would have backfired in any number of ways. Instead, she owned it and twisted it on itself to further make Akechi look like a fool. She didn't change the octave of her voice, keeping it at the professional and slightly masculine tone. "What others think of me in the workplace matters little to me, but if my gender is going to get in the way or be a problem, I see no reason to enlighten anyone about it. Being an eleven year old boy of one hundred and thirty five centimeters was bad enough in the eyes of some of the first officers I worked with, being an eleven year old girl of one hundred and thirty five centimeters would have been a straw too far. Especially once I started solving things that they couldn't. I won't hide it when it is so very rudely brought up, the way you have done, but at the same hand I don't see the point in flaunting it. It would make me seem like a spoiled child rather than the professional that I am."

She was glad to see Akechi didn't like that she had turned it around on him. Good, she wanted him to squirm. "And for the record, anyone that bothered contacting someone of standing in Inaba or even my own home town would have likely said I was a girl. Detective Ryotaro Dojima had me pegged within two weeks of my start in Inaba two years ago." She said. She wasn't going to mention that she had drove the man to drink on the first day she was there as a contracted Special Investigator. But she was thankful that, for a long time, Dojima hadn't called her out on her gender.

"But the news reported you were a homosexual." Someone from the crowd called out, despite the rules being in place to keep the audience from directly making comments out of turn like that

Naoto glanced in that direction a moment. "The news reported that I had a boyfriend. It is not my fault they believed me to be a male at the time." She said rather frankly. She saw no harm in actually answering the question. It wasn't a secret that she had a boyfriend. She turned her gaze back to Akechi and smiled in an almost predatory manner.

"Now that you have so rudely assaulted my character, allow me to do the same to yours as it pertains to my theory and investigation." she said. "You have, since the beginning of your career, handled eighteen cases." She said factually. "Closed successfully, eighteen cases. Each of these cases has pertained to the mental breakdowns. Now the first few, experts thought them to be some sort of disease, a possible epidemic. But with the knowledge of what the Phantom Thieves are doing, I would make the argument that it is a third party instead causing these mental breakdowns. And they targeted Kunikazu Okumura because he was one of their group, and about to sell them out. Eighteen cases where you have, successfully, brought the perpetrator to justice through a piece of evidence that you have procured through the search of the individual's residence." Naoto shook her head. "It's _too damned convenient."_

"I beg your pardon?" Akechi asked, that charming facade slowly breaking away to reveal the creature beneath.

"I'm saying that either you are a fool that has been lured in and taken the bait, time and time again or that you are in collusion with the individual or individuals behind the mental breakdowns. When I came to Shibuya from Inaba and offered my services to the local Police Prefecture, I dived in on the mental breakdowns under the idea that they were all connected. And it paints a very interesting picture." Naoto said.

"Shirogane-san, it sounds like you've made a breakthrough on the mental breakdowns." The male host. "Would you be able to share anything at all?" he asked eagerly.

"I'm afraid I cannot. It is still a pending police investigation, and I have said the limit to what I am able to. I will however be presenting my findings to the homicide unit and let them make their own investigations." Naoto said. If she had poked the hornets' nest before, she knew that she had just kicked the damn thing like a soccer ball. Damn, she hadn't meant to let it all slip like that, but there it was. She would just have to somehow make do.

Yu was going to be most upset with her.

She played a dangerous game that was high risk, but extremely high reward. She hated playing those sorts of games, but as a Special Investigator, she had to accept some risk to do what was right. And these incidents didn't stop with merely Goro Akechi or Muyasashi Shido. She wanted to bring down each and every one of the people involved.

Naoto smiled, almost pleasantly. She couldn't help but be pleased. "I do look forward to seeing your work with the Phantom Thieves, Akechi-san, and hope that your passion for justice has not been dimmed by this interview." She said politely. She knew such a thing was false. After all, Goro Akechi was the prime suspect in perpetrating the crimes of attacking the people within the Metaverse to cause the mental breakdowns in the real world. But she still had a role to play, she could not act like she was suspicious of Akechi actually being the one to cause the breakdowns.

Oh, she accused him of being in league with the ones doing it, making it look like he was performing arrests and all, but Akechi's kill count was astronomically high. If the courts ever got wind of how 'hands on' he really was with the mental breakdowns, then he was likely going to go away for a very long time.

When they called for commercial, Naoto announced that she would be leaving the TV station, as her part of the segment was done and over with.

 _Take Your Time_

Akechi stared at his gloved hand as it shook with rage and fury and humiliation. His nostrils flared as he was in the privacy of his own apartment after the disaster that was the interview. Naoto Shirogane had outplayed him and made him look like a bumbling fool or a criminal. He clenched his hand tight, thinking about the little girl that had done this to him, his nails dug into the skin of his palm until blood welled between his fingers.

After the commercial break, she had declined returning, stating how she had homework or some other such drivel to worry about. He had managed to salvage something of his reputation by declaring he had a list of suspects in regards to who the Phantom Thieves were, a trump card that he had hated playing. But he had been outmaneuvered by that…

He pulled out his cell phone and brought up the MetaNav. "Naoto Shirogane. Mementos." He typed in. It had been almost two years since he had first found the MetaNav on his phone, it just booted up one day and dragged him into Mementos.

At first he had thought he had been losing his mind and would lose his life, then he had awakened his Persona and been able to fight back. Since then, he had always done his best to remain as the strongest. He had been quite surprised when Akira and his group of friends had made their way into the Metaverse, but he knew that he was still stronger than any of them.

He would have to get creative with how he killed Naoto Shirogane. Maybe make her go home to her grandfather and have her eat his revolver. Yes, that was a good idea. Not only would it break the older Shirogane, but it would end the prestigious line of Detectives for good.

And Akechi could step back into the spotlight where he belonged.

" _No Match Found."_ What? Akechi looked down at his phone as those three words blinked on the screen. Everyone showed up in Mementos. Unless they had a full blown Palace, but something told him Naoto Shirogane wasn't twisted like that. So how was it that Shirogane didn't show up in Mementos?

His phone buzzed in his hands and he saw the number. He sneered at the number a moment before he swallowed his anger and hit accepted. "Sir." he said politely. He tried to keep the anger from his voice, and he probably failed on some measure.

" _What is the likelihood of Shirogane having found anything?"_

A good question. "I have mentioned in the past that if there were anyone intelligent and driven enough to find the truth of the matter, it would be a Shirogane. I did not expect her to do it so quickly however or to be foolish enough to so blatantly flaunt that knowledge" Akechi said. He did have a measure of respect for the Shirogane family as a family of Detectives. He would not be blindsided like this again though.

" _I want her gone."_ Shido's anger barely matched Akechi's. Of course he did. " _I don't want any chances of her having figured anything out. I want her gone before she can finalize her thoughts and deliver it to the police. Use whatever means you have to use."_ Of course Shido didn't want anything being found out. According to him, he had worked too long at being Prime Minister for his plans to fail. They might have owned a good chunk of the police, for whatever reason, but the truth of the matter was that with enough overwhelming evidence, the police would have to investigate.

"I was already in the middle of figuring out how best to dispose of her." Akechi said. But not for Shido's purposes. He didn't care about his father anymore. His plan could burn for all Akechi cared. He had been given the chance to be in the spotlight and he was going to take it, take it and enjoy it. No, Akechi was doing this for himself. He had been going to enjoy going into Mementos and killing the girl's Shadow. Usually, he used a gun or Loki, but he wanted to be creative with it. Loki could implant a message to the person before their Shadow died, an inexplicable urge to do something. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to have that. "There's been a small hitch however. Do you have anyone else you need to get rid of? Particularly a police officer that may have been sniffing too close?"

" _What are you getting at boy?"_ Akechi grit his teeth at that. He hated being called that by the bastard that was his father. Shido had no right to be calling him that, not after everything that Akechi had done for him.

"As I said, there's been a small hitch. This won't be like the Mental Breakdowns outlined in Isshiki-san's research." One of his first targets, Akechi could remember the way the woman's shadow had squirmed. It had been… beautiful. His hands clasped on her throat, holding her down while Loki implanted the message for her to go walk in traffic. "It can't look like a mental breakdown or we will be justifying that girl's words and theories. I'm thinking of getting rid of two birds with one stone."

" _I'll forward you a list of names. Make sure it's destroyed once you have made your pick."_ The line went dead and Akechi pulled his phone away from his ear again to look at the MetaNav once more. Like he needed to be told something as trivial as that from Shido.

Naoto Shirogane didn't show up within the MetaNav. Didn't produce a hit within Mementos. And he hadn't done enough digging into things in order to find out the name of her boyfriend, or else Akechi would go after the idiot first. He wanted to taste Naoto's despair. It had been ridiculously easy to find out Naoto had actually been a female.

Akechi inhaled, tried to find focus. He tried to go into that mental state before each job. He had to do it soon. If his hunch was correct, his popularity upswing, before the Interview, would have made most of the students of most schools want to invite him to speak. Even after the interview, the sheep would still likely flock towards him. Shujin Academy was having their festival soon and Sae Niijima would no longer be speaking about police matters with Makoto.

The good prosecutor was easy to read really. She was too dedicated to the job, too inflexible. They would have to get rid of her at some point, but they had done a good job of keeping her on a leash for the time being and directing her attention to what they wanted.. They would also have to get rid of the District Attorney, but that man's usefulness was coming to an end. As soon as they had the Phantom Thieves in custody, or running.

But he was almost certain that Makoto would email him, or have Akira Kurusu ask him on one of Akechi's planned visits to Le Blanc, to go to Shujin Academy as a guest speaker for the festival. He would of course act like he didn't know, but it was all leading into his trap.

Inhaling, he continued planning his game out. If he brought in Akira Kurusu, then he would be able to show that he was still a brilliant detective in the eyes of the public. And then Akira Kurusu would meet a tragic demise within the interrogation chamber. Murder suicide. It was all carefully planned out, he didn't want anymore slip ups like he had dealt with in the interview..

By this time the next month, everything would go back to normal. Naoto Shirogane would be out of the picture, Akechi would be back in the spotlight, the Phantom Thieves would be labelled as criminals for his acts, and he could get onto his business of dealing with Shido.

Akechi looked to his hands that still trembled with his anger. It had been a very, very long time since he felt this deep seated anger, this sort of rage and humiliation. He despised this feeling with everything that he was. But he couldn't deny the sort of… focus it gave him.

Naoto Shirogane had humiliated him, but she would get her comeuppance. Still… That she didn't show up within the MetaNav was… curious. Was she perhaps a Persona user? Hmm, that could be troublesome. But regardless, the Metaverse was not the real world. Or was it simply a small minor hiccup? Was she the one in a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred, that didn't show in Mementos? He had never had it happen before, but he supposed it was a possibility.

And then there were the Phantom Thieves themselves. How were they sneaking into the Palaces? It was trivial for him to set up a few cameras, paid men with laptops or newspapers with cameras to loiter around in front of Okumura Foods headquarters. He had witnessed the Phantom Thieves come out after the near imminent collapse of Okumura's Palace, but how they had gotten in was beyond him. Perhaps when he ingratiate himself with their group, for Sae's Palace of course, he would be able to find out their methods.

Hmm. Loki was too visible, as was his Black Mask. He would have to do something to bury it. Inside his mind, he thought he heard Loki's laughter. Yes, surely his Persona's trickey nature would allow him to be able to change certain aspects with little issue. Now the question was, how should he look? He really should go into Mementos and figure it out.

Maybe he could obtain a new Persona as well, something to hide Loki behind. Hmm. The Phantom Thieves seemed to act as doers of justice, so perhaps his Persona could manifest as a fictional doer of justice. Maybe something like… Robin Hood? Hmm, it bore merit.

Akechi smiled a cruel smile a moment as he started dinner and making his plans. Yes, everything would soon go back to the way it should. He just had to be patient, then he could slip in the knife.

 _Take Your Time_

"Damn it Naoto!" Yu actually yelled, yelled at Naoto. "This is just like Inaba two years ago! You played a dangerous game then and now you're playing a more dangerous game!" Fuck. Fuck! Yu paced in his living room, a complete trainwreck of emotions that logic wasn't playing into in the slightest. Whereas Naoto sat at the Kotatsu, sipping some tea, and looking the perfect picture of calm.

But anxiety had its grip on his stomach. He had watched the interview on the TV, watched her verbally destroy Akechi and practically announce to the people that were behind the Mental Shutdowns that she was onto them. And Yu couldn't help but know that something bad was going to happen. This wasn't Namatame who was trying to 'save' people. This was a group of people that would want to hurt her to keep her silent and wouldn't hesitate to do so. They had done so with Wakaba Isshiki, they would do so with Naoto..

Naoto set her mug down. "I know Senpai, and I'm sorry to see you distraught like this." She did sound apologetic, but she had to know what it did to him when she was in danger.

Yu yanked at his hair, trying to figure out how his girlfriend could be so calm, so lackadaisical about this entire thing. Her life was at stake now. "Why?!" he asked, desperate to try and understand her logic because as it stood, he wasn't following.

Naoto watched him with those eyes he had come to enjoy looking into so very much. "I do admit, I am playing a dangerous game." she said. "It has high risks, but with those high risks comes higher rewards. If they do come after me, it will prove my theories correct. I'm waiting on a phone call from a contact, and once I have it, I'll be able to turn in all my work. I just need to be careful for another few days."

Damn it, she sounded so damned logical and reasonable about it. And Yu was being anything but logical. "Naoto, these people will-"

"I am quite aware of what they will do to me if they get the chance, Senpai." Naoto said sharply. It was the beginning hints of her own anger that was beginning to creep in. She didn't like being questioned like this, Yu knew that. She didn't like being thought of as helpless. "But I would have thought, by now, that you would understand the dangers of my chosen profession. Much of my evidence is circumstantial which makes it much more difficult to make an arrest, nonetheless an actual prosecution. It could take months as they will undoubtedly drag this out as much as possible. If they try something, it will help put the other officers on alert."

Yu watched her. He did know about the dangers of her profession. He went to her and slumped down onto his knees beside her. "Damn it Naoto, I know you have a potentially dangerous job." He said. He did. "But I love you, doesn't that count for anything? Can't you tell me when you're going to do something like this? Can't I just worry about your safety?"

Naoto's stern features softened just softly. "I know Yu-kun." she said softly. "And I'm sorry, I should have told you." She reached out to take his hand. "I love you too, but this was something I felt I had to do. I got caught up in the heat of the moment with Akechi, and I began to roll with it. There's no point in not using it to my advantage now."

Yu clutched her hand in his, squeezing firmly but not painfully. Once again, she was being logical and he was being an emotional fool. He took a deep breath in and held it before exhaling. He could understand what she was saying. Akechi had gotten her worked up, angry even, when he had revealed her gender the way he had, making her seem like an insecure girl rather than the confident woman she was.

"My brave Investigator." he said, trying to be strong. He knew she gained strength from him, and in turn he gained it from her. Not that they weren't capable of independence, but it was a matter of their partnership worked best when they could be strong together.

Naoto leaned over and kissed him on the lips. "My wonderful worrywort boyfriend." She joked. Her features turned a little more serious. "I've already made preparations. I'll be extremely careful, other than Monday when Akira wants us all to go to Le Blanc, I'll mostly be changing up my routine so that whoever might be coming after me won't be able to figure me out. Besides, I'm sure you can come pick me up on your motorcycle to give me a ride to work."

Yu nodded his head. He could do that. It wasn't something he expected to be doing so soon, but she was right. He could start to drive her to the police station rather than her taking public transit. He leaned into her, feeling emotionally drained. He had been stressed since he had seen the broadcast only for her to come home and he was trying to figure out why she had done what she had done.

Naoto reached up and brushed her hands through his silver hair. "It'll be okay." she said more calmly than Yu felt.

"I know." Yu said finally. He wrapped his arms around her. "After all, you're the Detective Prince." he offered her a bit of a smile. "Or would it be Princess now?"

Naoto made a retching sound. "Oh I hope not." she said firmly. "Last thing I need is for someone to think Akechi and I should be partners or something because he'd be Prince and I'd be Princess." A shudder of revulsion stole through them both.

"Point taken." Yu said. He pulled her in close, arms wrapping around her. He had to trust that she knew what she was doing. It was the only way that they were going to make it through this was by trusting in one another.

She leaned into his hug and wrapped her arms around him as well. "Besides, speaking of dangerous things, I do believe that you are the high king of that, Mister I'm-going-to-talk-to-a-known-and-outted-Murder." Yu winced at her accusation. It had definitely not been his brightest moves to go and speak with Adachi, so he could understand what his girlfriend was saying that he still had the upper hand.

"Just… be careful." Yu said. "Please. There's no telling who, or what, they will use to get to you." He said as he stood up, grabbing her mug to give her a refill on tea.

"On the plus side, they will not be able to use Mementos to get at me." Naoto said. Ever since her Shadow had disappeared, Naoto's 'ping' in the MetaNav had gone with it. "So I do have that much going for me." she said.

"Not making it any easier on me." Yu said from the kitchen. "That just means they have to act out in the real world, and we've never tried going into the Metaverse severely injured, not the TV World or Mementos." Yu poured the tea. There was no time for coffee that evening, not as late as it was or as wound up as both of them were.

Yu was already going to have enough difficulty sleeping. He didn't want to even think about the various things his mind was going to come up with when it came to how Naoto was going to get hurt. He just had to trust that she knew what she was doing, he just had to be there for her as he always was.

A task that was easier said than done, but he knew that if anyone could do it from the Investigation Team, it was him. He moved to sit beside Naoto again, setting her mug in front of her. "I don't like fighting with you." He said. And the last two months had seen them fight more than Yu wanted to think about.

"I don't like it either, Senpai." Naoto said as she leaned into him a bit. "I'm sorry." She said.

"Me too." Yu said. That was all they could do, talk and apologize when they needed to.

 _Take Your Time_

"So how does it feel to not have to hide your gender?" Yusuke asked as the group walked together down the streets from Yogen-jaya station. Naturally there was some curiosity as to the reactions of the general populace after Naoto had, publically, owned up to being female.

"A hassle." Naoto sighed and tilted her cap down. "I now have to deal with more and more male admirers and idiots that don't seem to get the memo that I am already happy with my boyfriend." She said. "I had four love letters in my shoe locker just this morning. And that was only this morning."

The sleuth inhaled and exhaled a deeper sigh. Really, it was driving her crazy. And then she was pulled aside by Kawakami to be informed that Naoto had two weeks to procure the proper uniform before disciplinary actions were taken. She already had plans with Makoto to go shopping for what she needed of the school uniform.

Apparently being a prestigious Special Investigator didn't buy her any leniency when it came to the school dress code. On one hand, it was rather annoying, on the other it was quite nice being treated as just another student.

Kawakami wasn't even her homeroom teacher, but Mr. Ushimaru had apparently asked Kawakami to speak with her since it might have been a little awkward for him to do so.

"Shujin is fickle." Akira said, likely from some experience. "Just put up with it the best you can, it'll die down eventually." He shook his head. "Then again, it might not. I still hear some rumors about a rusty knife." The frizzy haired teen sighed. "What do I have to do? Go on a stage and turn my bag inside out?"

"Even after the cops questioned you?" Ann asked incredulously.

"Even after." Akira said dejectedly.

Naoto shook her head at the byplay. But it made her smile some. They were her friends. Again, maybe not as good as the ones she made in Inaba, but good friends nonetheless that she had long since trusted with the truth of her gender.

"So uh… Are you goin' to be wearin' the girls' uniform?" Ryuji asked.

"Why?" Yu asked Ryuji. "Not thinking about looking, are you Ryuji?"

"Nah, nah!" Ryuji quickly backed up, realizing he was treading into dangerous territory with her boyfriend there.

Naoto smiled a little bit at that. "It won't be much of a change, I assure you." She said. "It is better than the Yasogami Girl's Uniform." She shook her head at that. "Thankfully, the staff let me get away with wearing the male uniform. Unfortunately Shujin is just a bit more prestigious."

"I don't know for how much longer." Makoto said. "The scandals between the track team, the volleyball team, Kamoshida, the Phantom Thieves, Principal Kobayakawa's death, we might end up with quite a number of transfers out of Shujin for next year." she said.

Naoto saw Akira wince. She could understand, as a number of those had been, inadvertently, caused by him. "Don't." she said, turning to look at him. "It's not your fault."

"Maybe not, but… how much would things be different if I didn't go to Shujin?" Akira asked.

"A pointless question to ask." Yusuke said. "You have bettered the lives of many, do not sully that by thinking about what might have happened if things were different. There is a real possibility that I would still be under the thumb of Madarame, or worse."

"I'd like to point out I was in a relationship with Kamoshida thinking I was helping my best friend." Ann said. "And while I did try to not do anything given he was like ten years my senior, something would have eventually happened."

"The point," Haru said. "Is that yes, you brought change, but you did not bring it out of sheer maliciousness, Akira-kun." She turned to face him a little bit, just as the group was about to head down towards Le Blanc. "And we shouldn't have to be telling you that have done good."

"She's right you know." Ryuji said calmly. "Shit man, I actually managed to get some passin' grades cause of you."

Akira offered a smile. "Alright, alright, I'll hold off on the thoughts."

Yu chuckled a little bit. "Besides, without you, I'd probably be stuck in my own head, not heading out to Inaba to be with my friends and girlfriend." Yu shot Naoto a smile that made her stomach twist a little bit. She loved that smile on his face.

And soon they would likely be heading back out to Inaba, which was just fine with her. She already had an acceptance letter from one of the universities around Port Island which was much easier to get to from Inaba than Shibuya was. Not that she wouldn't miss the friends she had made in Shibuya, but she was a small town girl at heart.

"You just like being able to call me your girlfriend now." Naoto accused Yu almost playfully.

"Guilty." Yu said without shame.

"Oh you guys are finally here!" Futaba said, standing up from her spot in front of Le Blanc. "I thought you'd never arrive. I've been waiting for you after delivering the order for all the curry to Sojiro. Come on! I'm starving!"

"We best hurry before we're assaulted by a wild and ravenous Futaba." Morgana said, poking his head out of the bag as the group headed inside.

Sojiro was busy at work cooking to curry in the back, so Akira quickly pulled his bag off and removed his uniform jacket. He threw on his apron and washed his hands before he started to make the coffee for everyone.

"Hey, everyone's here." Sojiro said from his small kitchen area. "Futaba warned me you guys might all be coming."

"It smells delicious, Sakura-san." Naoto said, moving to take a seat at the bar while the Phantom Thieves took up two of the four booths.

"So uh… Not to be rude or anything, but are you really a girl?" He asked, bringing a plate over to her. "Not judging or anything, but just curious."

"Yes, yes, I am." Naoto said, accepting her food. It truly did smell heavenly. While Akira was quite capable at cooking the food, Sojiro Sakura had the experience that came with cooking it for years and years. And Akira set a mug of strong, black coffee in front of her.

Yu was coming back from the small bathroom to sit beside Naoto when the bell to the small cafe rang out. The door opened and Naoto couldn't help but glance over. "Shirogane-san?" The man asked. He wore a pair of black slacks and a dark blue shirt. Naoto recognized him as a detective over in homicide. Alarm bells rang just a little too late when the man raised a revolver.

Bang!

"Naoto!" Yu screamed out. But all Naoto could notice was the immense pain that was blossoming in the left side of her chest as her lifeblood began to leave her.

Chapter End

 **A/N: I had to play around with the dates a little. Akechi's interview didn't actually happen until 10/22, I pushed it back by almost a week.**

 **Edit: Holy crap, I forgot to hit the spell check. Also, changed the title as an afterthought**


	36. Chapter 36: The Judgement of the World

Chapter 36: The Judgment of the World

Yu had just left the bathroom after having washed his hands in preparation to eat. His footsteps led him towards Naoto, about to sit on the opposite side of her, the side closest to the door. The bell to the shop jingled, causing Yu to glance up, pausing mid-stride as a man walked in.

He thought the man to look something like a Detective. He had that sort… look to him that Dojima had. "Shirogane-san?" He asked. An alarm sounded in Yu's head, just a little too shy of the revolver being drawn and the first gunshot going off. It sounded like a canon.

Yu turned, horror filling him as he looked to Naoto, watching crimson splatter against the dark hard wood of the countertop. "Naoto!" He screamed her name, legs already turning, arm coming up to try and get in the way, to get her down. Crimson began to stain the white of the Shujin Academy shirt. One of the girls, all the girls maybe, screamed.

Click, click. Time seemed to feel sluggish. Yu moved to drag Naoto down. The cannon sounded again. Naoto took another shot to the chest, her body jerking and blood coming out of her mouth as she made an almost inaudible sound. He wrapped his arm around her as another click began to sound, the revolver cycling its cylinder, the hammer being cocked back by the double action. The cannon sounded a third time and Yu felt fire along his right shoulder as he fell, dropping with Naoto to the floor. He would keep her safe.

"Ryuji!" Akira shouted as something broke, the sound of porcelain shattering echoing in Yu's ears. The cannon sounded a fourth time, though Naoto's body didn't jerk and Yu didn't feel anymore fire.

The blond sprinter had been getting up from his seat and was already moving by the time Akira shouted. He tackled into the man with the revolver, actually bursting out into the street with him. Ryuji struggled with the man as Akira leapt over the bar and went to go help Ryuji out.

"No, no, no." Yu was quick to get off Naoto. She had been shot twice, both times in the left side of her chest. The Detective had been skilled with his choice of firearm, the holes being mere millimeters away from one another. "Naoto, stay with me." She looked so pale, so frail. And her lips were bloodied.

Yu quickly got his jacket off and almost tore his shirt off, buttons popping. He bundled it up to turn it into a makeshift compress, putting pressure on the wound. "You're going to be okay." Yu didn't know if he was lying to himself or not. His first thought was to possibly take her into her into Mementos, that he could do something to stabilize her there. Only one thing stopped him. A simple question.

Could Naoto even survive the trip?

The trip was not the smoothest of things. It was jarring, and often nauseating. If he took Naoto into Mementos, would it kill her even faster? Would he have even the chance of casting Salvation? But then he would also have to get the rounds out if they didn't pierce all the way through.

Naoto swallowed thickly, licking her lips. "Call. Grandpa." She said, pulling her phone out and shakily handing it to Yu.

"Okay, okay. I will." Yu said as he took the blue phone and tucked it into his pocket. "But don't talk, save your strength." He watched her nod her head. Yu was distraught with horror. There was nothing he could do, he didn't have the knowledge or training to save his beloved.

Within the Metaverse, he was almost akin to a God. He could bring people back to their feet, heal them of ailments that plagued them, cure their injuries with but a gesture, and lay waste to their enemies with just as simple of a gesture.

Out in the real world? With Naoto beneath him, bleeding from being shot?

He was just a man. A scared man. A man that didn't have the skills to keep her alive.

Akira came in, skidding beside him a moment. "Yu." Yu didn't hear him. He was shaken roughly. "Yu!"

"What?!" Yu asked, tears streaming down his face, as he faced the younger teen..

"Doctor Takemi's clinic is just down the street! Take her there! We'll call emergency services and take care of the rest, now go!" Akira said.

Takemi's Clinic. It was generally not good to move an injured person, but it could in fact save Naoto's life. Yu looked to Naoto before with a slight grunt from Naoto, as well as the burning in his arm, he scooped her frame up into his arms. It meant taking pressure off the wound, but he quickly adjusted his arms to hold the shirt tight once more and took off out of Le Blanc. He knew blood dripped behind him on the ground, but he raced quickly through the backstreets of Yongen-jaya. He knew it wasn't the most dignified thing to do with Naoto, but he had to get her to someone that could keep her alive.

He ignored the looks of people, focused on just getting Naoto to the clinic, thankful for his size as it meant he could actually move. He turned, slamming the back of his left shoulder into the door and turning, making sure not to hit Naoto against the frame. "Help!" he called out, his voice clearly showing how distraught he was, how scared he was. "Female, Two gunshots to the chest!"

Takemi got up out of her chair and swung the door open to the back. "Bring her through." She said, motioning to the opened door to the bed. She quickly washed her hands and slipped on a pair of latex gloves, practiced ease coming back into play.

Yu stepped through and carefully set Naoto down, his hand moving to clutch the makeshift compress a bit again. He was still terrified, still so scared. His once white shirt was almost crimson, his undershirt that he wore was stained with her blood as well. "Akira said he's sending emergency services here."

"Good." Takemi said. "They're not bad in this area, we'll have an ambulance in under five minutes." Under five minutes. Would Naoto last that long? Yu didn't know. He watched Takemi grab a package as well as a pair of scissors. She then moved beside Yu. "Move your hands a little further towards her side, but keep the pressure. I need to get under her shirt."

Yu did as he was told and watched as Takemi quickly used the sharp scissors to cut through the cloth of the shirt and the thicker cloth of the chest binder rather quickly. Yu swallowed, seeing the blood that stained his lover's skin. But he would hold strong.

"What's her name?" Takemi asked. Yu gave her a look, probably looking like a deer in headlights. "You're clearly not in the right place now, what's her name kid? I need you to focus because right now, you're my extra set of hands."

"Naoto." Yu said. "Her name's Naoto Shirogane."

Takemi nodded. The package was some sterile bandages. She set to work packing the wound as best she could, shifting Yu as she needed to so that the release of pressure wasn't all at once. "What's your relationship with her?" She asked.

"I'm her boyfriend." Yu said. "Of almost two years."

"Good for you, and good job for not freezing up too badly." Takemi said honestly. She then went to get a needle. "Naoto-san." she said. Naoto's eyes opened blearily, something Yu was grateful to see. "Morphine." She said before she took the cap off the needle and injected near the injury. "Do you know if she has any allergies?" Takemi asked.

"None that I'm aware of." Yu said. He swallowed thickly. It felt like the time was dragging on. Where would she be taken?

Eventually however, sirens sounded out and the door to the clinic was almost thrown open. "Back here!" Takemi yelled out, and the paramedics came back with a stretcher. Yu was forced to stay back as Takemi headed out to the ambulance with them.

"Where are you taking her?" Yu asked, following as they loaded Naoto up into the ambulance.

"Red Cross Medical Center is the nearest Emergency Room." One of the paramedics said as they loaded Naoto up. Takemi was quick to climb in the back, even as one of the men went back around to the driver's seat, almost immediately the ambulance was off.

Yu swallowed and looked at his stained hands, his stained shirt. He pulled out his phone and quickly looked up the hospital that was mentioned. It was less than two kilometers away. Without a concern of how it looked, that he was covered in blood and some of the scars on his back showing through the thin white shirt, Yu took off running.

He didn't quite barrel through people, but people quickly got out of the way. He was larger than the average Japanese citizen, stuck out with his silver hair, and was covered in blood. People got out of his way. He ran for the hospital, he wasn't going to not be there. He had to be there for Naoto. He had to. He barely even obeyed the traffic laws, pacing anxiously anytime he hit a red light.

But when he got to the medical center, he headed for the emergency room entrance quickly, the doors sliding open and the sterile smell of the place hitting his nose as he headed for the receptionist. "I'm looking for a patient brought here." He said half panting and out of breath. "Female, blue hair, one hundred fifty two centimeters, approximately fifty eight kilos, two gunshot wounds to the chest." He said.

The receptionist stood up. "Sir, I need you to calm down. You're clearly inju-"

"I'm fucking fine! It's my girlfriend's blood from holding a compress on her! Where is she?!" Yu demanded. He was past the point of being polite and well into the realm of purely irate with dread and fear.

The receptionist leapt back a bit. And Yu could see a security guard beginning to move towards him. Instinctually, Yu began to look for ways to take the man down. The man had a baton that was noticeable. If Yu got his hands on that...

"Kid!" Takemi barked at him, making Yu jump and look at her as she was coming down a hall. "You're not fine, you're dripping blood. Your girlfriend is already being rushed to surgery." She said.

"Where?!" Yu completely ignored the dark haired doctor's comment about dripping blood. That was until a wave of dizziness overcame him and his knees almost gave out on him.

"Allow me Doctor Takemi, this one's a stubborn one." A familiar voice came from the nurses' station. A hand was pressed against his shoulder, and Yu turned to look at the dark haired woman. "Narukami-kun, you have a wound in your right shoulder. You can't help anyone if you pass out from blood loss. The adrenaline has kept you going so far, but I'd rather not see you as a patient of mine anymore than I would have to. Didn't you teach me about not overworking yourself?"

Yu blinked a bit, his vision clearing as he took in the appearance of the beautiful woman with a small mole on the upper left side of her chin. She was almost traditionally Japanese looking with her dark hair and eyes, but there was no mistaking her for anyone else. "Uehara-san?" The surprise of meeting her was enough to snap him out of his panic.

Sayoko Uehara, the nurse Yu had formed the Devil Arcana with, gave him one of those playful grins she used to give. "That's right. Now come on, let's get this looked at. I doubt your girlfriend was the only one that took a bullet. She's in good hands right now, so get yourself taken care of. I'll show you to the surgery waiting rooms after." She moved under his left arm and grabbed him by the back of his belt. "Doctor Takemi, would you mind helping me?"

"Sure." Takemi moved over and followed while the pair walked to a room where they could dig the bullet out of Yu's shoulder and patch him up.

"I'll get his insurance information later." Sayoko told the nurse that worked as the receptionist.

"I thought you were in Africa." Yu resigned himself to just not knowing about Naoto's condition for the time being. She was there though, she was in the hospital being looked after. That was all he could ask for.

"I was." Sayoko said. "I came back about six months ago and started to work at this hospital. I think I might go for a Doctorate so I can help people more." She said. Once in the room, she helped Yu sit down on the bed so that they could get at his right shoulder. "Do you think we can remove his shirt or should we cut it off?" She asked Takemi.

"Narukami-san," Takemi clearly remembered his last name. "You're friends with Akira, right?" she asked.

"That's right." Yu said.

"I'll message him, tell him to bring you a change of clothes. We don't want to tear the wound anymore than it already has been, probably." Takemi said. In moments, she was washing her hands and putting gloves on. "You're lucky you're as big as you are, the blood loss would have made anyone else pass out by now. As it is, I bet you're barely awake."

"I'll manage until I've heard word about Naoto." Yu said. The scissors made short work of his own shirt and he could feel it sticking to his skin with tacky blood.

"Naoto?" Sayoko asked. "As in Naoto Shirogane?" Yu could feel as he was given an anesthetic to deal with the pain. He then felt as the pair worked to clean up the wound, though no pain really.

"Yes. She became my girlfriend during my time in Inaba. Shortly before the incident with Nanako."

"No wonder you came in looking like some spirit of war and vengeance." Sayoko said. "But good for you Narukami-kun. She's in good hands."

"I'll get the story later." Takemi said as she set to work on his shoulder. It was, thankfully, less work than two gunshot wounds to the chest. "You're lucky. It was mostly in the meat of the shoulder. It could have very easily hit bone and made this a lot more problematic. What were you doing? Tackling her to the ground?"

"Yes." Yu said bluntly. "I was prepared to take the rest of the shots with my back if that was what it took." He could sense the pause as the two women took a moment to digest the words.

Takemi soon had the round out of his shoulder, depositing it in a metal tray. No doubt it would be collected when the police came to question him regarding the incident. "Uehara-san, can you go get me an evidence bag?" Takemi waited until Sayoko had left the room. "So, you good friends with Akira?" Takemi asked.

"Fairly close, I would think." Yu said. He wanted to shrug his shoulders but didn't. Not when Takemi was about to start stitching him.

"So you know about his… let's call them extra-curricular activities." Takemi said a bit questioning.

"I do. Where are you going with this?" Yu asked.

Takemi touched the lichtenberg figure scarring upon Yu's back a moment. "How old is this? Why does it look like actual scarring?" She asked a bit pressingly. "Is Akira going to have similar? How did you get it?"

"Old enough to know it's not going to fade." Yu said. "And I'll keep Akira from getting similar. Let's just say I went through an experience similar to his and leave it at that." he said.

Takemi was quiet a moment. "And that's all you'll tell me?" she asked.

"That's it." Yu said in a confirmation. He was glad that he wasn't dosed with a stronger anesthetic as there would be no telling what would come from his mouth.

Takemi nodded her head and continued working. It took just under an hour by Yu's estimate to get sewn up. He was also given a sling to help keep his arm from moving too much, It wasn't something that he was particularly happy about, but he would learn to deal with it. He was also given a patient gown to wear over his chest and bloodied pants, at least until Akira got there with a change of clothes.

Once he was ready, Sayoko lead him towards where Naoto was in surgery. "She'll be okay." The nurse said. Whether she was lying or trying to make Yu feel better, it was impossible to tell. He knew he couldn't actually go in, and he knew he couldn't see anything, so he just resigned himself to a chair and stared at the floor. "Here, it'll help." Sayoko gave him two boxes of juice and a bag of chips. "Especially if you're going to be stubborn about wanting to stay here. Just… give it time, Narukami-kun." she said.

"Okay." Yu said politely. He then watched the nurse as she walked off, no doubt onto the next task that demanded her attention.

He choked back the sob that wanted to escape. He felt so powerless, sitting just meters away and knowing that there was nothing he could do. This wasn't something that he could take into the Metaverse and be done with it. This was… It tore at him. His girlfriend could be in there dying for all he knew.

' _Please… If anyone is out there listening, let her have the strength to pull through. Please.'_ Yu silently begged to whatever deity was out there and listening. Let her represent his Wheel of Fortune and her luck be just a bit higher than usual.

Yu took a few deep breaths, slowly exhaling them. He still had a very difficult task to do before he could break down. One that Naoto had entrusted him with. Slowly, he pulled out the blue smart phone and looked it over. It was, thankfully, unscathed from the event. He also knew the pin to her phone. It was, after all, their anniversary.

The nineteenth of november. The day Naoto had professed her love for him. The day they had truly become a couple.

He shakily went into her contacts and scrolled down to the one tilted simple as 'Grandpa.' His thumb hovered over it for a while and Yu fought the rising bile in the back of his throat as his stomach rebelled. He swallowed thickly as he pressed the button and brought the phone up to his ear.

It rang twice. For a moment, Yu hoped that it would go to voicemail. He could leave a message with the details. However, that hope was swiftly dashed when a masculine voice answered the phone. "Naoto, you're calling late. What can I do for you?" The older man's voice came across, curiosity mixed with genuine joy at the chance to speak with his granddaughter.

It was definitely not Yakushiji. Yu knew the other man's voice. So it most certainly could only be Naoto's grandfather. He inhaled and let it out. "Shirogane-san, this is Yu Narukami." Yu's voice felt thick, his throat felt tight and his tongue felt like it wasn't going to work. He knew the older detective was bound to pick up on it. "I have some news regarding Naoto. Are you sitting down?" He didn't want to spring this on the man if he was standing.

Yu knew he was about to collapse as it was.

"No, no… No, you are not calling me to tell me this…" Takashi's voice broke a little. "Now I don't know what-"

"Are. You. Sitting. Down?" Yu asked again with a little more bite to it.

There was an audible sound over the phone before a very softly spoken, "Yes."

Yu inhaled slowly. "Naoto has been hurt." Yu said carefully. He didn't use the words like attack or accident. While it had been an attack, it would be difficult to pin the blame on anyone. "At this current point, she is in surgery at the Red Cross Medical Center of Shibuya. When I have more information, good or bad, I will let you know."

There was a choking sound on the other end, as though Takashi Shirogane had choked down his own sob. "So there is still hope." He said. Some relief sounded in his voice, and Yu couldn't help but feel some at the idea of hope for Naoto.

"Yes Sir." Yu said. "I won't be leaving until I've had word, one way or another."

Naoto's grandfather inhaled a bit, the sound shaky and raspy. "Okay. Yakushiji and I will be along as soon as traffic allows." He said a bit shakily. "This is my personal cell phone number Narukami-kun, feel free to call it whenever you hear even the slightest bit of news. If I may, how was my granddaughter injured?"

Yu was quiet a moment. "I think… It was someone she is after. They forced someone to attack her. She took two gunshots to the chest."

This time, Yu did hear Takashi's sob. No doubt the older man's grief was just as tangible as Yu's. As it was, Yu was barely able to have the conversation. If it hadn't been for his promise to Naoto, he wouldn't have called.

The older man composed himself after a while, inhaling deeply. "Thank you, Narukami-kun. I look forward to meeting you in person. And for what it is worth, I am thankful that my granddaughter has chosen a man of such integrity. I know calling me must be difficult."

Yu stared at the blank, gray colored wall across from him. "It doesn't compare to the pain I felt when I first saw the blood splatter."

"No. I imagine not. Keep me posted." The line went dead and Yu slowly brought the phone down from his ear.

He just stared at the phone for a long time. He felt sick to his stomach. But he still had one group to contact as well. He brought up his own phone and took a moment to start up a chat, bringing in the members of the Investigation Team in, the obvious exception being...

He took a moment, debating what he wanted. No, he knew what he wanted. He wanted Naoto safe. Unfortunately, he had yet to find out what the outcome was. ' **Naoto has been shot.'** He typed. ' **Do NOT come to Shibuya. I've already contacted her grandfather. I'll keep you up to date with any changes.'** He then shut off his phone.

If he needed to call Takashi Shirogane, he'd use Naoto's phone.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira replayed the events in his mind a bit more as he packed up some clothes for Yu. Thankfully, he knew where the spare key was to Yu's house, so it was pretty easy to get in. He got a new pair of jeans, and a thicker long sleeved black shirt. Takemi had said he had been pretty bloodsoaked. Whether it was Naoto's or his had been impossible to tell.

He wasn't certain if Yu would appreciate the white shirt or a blue shirt at the time. Or if anything would piss the man off.

It was also about three hours after the incident already, with Akira having already given a statement to the police. They had also taken statements from the rest of the Phantom Thieves and Sojiro. He and Ryuji were, thankfully, not in any real trouble for essentially attacking a police officer, especially since said officer had already opened fire without, seemingly, provocation. However, he and Ryuji would be under surveillance for some time to make certain that they weren't just making it up.

Questioning around the neighborhood did in fact prove that people heard gunshots. They were sort of impossible to miss.

The police were still there, but they had allowed Akira and the others to go with the understanding that they might be called in for more questioning. While not something he was thrilled about, he did at least acknowledge that the police seemed to be doing their damned job.

The concept of justice was still a bitter one for Akira.

He didn't need to make quite as mad of a dash for the medical center as Yu did, but he still made good time. Thankfully, he saw Doctor Takemi at the reception desk, apparently talking with someone the woman knew. She was devoid of her usual lab coat over her dark dress, but the woman's sense of fashion was still quite noticeable.

"Doctor Takemi." Akira greeted. "I got the clothes."

"Ah, see Uehara-san, this is a good assistant." Takemi turned to look at Akira, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Does as he's told, though he was a little slow in doing it."

"Sorry," Akira said with a roll of his eyes, his tone dry. "Cops held me up with questions as I'm sure you've had to deal with before."

That soured the look on Takemi's face. "Akira, Sayoko Uehara, Uehara-san, Akira Kurusu." Takemi made a proper introduction. "From my understanding, it sounds like your friend knew Uehara-san pretty well."

"A pleasure to meet you." Akira said politely.

Sayoko gave a bit of a teasing smile. "I wonder if you'd react the same way that Narukami-kun did."

Akira really didn't want to know. He didn't. No, he did. But he'd ask Yu. After Naoto was confirmed safe. "So… Where is he so I can deliver the clothes?" He held up the bag simply. Hospitals didn't bug him as they might other people, but he couldn't afford to stay very long.

He did have school the next day and it was already pretty late. It was dark out.

Was he trying to get away from Sayoko Uehara? Absolutely. She reminded him entirely too much of Ohya.

Takemi gave him instruction to get where Yu was and Akira was quick to set off. He didn't quite run, but he definitely didn't want to give the playful nurse anymore desire to toy with him than he had. His feet took him down the halls until he spotted Yu, sitting in a chair.

Akira drew up short at the end of the hall. Two things stopped him from approaching. The first was the almost defeated, lifeless way that Yu sat. His hands were between his thighs, leaning forward and staring at the tiles of the floor. In that moment, Yu was not the strong, almost invincible wall that the various members of the Inaba Investigation Team and the Shibuya Phantom Thieves had seen. In that moment, he was a man absolutely terrified for the life of his most beloved partner.

And he looked so weak and frail because of it.

The second thing that stopped Akira from stepping towards Yu was the pair of Detectives, clearly questioning Yu and getting a statement from him. Akira strained to hear. He did notice that one of the pair, likely the older one, noticed his presence, but Akira didn't bother trying to hide or approach.

"Did Shirogane-san have any enemies?" One of the Detectives asked.

That actually made Yu look up at the one that Akira thought of as the younger of the pair. Akira could almost picture the droll way that Yu was looking at the Detective, as though asking if the Detective was stupid. "I'm sure if I asked Naoto's grandfather, he could help me come up with a list. Would you like it numerically or alphabetically?" Akira bit his tongue to keep from snorting. "I'd start with the damned mental breakdowns."

"Those have-"

"No bearing, yeah, yeah. As you have said before." Yu said, shaking his head. Akira could only imagine Yu's frustration.

The older Detective stepped in. "Narukami-san." He said. Yu eventually looked at him. "I can't begin to imagine the pain you're going through. But I remembered Shirogane-san coming to Shibuya and doing good work. He-She," The man corrected himself. "Is one of the good ones. We just want to keep this from happening again. The Detective involve has already been taken into custody, we're just trying to figure out why he did it."

Yu shook his head a bit. "Why did any of the mental shutdown victims do what they did? Why did a tram driver with twenty years experience suddenly fail to brake? Why did a bus driver suddenly drive up into a bank despite having a full load of passengers?" Yu looked to the older Detective. "Naoto said it best. You have to look at them all together, as a giant picture. Only she…" Yu trailed off, a sob suddenly taking him.

The older Detective sighed softly before standing straight up. "Alright, alright. Your story matches up with pretty much everyone else's, we'll collaborate with Doctor Takemi to make certain that's where you ran to. I think we have enough people that witnessed your run through the streets to the hospital that we don't need confirmation that you ran here. Take care Narukami-san, and I hope Shirogane-san makes a recovery."

The two Detectives began to make their way towards Akira. The older of the pair watched Akira a moment, with them making eye contact. Akira offered a slight, respectful nod of his head. While he believed the whole thing was a waste of time, he had to admit they were at least doing it by the books.

He didn't get that.

Akira moved down the hall towards the other Wild Card slowly. He took the bag of clothes and dropped it at Yu's feet. "Takemi asked me to pick that up. Not really sure what you wanted, so…"

"I appreciate it." Yu barely looked into the bag, before he just seemed to stare off.

"Hey, if you want to get changed, I'll wait." Akira said. "I also put a thing of curry in there, it's not the freshest since I made it last night, but I'm sure you'll get hungry." Akira really didn't know what to say.

He knew how Naoto was doing already. Yu wasn't showing any relief, but he wasn't worse off. It meant there was no new news.

Yu grunted and grabbed the bag. He took a moment and forced himself to stand. "If there's any word," Yu said, almost desperately pleading with Akira.

"I'll call." Akira said. "I promise."

"Naoto's phone. Mine's… off right now." Yu said before he moved towards the nearest bathroom.

Akira sighed, staring after the silver haired teen a moment. Damn. He really didn't want to see the rage that would come from this. He just knew there would be a level of rage. He closed his eyes, leaning his back against the wall.

He pulled out his phone and accessed his contacts, going into the group that didn't have Yu and Naoto. He had left Morgana with Futaba, so he knew the cat would see the chat. ' **What's the chances of Akechi contacting us?'** He asked.

' **I was actually thinking about that.'** Makoto sent. ' **Loath as I am to do so, especially what has occured, I think we may need to let it happen. Sis is staying away from home more and more. We might be able to question him about the police movements.'**

' **Such a thing would undoubtedly be a trap.'** Yusuke pointed out.

' **Has there been any word on Naoto-kun?'** Haru asked.

' **None yet.'** Akira sent. ' **But if we have to work with Akechi, I want it to be done soon, and I want it to be done and over with quickly. If Yu has to ever see Akechi, we WILL NOT be able to stop him. So even if it's a trap, we'll handle it.'**

' **I've been hearing rumors. Most the students at Shujin are wanting to ask that bastard to speak as a guest speaker for the festival.'** Ryuji sent across.

' **Futaba, you still have those plans from the laptop, right?'** Akira asked.

' **Of course.'**

' **Good, once Akechi has made his play regarding us, we'll start to make a counter plan. I'll be the one to speak with him the most no doubt. Makoto, you'll also be working with me. I need you to bury your feelings on this. Yusuke, we'll need a fourth.'**

' **I understand, and I will try to be as focused and on task as possible.'** Yusuke said. Ah, Akira was glad for Yusuke's unflappability at times.

' **Are we really just supposed to act like he did nothing?'** Ann asked.

' **No. We're supposed to act like he's telling us to break up the Phantom Thieves. I don't know if he will or not, but if we want to trap Akechi, then we need to spring his own trap. Except we know the walls are closing in.'** Akira could understand her frustrations. Most of the group probably had them.

' **Morgana says it's a bold move, but he's not surprised by your course of actions.'** Futaba typed across. ' **Also, he raised a good point, what will we do about Mementos requests while Akechi is working with us?'**

' **Either handle them with him, or handle them on our own. Akechi isn't going to make any overt moves while we're there with him, not until he is absolutely certain of either our disbandment or our capture. He wants to be the one to take down the Phantom Thieves for one reason or another. And there's a good chance he might have evidence. We weren't discreet when we left Haru's Father's Palace.'** And while Akira hated bringing it up, he knew they all were aware of that disaster.

' **Could we use that against him someway?'** Ryuji asked.

' **Doubtful.'** Akira had been a half second slower on the draw, letting Makoto type things out. ' **Not without implicating ourselves in the process, and the way Sis has been acting, all the Phantom Thieves have a target painted on their back. It wouldn't matter if we're a grieving Heiress, the Sister to a well known Prosecutor, or someone with a criminal record. We'd all be going down. And I don't particularly feel up for mutually assured destruction. Call me greedy, but I want to come out ahead.'**

' **We'll talk more on this soon.'** Akira said before he tucked his phone away. He saw Yu coming back from the bathroom, already dressed in his clean clothes. His jeans were tucked into the bag that Akira had brought for him.

"We, the PT I mean, are working on something." Akira said as Yu took a seat across from him. "Now I know you are stronger than me, by a considerable margin." Akira wasn't too proud to admit that. In a one on one fight, Yu was going to run circles around him. Akira might not go down in one move anymore, but Yu was still more comfortable with the versatility and arsenal that he had. "But I want you to sit this one out. Take the time you need, wait for Naoto to make a full recovery."

Yu looked up at Akira. "You're baiting Akechi." he said bluntly.

Akira hesitated a moment before he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah we are. I have a feeling he'll do everything in his power to keep us from connecting that he's the masked individual running about people's Palaces, but we're baiting him." He inhaled, bracing for the inevitable explosion of anger. But when it didn't come, he just looked at Yu a bit longer. "How'd you know?" he asked.

"Haru told me." Ah. That explained why Haru had been relatively quiet in the chat. "Smart girl that Haru. Knew I'd probably be keeping an eye on Naoto's phone and not mine."

Akira nodded his head. "Smart and sweet." He said. Akira watched the older Wild Card for a while longer. "Yu." He said and waited until Yu looked at him. "Are you going to be okay?" Maybe a dumb question. There was really only two outcomes. Either Yu would be okay, or he would be destroyed, but it had to be asked.

Yu inhaled and his fist tightened into a ball. "I don't know yet Akira." he said.

Akira nodded and held up his phone. "If there's any change, let me know. I need to get going, School is still on tomorrow, and we both know Naoto would want us to go." He watched Yu nod. Akira had a feeling that Yu would not be going to school until he knew Naoto was safe and would make a good recovery.

Akira paused as he had turned to leave. "Yu. Before you do anything reckless, talk to me okay? I don't want to see more of my friends hurt." He then began to walk off. He doubted Yu would take his advice, but Akira had to try regardless.

Now, how to catch Goro Akechi?

 _Take Your Time_

The waiting. It was awful. It was more awful than Yu could remember. The last time, he had at least been surrounded by his friends, talking and keeping his mind off of it. Now, now he was stuck by himself with only the lead ball in his stomach to keep him company. The anesthesia he had been given for his wound had worn off, as had the adrenaline, so he was reminded his shoulder was injured with a dull throbbing.

He likely pulled something a bit when he put the long sleeve shirt on, But he didn't feel the warm, wetness of blood so maybe he didn't pull his stitches open.

He had, at one point, forced himself to eat the mild vegetable curry. It was… good. But Yu's stomach had rebelled against it regardless. It was too twisted into a knot of anxiety for him to want to eat or drink anything, and he had been banned from drinking anything with caffeine in it for the time being.

Takemi had ordered it. Maybe as a way to keep him from staying up? He didn't know, but he wasn't sleeping until he had heard word about Naoto.

He felt nauseous. He could remember carrying another small, slender, female form in a dead sprint. While it had not been nearly as far as the first time, he still was having flashbacks to Nanako. He brought his hand to his mouth, trying to hold back the sob that wanted to rip from him as he thought about similar happening to Naoto.

Calling out in such a quiet voice for someone she wanted. Her grip slowly becoming more and more laxed until finally, her hand slipped. The bleating of the heart beat monitor flatlining.

It was not a good thing for Yu to dwell on, but he couldn't help it. He clenched his hands tightly. He needed to have hope. He needed to try and have hope for his beloved. She wouldn't give up on him, and he wasn't going to give up on her.

He inhaled deeply and sat back in the chair, letting his gaze shift to the ceiling. She had to get better. She just had to.

"So you must be the infamous Yu Narukami that Naoto has told me so much about." Three things kept Yu from snapping at the newest person to arrive when he so very much wanted to sit in solitude and just wait for any word that would come from the doctors regarding Naoto.

The first thing was that they were someone that Naoto had mentioned Yu, by name, to. That immediately meant that they were someone that Naoto trusted and liked.

The second was that it was well after midnight. Anyone that was there to talk to him was there to wait for word on Naoto.

The third was that Yu had just spoken with the man not that much earlier. Though he sounded different than he had over the phone, there was no mistaking the voice of one Takashi Shirogane.

Yu actually stood up, stood up to greet the man that Naoto had wanted him to meet for so long. That Yu wanted to meet. He wished it was under better conditions that he was meeting Naoto's grandfather, but there was just no way around it.

Yu took stock of the man. He looked similar to Dojima in a way. He had on a pair of brown dress slacks with a white dress shirt. The tie was missing, whether it had been there at one point or not was up for debate. And a brown coat was held over one shoulder. The man's hair was salt and peppered, with a heavy leaning towards the salt. He had Naoto's eyes too, older and wrinkled around the edges but defining the same shape and color. It might be more appropriate to say that Naoto had his eyes.

"Shirogane-san." Yu said. It felt so strange saying that. Not when he had spoken to Naoto in a comfortable, friendly manner for so long. The last time he had honestly used Shirogane-san before that day had been… When she joined Yasogami.

"Narukami-kun." The older man said. He swallowed a moment. "I realize that this is very likely a rhetorical question but… Have you heard anything?"

"No." Yu said. He knew the man knew Yu hadn't heard anything yet. Yu had assured the man that he would be the first to know, but the question still had to be asked. He walked over towards Naoto's grandfather slowly. He noted the height seemed Naoto's family had a penchant for being short.

Not that he would ever say such a thing to her.

"Takashi Shirogane." The older Special Investigator held his hand out to Yu. Not that Yu didn't know who he was, but this was the very first time they were meeting face to face.

Yu reached out and took the hand in his, shaking firmly. "Yu Narukami. And it is an honor to meet you sir." He managed to speak through the tightness in his throat, the thickness of his tongue. "I just wish it were under better circumstances and that Naoto was the one to introduce us." Yu knew he was on the verge of tears, the thought of losing Naoto hung over him…

Still, the older man shook his head. "It's okay. There is still hope. Hold onto it until the very end, tie it around you and cling to it. Only once hope has run out should you think of giving up. Naoto is still fighting."

"You're right." Yu said as he moved away. He ran his left hand through his hair. "You're right. It's just… It's been five… five and a half hours without any word."

"I know." Takashi said. "Sit down Narukami-kun, you look dead on your feet." At the recommendation of the man, Yu sat down and let his shoulders slump once again. Takashi sat down across the hall from Yu on the other bench. He leaned forward a bit, resting his elbows on his thighs, watching intently.

Yu glanced up a moment. "Do you have a place to stay?" He asked after a moment. "I'm sure Naoto wouldn't mind if you stayed in her bedroom for the time." He said. The fact that Naoto didn't often sleep in it would likely not go unnoticed, but Naoto had mentioned that her grandfather already knew that she had stayed the night that Christmas so very long ago.

The man had to have some inkling as to the extent of their relationship, and while Yu didn't want to think about it, Takashi Shirogane had at one point been a married man as well.

"Yakushiji is making arrangements at a local hotel." Takashi said. "The offer is appreciated, but I am not without financial resources after my long career." He said. Yu supposed not. Naoto never seemed to hurt for money herself. Yu knew he could ask her, but he didn't feel it prudent to pry into how much she made. She helped out with groceries, and that was enough for him.

There was a giant elephant in the room between the two of them. Yu was thankful that Takashi Shirogane hadn't asked yet, but he knew it was coming and already he could feel himself reliving those moments with shocking crystal clarity. Takashi was a Special Investigator. And that meant, especially considering it had been Naoto, he was going to undoubtedly ask. So Yu stayed quiet, gathering his thoughts.

Maybe a minute stretched out in the silence. The question was coming. Yu could feel it in his bones. He was going to be asked one of the hardest questions to answer that day. "How did you first meet Naoto, Narukami-kun?" There it- Wait, what? The difference in line of questioning actually caused Yu to startle a little, sitting up a little bit more. It was a jarring experience to be expecting one question, to be getting his thoughts in line for that question, only to be asked a completely different question.

Not that it was a difficult question to answer. Yu thought back to the very first meeting that he had with Naoto Shirogane. "I was in Inaba during the… incidents there two years ago." Yu said. He still looked back on that time fondly. Even if he was scared that some of his friends would die, even if they had died, he still looked back on the time fondly. "Me and a few others at the time we… foolishly and stupidly, stuck our noses into investigating the incidents due to unforeseen circumstances. The police, with all respect intended to them and my uncle, didn't know their ass from their own elbow. But we held suspicions that Kanji Tatsumi's mother might be the next one to go missing at the time." Yu gave a snort of amusement. "How wrong we were. But we went in, just to ask if she had seen anyone suspicious around. She was already talking to this slender boy dressed in blue complete with a blue hat."

Yu leaned back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. "After that, a pair of friends of mine foolishly followed Kanji and Naoto as they were going to discuss something. We didn't know who Naoto was at that point, so had no idea she might be called into investigator something. But when Kanji turned up missing, I was pointed to that same slender boy that frequented the Junes shopping center."

The older Shirogane smiled lightly and nodded his head. "What made you think that Police didn't know anything?" he asked.

Yu shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me, even if Naoto was here to collaborate." he said softly.

"Try me." Yu looked at the older man at that small statement. "Narukami-kun, I have had a very, very long career. I have seen a number of things for a number of reasons. I've learned to be a bit open minded to things. If you say that my granddaughter can collaborate your story, I'd be hard pressed not to listen and believe it."

Yu rubbed his chin a moment as he thought about it. He might be appearing as a crazy before his girlfriend's only relative. But he could bear with that. Yu sighed a moment. "I am aware it is as delusional as it sounds." He said, holding up his hand to hopefully head off that statement. "But, the killer, Tohru Adachi, had pushed people into a television. Like the screen was the surface to a pond that they could just fall through." Yu could see the skepticism growing on Takashi's face. It almost brought an amused smile to Yu, thinking back to the Port Island trip and the original King's Game where Rise had blabbed everything to Naoto.

Better times, simpler times.

"As I said, it is as delusional as it sounds, but it's true." Yu said. "Taro Namatame had a similar ability, and from Yukiko Amagi onwards to Naoto, with the sole exception of Mitsuo Kubo, was putting other people through the TV, thinking it was a haven, a land that would save them." He could see that Naoto's grandfather was starting to get interested, wondering where Yu was going with this. "One night, after following up on a silly rumor, I decided to touch my TV, and my hand sank inside of it. Almost woke up the house with how hard I fell backwards."

"Why though?" Takashi asked.

Yu sighed softly. "There's another world on the other side of the TV. It's usually peaceful, but it can quickly turn violent and unpredictable. It was a world filled with fog." He shook his head. "Naoto would be better at explaining everything." He said a bit somberly. "But… the police aren't going to look at something as asinine sounding as a world through a TV screen. Hell, Naoto was furious with us when one of our friends told her the truth, thinking we were making her out to be a fool."

Takashi nodded his head. "I may very well ask Naoto about this TV World." he said. It was clear he still held some skepticism, but would at least try to confirm Yu's story with a source he had much more reason to trust. And a source that could explain everything to him a lot better. "But you said that Naoto had been kidnapped. Tell me about that. Naoto had only said she made a mistake and paid for it."

Yu was quiet a moment. "After a while, we began to hypothesize that the killer was using people who appeared on television, we still thought the original murders and the subsequent kidnappings were one and the same. Naoto went on TV, discussing her thoughts that the police were too hasty in declaring the case closed. Kubo being labeled as the killer did rub me wrong as well, I admit, but my friends thought it had been case closed. He admitted to killing them." Yu looked to his hands. "She approached us, made a statement about how she worked things out. How we were actually saving the victims. I think she was placing her trust in us, to save her if the worst happened. She had no idea she'd be thrown into the TV World with no way out."

Yu glanced up to Takashi again. "I had struck up a cordial relationship with Naoto. A sort of friendship before that. I had to wait on a bus to take me up to the hospital for one of my night jobs and I'd occasionally see her at the bookstore. It was a little thing, but I'd see her at it all the time." Yu finally did give a small sound of amusement. "Not that I knew she was a girl before that. It just felt like I found a kindred soul. Someone that had bounced around, place to place, without really belonging anywhere. I didn't ask about what it was like being a child detective, I just asked if she could recommend any good books. She looked so surprised the first time I did so."

"Narukami-kun," Yu looked to Takashi a bit directly, being brought back to the present. "I had my reservations about you." The older man admitted. "What parental figure wouldn't when their charge comes home, saying she got a boyfriend, that she found love?" Yu could hardly blame the man for it. "But I see now that you're a good man, and that my daughter is the light of your world just as much. You had my respect when you called me, no doubt under her orders." Yu was about to make a comment when Takashi held his hand up to forestall it. "It's okay to get tunnel vision when our loved ones are hurt." The man spoke from experience no doubt. "But you have my approval, Narukami-kun."

"Yu then." If he had the man's approval, Yu would insist on his name being used.

"Yu." Takashi said. The man sighed and inhaled, leaning in. "My granddaughter loves you. And when you left Inaba, a little bit of this bright beacon dimmed, just slightly. It didn't go out, but I could tell that you were a good influence on her. You taught her how to be a bit more honest and open with herself. I could see that pretending to be a boy wore on her. She didn't have the mindset of one. She wasn't a boy trapped in a girl's body. She was a girl that wanted success and recognition in a male field and found her hobbies to be very boyish. She had no time, and admittedly no one to help her, recognize and embrace her femininity. And as time grew on, this beacon diminished little by little."

"I was… choking in Shibuya." Yu said.

"Say no more." Takashi held his hand up "I understand. When I was sixteen, I lived in my own apartment while working a case for the better part of eight months. When I went back to my family, I felt stifled by the small town. You'll eventually come to appreciate the bigger towns, even if you do go back to the small town."

Yu nodded his head softly. "Naoto's been helping me figure things out." he said softly.

There was a pause in their discussion for a little bit. Finally, Takashi spoke. "What happened?" There it was. The giant elephant in the room. The eldest Shirogane wanted to know what happened to his granddaughter.

Yu took a deep breath. "Do you want the full scope of the story? Or just the events of today?" he asked.

"The full scope." Takashi said.

Yu knew he would have to edit the version he told Takashi, and that the older Special Investigator would know that Yu was editing it. "I asked Naoto to come to Shibuya to help me with something. Something with the TV World." Yu explained, hoping that the older man would understand that it wasn't something so easily explained. "She made arrangements, I had a place she could stay. When she got here, she offered her services to the local police prefecture." All of it seemed like pretty normal stuff. "Naoto dove into the case of the bizarre cases where people have had their cognitive functions seem to… shut down. The media has been calling them mental shutdowns. It doesn't always kill the person that it happens to, but it does tend to lead to accidents."

"I've heard about those." Takashi said. "A few contacts of mine warned me that I might be asked to join the investigation."

"Well Naoto didn't look at them as each a separate incident of some pandemic or a disease. She looked at them as a whole picture. And whatever she found, it has to implicate quite a number of people. There's just been too many incidents." Yu said. "On a favor from a colleague, she went on to give an interview, to try and put a more… productive spin on what Goro Akechi has been saying. He's been saying a lot of 'I feel' or 'I felt'. Intuition is great and all for the job, but facts and things that can be proven are a lot better."

Takashi nodded his head, taking everything in. He didn't frown, he simply kept a straight face.

"Well, on the interview, Akechi pushed a few buttons and Naoto let it slip that she found his work too convenient, too easy. That what he has done doesn't sit right." Yu swallowed a bit. "And let it slip she'll be sending her findings to homicide." Yu got quiet as he began to remember the event

"It was about five… It was a bit later than we might usually meet up with our friends. We were going to go have dinner as a group, talk about the upcoming exams. We were at Le Blanc in Yongen-jaya. I came out of the bathroom from washing my hands. I work in the food industry, it's become habit for me to wash my hands before handling food, even to eat it." It was also just good hygiene, but not everyone followed that. "A man had come in and addressed Naoto by name." Yu choked on a sob as he could still hear the thunderous retort of the revolver. Never before had one sounded so loud.

"Take your time." Takashi said, keeping his voice as even as possible.

"The red flags raised a little slow. By the time I even thought she was in danger…" Yu's voice broke. He held up his index finger like a gun and mimed it shooting. "She had already taken a round to her chest. I was in the middle of reacting when a second one slammed into her, not far from the first. I just… I dragged her down to the ground. I took a third round to the shoulder." Yu motioned to his injured shoulder.

"Did you see who did it?" Takashi asked.

"Yes, the police even have him in custody. But I doubt he's anything more than a pawn for the people Naoto is after." Yu said. "I knew I shouldn't, but I thought about looking for any information." Yu held up Naoto's phone. "Give something to the police. But I couldn't find anything."

"No surprise." Takashi said. He produced two older flip phones from his pockets. "That's Naoto's personal phone. She won't keep her work on it." Just like her grandfather apparently. "So you don't have any clues right now." He concluded.

"No." Yu said quietly, looking at Naoto's phone and tucking it back into his pocket with his. "But they had better hope that Naoto survives this." Yu said.

"Yu?" Takashi sounded concerned.

Instead, inside Yu, something shifted on its own. His Persona changed, the ability of the Wild Card activated on its own. He switched from Izanagi-no-Okami to Lucifer. The Ultimate Judge. Yu raised his head up and stared at the older Shirogane properly. He sat up and squared his shoulders. When he spoke, he knew it was being witnessed by his Persona of Judgement, so his voice was firm and clear.

"If Naoto dies, I will kill everyone responsible."

Chapter End

 **A/N: After some basic ass research, I found out it takes about six hours of surgery to treat emergency gunshot wounds like Naoto suffered. And about two weeks recovery time.**

 **Also, the Red Cross Medical Center Naoto was taken to was the closest place with an emergency room that I could find to Shibuya Station. It was 1.6 km away. I know I stretch a few things with the suspension of disbelief, but I did try to pick a real place.**


	37. Bad End: And the World Falls

And The World Falls

Yu's declaration brought with it a sort of stunned silence that showed that Takashi Shirogane had not been prepared for it. But Yu would not take his words back. He had rendered his judgement in full. Perhaps it was wrong of him to play Judge, Jury, and Executioner like that, to play God even. But he would not take his words back.

If Naoto died, so too did everyone involved.

Before Takashi could say anything however, the door to the surgical room opened up and a doctor in black scrubs stepped out. He cleared his throat. "Yu Narukami?" The man asked, he seemed to be wringing his hands. There was a tightness to his voice.

No. No, no, no. Yu's face paled and he stood up, even as his body didn't really want to have the strength to do so. A tremble played on his lips. "No…" He whispered in a pleading manner. No. It was like a white hot knife lancing through him. "No." He begged.

"I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry." The Doctor said. "We did everything we could, but… Naoto-san's heart gave out, there was nothing we could do."

Wetness spilled down Yu's face. He took a step forward and then another. "No." He whispered, pushing past the doctor and through the doors. The loud sound of the doors being opened echoed in the quiet operating theatre.

And there… on the gurney was Naoto. A cloth was draped over her, up to her neck. Her chest didn't move, it didn't rise or fall. It was just… still. "No! No!" Yu screamed his denial out, refusing to believe it. He rushed towards her side. If he could just get to her.

"Sir!" One of the nurse's called out to try and stop him from making his way to Naoto's side, even reaching for him as though to keep him from making it,

"Let him go." The Doctor said. "Just… watch him." Not that he paid much attention to the words of the doctor or the nurse.

Yu came up to Naoto's side and his hands came up, as though he was going to cup her cheeks. "No. No, Naoto. No. I need you." He whispered. "You can't leave me. You can't. You were going to be an even more splendid Detective. You had such big dreams ahead. No." He babbled half incoherently, like he was trying to convince her to come back, to take a breath. Maybe if she breathed, maybe if she would just inhale, he could… He could… do something. Salvation maybe… Surely it was powerful enough to work.

But no. Color wouldn't return to her pale cheeks, and she'd never open her beautiful blue eyes again. He'd never see them narrow at him, he'd never see a flush on her face when he embarrassed her.

"No, please… Please." Yu reached to take her hand, staring at the tubing leading from the IV in her arm up to an empty blood pouch. "Not like this. I need you." But she would never respond, never again. He'd never feel that strong grip curl around his fingers again, like she was trying to never let go. He'd never feel her weight leaned against him.

Yu sank to his knees, collapsing and banging them into the tiles beneath them., his vision blurring as the tears began to flow freely. No. No. He denied it. He rejected it. Over and over. He rejected it! But no matter how much he rejected it, there was nothing. No twitch, nothing. "Please." He begged. "Please, come back." He would give anything, everything, to have Naoto return to him.

But she never would.

A hand came down on his shoulder and squeezed firmly. "Yu." Takashi spoke softly.

"Why!?" Yu shouted. "WHY?!" He raged squeezing Naoto's hand. Damn it! What was the point of having the power of the World if he couldn't use it to save the woman he loved? What good was his Wild Card ability in the real world?! "If I had just been faster! It should have been me! I should-"

"That's enough!" Naoto's grandfather shouted at him. "That's enough Yu. Naoto wouldn't want you blaming yourself." The man's voice was thick with unshed tears. He had already buried his son and daughter, now he had to bury his granddaughter as well.

But Yu, he was inconsolable in his grief. He couldn't think past it. He couldn't be empathized with.

"Yu, go home." Takashi said softly. "Go home, mourn, grieve, get some sleep. I won't say it gets easier, but you need a cooler head than the one you currently have." He bent down and grabbed Yu under the arms and practically hauled Yu up. "Go home. Naoto wouldn't want you hurting yourself like this."

Yu turned to look at Naoto a moment. She looked wrong. His tiny detective was usually so full of fire and life. Now she looked cold… she looked too still. "Her hat." He said, his voice breaking. "Where's her hat? And where's her watch?" One of the nurses brought over the blue hat and Yu took it from her in trembling hands. Inside was the watch thankfully. "It's her lucky hat." He said softly.

"Keep it." Takashi said. "Even if you can't wear it, she'd want you to have it."

Yu clutched it to his chest before he looked to Naoto. He moved over and leaned over her. Lightly, he brushed his lips across hers. "Goodbye Naoto Shirogane, and thank you for everything. For being my friend, my lover, my partner. I love you. May the Heavens welcome you with open arms for all the good you have done in this world." Yu pulled away and turned away from Naoto.

Takashi half hauled, half dragged Yu away from Naoto's body. "I don't want you doing anything reckless. Promise me, you will go home, get some sleep, and take the time to grieve Yu."

Yu held the hat tighter to his chest. But he nodded his head. "I promise." He said. His voice was broken, weak. His throat was tight and tears fell from his face. And he began to walk away from Takashi Shirogane. The man would likely be taking care of the arrangements for his granddaughter.

Yu collapsed to the ground in a hallway off to the side and sobbed into Naoto's hat, curling up on himself. He felt like someone had stabbed him with a red hot knife and was in the process of twisting it, carving his heart out.

He was broken.

What his Reflections could not do. What being kidnapped could not do. What the TV World could not do. Adachi hadn't broken him. Izanami hadn't broken him. Namatame had come the closest. It was by some sheer miracle, whether it had been enacted by Teddie or some other greater power, that Nanako hadn't died, Yu had remained unbroken.

But the loss of Naoto Shirogane, his beautiful lover… It destroyed him. It tore at him. And Yu already knew that he would never have another love like the one he held for Naoto.

He didn't know how long he cried, sitting with his back to the wall and trying to muffle his sobs, but eventually he managed to find some semblance of strength to get up and begin to go home.

It was too late for the trains, so he had to walk. He had to walk the distance to the Central Station. He barely paid any attention to where he was going, and he didn't bother with a taxi, despite possibly being able to get one. He just let his feet carry him.

And his thoughts drifted out to Naoto. They drifted to his beautiful girlfriend and the memories he had made with her. He thought of that first meeting, the way their eyes had connected just briefly and the barest of nods they shared. He remembered the way her eyes had pierced him when he had gone to Junes to inquire about Kanji. Yu thought about the way she had introduced herself as their junior, their Kohai.

Not that she would have ever let them call her that.

Yu made it to home just after two in the morning. He was numb as he went to the couch and just fell into it, face down.

He didn't know how long that he stayed there. Hours? A day? He didn't know. At one point he thought he might have heard a knock. Or a buzzing. But he just couldn't bring himself to move, bring himself to care. His love was taken from him. The world seemed so much darker than it had ever been.

In that moment, he almost wished that Adachi had been successful in bringing the fog.

Eventually, Yu dragged himself to his feet. He went to the kitchen and got some water. He couldn't even bring himself to make coffee or food. He knew the breakdown was going to come when he tried to start packing Naoto's things, he would be shattered.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.

' _Is that it then?'_ Yu stiffened a bit at the sound of his Persona within his head. ' _Has thine judgement been a lie? WIll she have died for nothing? Or shall thy Judgement be as swift and terrible as it should?'_ Lucifer, the ultimate of Judgement, asked him a particular question.

Yu clenched his hand tightly as he thought about it. No… No… No. No. No, nononononono. Naoto did not die for nothing. Yu's anger ignited. He had already cast judgement upon those that did it to her. They didn't know it yet, but they were already dead. He just needed to figure out who they were.

Yu set the bottle of water down and headed for the upstairs. Naoto wouldn't keep her work on her personal cell phone. So that meant she had to have a work phone somewhere. If she hadn't had it with her, then it meant she had likely left it at home. And despite how much it pained him to do, Yu began to toss the guest bedroom.

He did it with the utmost care, even as every article that made it apparent that Naoto had been there was like a knife to the heart. But every stabbing sensation, it made him angrier. It fueled his anger. It fueled his need to search and find that damned phone.

He eventually did find it. She had an email waiting to be answered apparently. Yu immediately tried unlocking it and using the password on her personal phone. That ended up in failure, something Yu wasn't surprised by.

He began to pace back and forth. It was still a six digit pin, and it would have to be a number that was important to Naoto. One that she would never let herself forget. It would never be her birthday, it would never be her grandfather's birthday. It would never be Yu's birthday. Those were personal, but they were happier things. She wouldn't use that for her work phone. It had to be something involved with work.

Yu tried the day they had caught and turned Adachi in and had it decline him. He tried the day she first started working with the police, only for that to be declined. He even tried the day she first solved a case and got acclaim for it. That failed. He tried the first day she got called the Detective Prince, that failed.

Yu paced more. He tried a number of combinations that he thought would be viable to Naoto. He must have used fifteen of the twenty tries before he finally figured out the number that unlocked the phone instead of deleting the date on the phone.

It was probably the most important day of Naoto's career. The day that she had been sent forth on the road to be a Special Investigator. It was the day her parents died.

Once Yu had access, he began to look through the information on the phone. Naoto had, apparently, kept a lot of detailed accounts and informations. Email correspondents, notes regarding the cases and which papers in which boxes, which files. It was… It was impressive really. And Yu had all the access to it that he could want.

In about three hours, Yu managed to find every single one of the conspirators. Thirty seven people in all. The District Attorney, political figures, even two that could trace their lineage back to old Japanese royalty, Masayoshi Shido, the president of a news station, some doctors even. And Goro Akechi made thirty eight.

Yu then began to sit with Naoto's personal phone. He tried each of the names in the MetaNav, his thoughts building and racing on what he needed to do. Of the thirty seven people, only Shido had a Palace. But Naoto had already figured out the codewords to that Palace a long time ago, waiting for the chance that Akira might ask about it.

And Goro Akechi was a Persona user according to their theory. He wouldn't show up in the MetaNav, so Yu had to get particularly creative with him. But it meant finding where he lived. He could have asked Futaba to bring it up, but he didn't want the Phantom Thieves to get wind of what he was doing. No, it would be better if he did it himself.

And so Yu plotted and planned, mind thinking of all the variables. He was not looking for a perfect crime that he would get away with without repercussions. No, Yu was looking for absolute, complete deliverance of his judgement.

Naoto had died. So too would the people that caused it

 _Take Your Time_

Yu peered out of the alleyway at the school. It was after midnight. It had been three days since Naoto had died and Yu set his plan into motion. Finding out where Akechi lived was going to be a difficult task. But it was one that he was up to in his mind. Without Futaba's help, it would take a bit more breaking the laws in order to find out where the false Detective Prince lived.

Not that Yu was going to mind. After all, he was planning thirty eight counts of murder. What was a count of breaking and entering and possible assault among whatever else he might be committing while he was there.

The school he peered at was Goro Akechi's high school. The one he attended rather publically. The only taking all the claim of having the next Detective Prince attend.

A place that would have Akechi's address.

Yu peered around the area a little bit more, making sure there was no one that would see him. Not that he wasn't prepared for such a thing, but the longer he went without being seen, the longer his anonymity remained in place, the longer he had to do his grisly work.

Yu took his full face motorcycle helmet and put it on before zipping up his riding jacket. He shrugged the plain black backpack on and tightened the straps a moment. He then glanced once more, looking over the upstairs and the courtyard.

He took off into a sprint. He propelled himself at the fence, running fast and hard. He then jumped and grabbed the top bar, lifting himself up and over the wrought iron bars in a show of strength and athleticism that he usually wouldn't display. But his size allowed for it, even as he landed in a rough crouch.

He grunted from the pain his ankle was in.

He went around to a door that was a little more unseen. It wasn't to say that it wasn't out in the open, but it wasn't quite the front doors to the high school either. He pulled his pack around and unzipped it. From it, he pulled out a roll of duct tape and taped up his side of the glass. The slit in the door was only so big, but he could fit his arm through to open the door if the wire mesh lined glass wasn't in the way.

From his bag, once he had finished taping the window up, he pulled out a wrench. One of his bigger ones that was pretty heavy. He then swung it into the taped glass, breaking it. It wasn't silent, but there wasn't quite the sound of shattering glass as the tape helped to hold the glass in place.

The tape was then pulled away and he had to use the wrench to really push and dig at the wire mesh to make a big enough hole. Thankfully, the leather gloves and leather jacket he had on were a bit more resistant to being torn up than his skin, so he reached through with little issue and pressed the bar, unlocking the damned door.

He caught the door with his foot as he withdrew his arm. He left the duct tape over the rest of the window, but he put his wrench back in his bag. Again, it wasn't about not getting caught to Yu. It was about not getting caught long enough to do his task.

Yu headed inside and began to make his way around. It took him a little bit to find the administration office. The door was, again, locked. Yu heard footsteps around as well, a janitor or security probably around. He set to work breaking the window again, as silently as he could, to get in.

So far, his methods of entry hadn't attracted attention, as far as he was aware.

He stepped inside and began to look around for filing cabinets. It took a bit to find, and they were locked too. He had prepared for that as well. From his bag, he produced a flathead screwdriver and proceeded to pop each of the locks open.

He began to look through the files, pausing every so often. His methods weren't exactly the quietest. He finally had Akechi's file and looked through it a moment. He had the bastard. He used his phone to take a picture of the address.

"Hey! You don't belong here!" Shit.

Yu turned to face the security guard that was shining a light directly at him. The man had a standard baton, but nothing that Yu wasn't able to work around. Instead of freezing up, Yu dropped the file and rushed the poor man. Wrong time, wrong place sadly.

Yu dodged back from the swing of the baton before he came in and kicked the man in the groin. Yu then swung his bag around and hit the man in the head with it, dazing him. Yu disarmed him of the baton and then cracked the man in the other side of the head with it.

Security was good when they weren't dealing with someone that had more combat experience than they should.

Yu went back to Akechi's file and tucked it away, sliding the drawer closed. He heard the guard groaning. He didn't have time to make sure the man was okay or that he was unconscious. Yu jumped over his body and rushed out.

He made it back to the alleyway that he started at and brought out his phone. In moments, he was in Mementos, walking away a little more calmly. He shifted things in his bag around, taking off his jacket and gloves. He pulled a second bag out of his first one and stuffed everything into it.

In the silence of Mementos, Yu walked a couple of blocks before he dropped back into the real world, just another late night student or worker heading home with a bag around them.

 _Take Your Time_

It was the third day after Naoto had died. Yu had already taken a page out of the Phantom Thieves' book and had prepared a stack of calling cards. He then postmarked them to each of the individuals that he would be gunning for, and sent them for next day delivery. They had already been sent out.

And Yu had eaten with Takashi Shirogane, the man actually making Yu eat an actual meal rather than the few snack bars that he had been running on.

But it was time to begin his grisly task. It was time for Yu to take care of the one that would be simultaneously the hardest, and the easiest. It was also going to be the most satisfying that Yu was going to kill.

Yu had watched as Goro Akechi had left his apartment to go cycling about the city. Yu had been surprised by his luck, he had hoped to be able to catch Akechi while he as going in, but catching Akechi as he was leaving worked as well. Yu hung out in an alleyway, dressed in his dark leathers with his helmet on to cover his distinct hair. He stuck to the Shadows, staying out of sight

And this time, he held a straight edged stiletto as his tool of choice.

Every so often, he'd peek out to look for Akechi, particularly if he heard a bicycle. Thankfully, it was late enough that the shadows were dark enough to keep Yu from being noticed immediately. It didn't mean that his task would go unnoticed, or that he would get away with this current crime.

He steadied himself, inhaling a moment. He heard the distinct sound of a bicycle again and glanced out. There he was, Goro Akechi. He was only dressed in a pair of riding shorts and a workout shirt, black and orange were apparently his colors of choice.

Yu gripped the knife tighter with his right hand. He then stepped out as Akechi was starting to pass by and he closelined the other boy, making him fall off the bike and onto the concrete. The bicycle slammed into a wall.

"Ah!" Akechi winced in pain and opened his eyes a moment, as though about to yell at Yu when he noticed that Yu loomed over him with a knife. "No!" He shouted and forced himself to get up to his feet. He went for his phone.

Yu struck out with a hard kick to send the fragile thing away and into the street. Akechi stepped back again, trying to get into a ready stance, but getting ready for someone with a knife wasn't always the easiest thing.

Yu took a step forward to drive his foot into Akechi's groin. The other boy managed to block the kick, but Yu took a chance to stab at Akechi regardless. The false detective scooted back out of the way to dodge before coming in, looking to grab Yu's arm. Yu instead drove his helmeted head into Akechi's nose, breaking it and making him recoil long enough for Yu to plunge the knife into his stomach. Yu also made damned sure to twist. Before Akechi could try and run away, Yu drove the knife in a second time and forced the bastard back to the ground, pulling the knife out to continuously stab.

Stab, pull. Stab. Pull. Stab. Yu repeated, stabbing and pulling the knife out, stabbing and pulling the knife out. Blood splattered his dark leathers, splattered across the face plate of his helmet. He stabbed Akechi one last time in the heart and leaned in. "That's for Naoto you son of a bitch." He said, even as he could see the light dying in Akechi's eyes.

Yu yanked the knife out and stabbed Akechi a few more times to be sure.

Distant sirens told Yu that he had definitely been spotted. His outfit would keep him from being identified, but it was much too soon to be caught. Swearing, he pulled the calling card out of his jacket pocket and tossed it onto Akechi, letting the blood soak into the pristine white card. In moments, he was in the alleyway, grabbing the spare bag he had and ducking into Mementos.

Yu bundled up the bloodied riding leathers and pulled a change of clothes out of another bag he had. In moments, he was changed into clean clothes. This time, he left the bloodied riding leathers in Mementos. He would have no need for them anymore.

Briefly, he wondered how many times he had stabbed Akechi before deciding it hadn't been enough.

 _Take Your Time_

Yu took a moment, looking over the ship. He was starting with Masayoshi Shido after Goro Akechi. It was the fourth day after Naoto had died, and he had decided to start early. It had been barely daybreak when he had arrived at the Diet Building and headed inside Shido's Palace.

He had a long day ahead of him after all. His calling cards had undoubtedly been delivered, and so he was on a bit of a time crunch to take care of his business.

He inhaled a moment, smelling the salty air before he pulled his coat a bit tight around him. The white duster brushed his ankles as he began to walk forward. He held his hand out and swiped over to Izanagi-no-Okami.

The sound of his boots on the hardwood actually hurt. Five days of rage, anger, and grief. Of barely getting any sleep, of barely eating. Five days and he had lost count the number of times he had angrily wiped at his tears whenever he thought of what he lost. He had no time for tears at the moment. He had a promise to fulfill, even if Naoto would never want it of him.

He blasted the Shadows with Megidolaon as they came close. Some actually managed to have to take two, but Yu didn't care. He just blasted his way through them, walking casually through Shido's Palace. He really didn't know where Shido was.

He came to a set of double doors, listening to the other side where it was sounding like 'voting' was going on and Shido's 'proposals' were being unanimously voted in. He took two steps back and held his hand up. Another Megidolaon blasted the wood to splinters, even as the Shadows came for him. He didn't care about the state of security. He wasn't there to steal a treasure.

He was there for an execution.

His steps took him into the voting chamber. He saw the stands filled with cognitive versions of the politicians that might usually fill the stands. But in front of him, he saw Shido. Yu gripped his sword tighter in his hand, even as he walked slowly.

" **And who might you be?"** Shadow Shido asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He had the look of someone important, wearing what might be taken like a military uniform. Yu wondered if Shido thought himself to be a Shogun of old.

Yu stepped up, boots echoing off the wooden stairs as he got on the stage. "I am your Executioner." He said.

Shido held his arms out with a boisterous laugh. " **Listen to this upstart! He thinks he can take me all by himself!"** Shido was incredible amused sounding.

Yu shifted his fingers, swapping from Izanagi-no-Okami onto Trumpeter. "Heat Riser." The Swirl of Tri-colored lights moved around him. "Debilitate." The colored lights swirled around Shido.

A giant golden lion landed behind Shido and gave a powerful roar. " **I stand at the pinnacle! You cannot hurt me with your pitiful attacks!'**

"Mind Charge." Yu wasn't nearly done. He then swapped over to Satan. While not as strong as, say Lucifer or Izanagi-no-Okami, Satan had one thing that the other two didn't. "Satan! Black VIper!" He crushed the card to summon the Persona of Judgement.

Satan appeared on six insectoid wings and spread out his six arms wide. The Almighty Spell charged up with all the power that Yu's combination had given it. And Masayoshi Shido's arrogance would be his downfall.

The eruption of the spell hitting sent shards of wood flying, but Yu didn't look away. He just stood there, stoically even as the white duster fluttered in the wind and his sword sat on his shoulder. And when the explosion died down, he stepped forward, staring down into the hole that Satan had blasted into the deck.

He dropped down to the next level where Shido was. Alive, barely… He was crawling away, his skin an angry red with burns. Some of his clothes had been scorched away. And Yu walked forward. His boots crunched on wood.

" **No! No! I will not fall like this! It's the treasure you want?! Isn't that what you thieves are after?!"**

Yu stepped up to Shido. "You didn't get a calling card from the Phantom Thieves. You got a calling card from Izanagi-no-Okami, casting the Judgement of the World upon you." Yu said. "You and your co-conspirators. I will kill all of them. You're just the second."

" **I will not fall like this to the unwashed masses!"** Shido impressively found the strength to stand.

It just made things easier for Yu. He swung his sword and took Shido's head from his shoulders.

Two down. Thirty six to go. He turned to begin walking away, ignoring the collapsing Palace around him.

 _Take Your Time_

It had taken all day. Yu was so tired, having been in Mementos for somewhere in the neighborhood of twelve hours was not something that he wanted to repeat. But it had to be done. And he had fought, and fought, and fought, and fought, and fought. He had killed thirty seven Shadows that day. Thirty seven men that would die in the coming days.

Naoto's phone buzzed in his pocket. He had taken to using Naoto's work phone when the Investigation Team had started to try and get in touch with him using Naoto's personal phone. Both his and Naoto's phone were sitting up on her desk.

He had seven missed calls, each from Takashi Shirogane. He pressed play on the voicemail.

" _Yu, it's Takashi. I've been trying to reach you all day. There's been something strange going on and I want to talk to you. Please, please, pick up. Don't do anything rash and reckless. Naoto-'_ Yu deleted the message and hung up from calling the voicemail. No doubt Takashi Shirogane was already figuring out that Yu was responsible for Goro Akechi's death.

He inhaled a bit and sat down on his couch a moment. He had not expected to get away with it. He knew that, if the cops weren't already on their way to ask him questions, they would be there eventually. He pinched the bridge of his nose to think a moment on his next step.

Yu didn't want to go to jail. It wasn't that he thought he didn't deserve to go to jail. He had committed thirty eight capital crimes and wasn't about to profess innocence to any of them. But waiting around, waiting to be hanged, was not something Yu wanted to do. It could be decades before his death.

And when every day felt like an insurmountable task, decades was out of the question.

Yu wanted to die. To go be with Naoto. That was all there was to it. Suicide was out. His two attempts in the past had been thwarted. He didn't want to try a third unless it was sure fire. Seppuku was… somewhat appealing and somewhat distasteful.

Appealing in that it would very likely work. Disembowelment was certainly an almost sure fire method.

Distasteful in that, if he did it in his parent's home, someone would have to clean it up before his parents returned. And he wasn't sure that it would happen. It would also be excruciating, though the pain of living without Naoto was likely worse. And lastly, Yu didn't believe he needed to do it.

Traditionally, it was used by those that thought they had brought shame or dishonorment to their name. Yu felt neither shame, nor dishonor about what he did. Why would he have to redeem himself? Those men had come after the woman he loved. He retaliated and took their lives.

So, ultimately Seppuku was out.

There was the Metaverse. It was an appealing idea. There was at least one Shadow that would constantly hound Yu's presence there. One that he couldn't necessarily stop, and it would keep coming back, regardless of Yu's strength. There would also be no mess to be had, he'd just… vanish.

A bit of an awful thing to do to his parents, but then… it was also fitting. He started as nothing, he'd return to nothing.

With his mind made up, Yu went to grab his cellphone. He powered it back on and noted that it didn't have much of a charge. In moments, his phone blew up with texts and messages from his friends, everyone attempting to try and find out what had happened, why he wasn't answering, plans to visit.

Maybe they had visited, but couldn't find him. He didn't think anyone knew his address except maybe Rise or Yukiko. But they could find Le Blanc. Or maybe they were waiting for the weekend.

He also grabbed a pad of paper and a pen. He knew Takashi would be along and would, at some point, simply force his way inside Yu's house to look for clues.

He sat back down on his couch at the Kotatsu. He set his phone down and took a moment to jot down a note for Takashi. Yu didn't apologize. He wasn't sorry for what he did. He didn't regret doing it. And he would do it more. But he expressed his deepest, most sincere apologies that Takashi had to bury his only granddaughter alone.

Once his letter was finished, he set it on the table and brought up his phone. He ignored the attempts that the Investigation Team and the Phantom Thieves had made to try and contact him. He then started a new group with all the members of the Investigation Team and the Phantom Thieves.

' **To my friends, my family, I'm sorry.'** Yu typed carefully. He wanted to select his words carefully. ' **If you haven't heard already, then I will say it plainly. Naoto Shirogane was killed.'** Yu felt his throat constrict as he wrote that, but continued. **'And in my rage, I have brought wrath down upon the ones responsible. I am sorry, that you will have to lose two friends this week. You are my friends, my family. My brothers and sisters that I have never had. Yosuke, keep an eye on Teddie and improve yourself for Chie as much as you can. Chie, become a splendid detective. I know you can do it. Yukiko, always be true to yourself, and make the decisions you want to. Keep an eye on Kanji. Kanji, you have become a fine man in your own right. Your father must be proud, I am my brother. Be strong for the team. Rise, words cannot begin to fathomably say how sorry I am. I know that it might come across as hypocritical, but please don't do anything reckless. Teddie, keep smiling for me. I know it hurts, but smile. Nanako needs you, so please watch over her.**

' **Akira, I'm forever in your debt. While reckless, your actions helped remind me of the man I once was. I cannot thank you enough, and I cannot apologize enough. Morgana, keep hope alive. Tie it around yourself and cling to it until it has fully faded. You may not be human, but your more human than some humans I have met. Ryuji, you're a fine young man yourself. Be proud of who you are. Ann, continue to bring the light that you offer to the world. Some people will need it someday. Yusuke, stay true to your beliefs. While eccentric, you were a sturdy pillar that everyone could rely on. Makoto, keep an eye on the others. I hate to burden you with a little bit more, but I know you're strong enough to handle a little bit more. Futaba, you're a lot braver than you give yourself credit for, and stronger. Let that side of you run free. And Haru… Thank you for your kindness. I am eternally sorry for your father, and I wish Naoto and I had been there. Hindsight makes sages of us all.**

' **This is Yu Narukami, offering my fondest farewell.'** Yu hit send and took a moment, letting his phone send the rather lengthy message to his friends. He knew he only had a few moments, so he grabbed a few things and stuffed them into his bag. He then grabbed the bags of the Phantom Thieves.

He then travelled into Mementos, taking only his phone. He stared at the device a moment before he set it on the kotatsu of his living room. He drew his sword and brought it down on the screen, cleaving the device into pieces. There would be no return.

He would die in Mementos.

Yu turned and began to walk out of his house. Oddly, he felt comfortable. He felt accomplished. There was something to be had for going down fighting. He would die, die against an enemy that he couldn't escape, couldn't run from.

But he had done much. He cast his thoughts to those in Inaba. All the friends he had made, all the close bonds. He had done more in a short time than most would do in their lives. He had stopped a murderer, he had battled Gods.

He had found love.

Yu headed down into the subway station and he shouldered his bag one last time. Many of the things he had in it would be taken out. It was almost like any previous excursion into the Metaverse. Except this time, he wouldn't be returning. He piled the Phantom Thieves' bags at the entrance, setting them off to the side in a neat pile.

He turned and made his way into the Velvet Room for the final time. Perhaps it was the way he held himself, perhaps it was something else, but the place had a more somber tone to it. Igor did not have his usually toothy grin, Margaret did not have that usual gentle smile on her lips. Even the twins stood at attention, solemnly.

Yu turned to face Margaret. "I want to release my Persona." Yu said.

"As is your decision, my Precious Fool." Margaret said. She opened his compendium and held it out to him. "Will you register them before you do so?"

Yu nodded his head and reached out, touching the pages a moment and registering his the final abilities of his Persona. One by one he then released them. Metatron. Trumpeter. Ishtar. Satan. Beelzebub. Alice. Yoshitsune. His fingers curled at Lucifer.

' _Before I am to be sent back to thine Sea of Souls, I ask of thee, dost thou have regrets?'_ His Ultimate in Judgement asked.

Yu didn't know if the occupants of the Velvet Room could hear Lucifer. He didn't care if they heard him. "One. I have one regret."

' _Speak thy regret and be free from its burden.'_

"I regret not getting to see the future with Naoto." Yu said softly. He could feel the tears at the edges of his eyes. "That is my only regret."

' _Dost thou regret thine actions?'_

Yu clenched his fingers into a fist. "No." He said firmly. "I don't take pride in them, but I don't regret them either."

' _May thine Judgement be a favorable one, my Other Self.'_ Yu released Lucifer from his available Persona.

He went all the way to Izanagi-no-Okami. "I'm sorry." Yu said softly.

' _Do not apologize. Our Wheel of Fortune was taken from us. Thine rage is understandable. Thine grief moreso. I go willingly to the Sea of Souls within Thou. I have always been a guiding light upon Thine path, so take me forth, a comrade for the Final Hours of thine life. As I began, so too shall I end. And remember, I am thou, thou art I."_

Yu released Izanagi-no-Okami. "I'd like to withdraw Izanagi." He said softly. He reached for his wallet, to pay the fee. He didn't know what Margaret did with the money he brought for the task. He didn't ask. He never had.

Margaret held her hand up. "This one is on me." she said. She produced a simple, blue tarot card of the Fool Arcana and held it out.

Yu accepted it between two fingers and felt it fade away. What words did he have to offer to the one that represented his Empress Arcana? What words did he have to the tight knit bond they held? "I-"

Margaret stood up and placed her finger upon his lips. "No words, Yu Narukami. Do not tell me goodbye, give me the illusion that you might someday come back."

Yu nodded his head a bit. "Alright." As far as last requests went, it was a simple one to grant. He then stepped away from Margaret and turned towards Igor.

Slowly, he stepped up towards the wooden desk that Igor sat at. From his coat pocket, Yu pulled out his key ring and slowly removed his key from the Velvet Room. "You once told me this key is mine." he said.

"So I did." Igor said, his tone more somber. "And it still is. It always will be."

"You know… After my journey, I thought I'd never return here. You told me that you would never call me back to the Velvet Room." Yu commented as he looked upon the key.

"And I never did." Igor said. "But you walked through the gateway yourself. You returned of your own volition, with a key that will always fit the lock of my Velvet Room."

Yu nodded his head and slowly placed the key upon Igor's desk. "I am returning this now." He said. He offered a pained smile. "I have no more need for it."

Igor inclined his head and placed a hand over it. Slowly, the Master of the Velvet Room rose to his feet and held out one hand. "Goodbye, my esteemed guest. I will never forget you, Yu Narukami." Yu could see moisture at the corner of Igor's eyes.

Yu reached out and took the hand, shaking it. Igor had a surprisingly strong grip. "Goodbye, Igor. And thank you for all of your help." Yu slowly walked away from the Master of the Velvet Room.

He paused at the twin wardens and went to one knee before the two of them so he could better look them in the eyes. "Justine. Caroline. Watch over Akira for me, okay?" he asked.

"Leave it to us." Justine said.

"It would be our honor." Caroline said.

Yu stood up and walked out of the Velvet Room one last time. As he was leaving, he heard Igor speak one last time. "I truly do hate when they return their keys." The long nosed man sounded truly sad.

The gate shut behind him with an almost ominous sound of metal, and he turned to look over his shoulder as the portal vanished behind him. A sort of proof that he would never actually see the Velvet Room once more.

He then went towards the entrance and paused. He set his bag down and unzipped it slowly. From it, he produced his sword as well as the holster and revolver Naoto had used. He carefully leaned his sword up against the wall and draped Naoto's holster around the handle. He then removed his jacket and slipped it around the sword as well, letting it drape and hang there. Immediately the chill of Mementos played over his skin.

He reached into his bag for the last items to complete his memorial. Naoto's hat and the watches. Even then, it smelled faintly of Naoto as he brought it up to eye level. Lightly, he placed it upon the hilt of his sword, with the pair of watches resting against the tsuba of the sword. It would serve as a grave marker. From his bag he then pulled out a can of black model paint and a brush and painted words above the marker.

Yu grabbed the last two objects in his bag and descended down into the depths of Mementos. He balanced that very first katana he had bought back in Inaba on his shoulder. It was a fine piece by Daidara, but couldn't compare to the blade he had received from killing the Reaper with his friends. Regardless, it would serve Yu one last time.

Whether it was because it was nighttime, or whether some left over force from Izanagi-no-Okami was keeping the Shadows at bay, Yu didn't encounter any Shadows. He went to a large room with only one entrance, and one exit and found a nice quiet spot to sit down. Without the duster from his Reflection, Yu found himself somewhat cold. The subtle wind that howled perpetually within Mementos was… eerie.

Yu produced the last thing that he grabbed from his bag and smiled for the first time he had in days. Even as the tears began to flow freely. It was a picture of him and Naoto. Way back before the Inaba trip, when he had taken her out to the theater. When he had spiked her hair up with gel and convinced her to go out looking like a girl. They had found a photobooth and taken a few pictures together of just them.

The picture in question was of Naoto's surprised face, moments after Yu had kissed her. Cliched and silly, but it was a cherished memory. And finally, after days of rage, hours of murder, and constantly moving, Yu finally broke down into harsh sobs, letting his tears flow freely and splatter on the ground.

Yu didn't know how long he sat there crying. He didn't care. But eventually the sound of chains came to him. The door sealed itself shut and ragged, harsh breathing was heard some meters away.

Yu took a moment to compose himself, wiping his face of the tears that had streaked down. He grabbed his katana and unsheathed it before tucking the picture of Naoto and him away. He didn't bother to look up until he was fully composed and had caught his breath.

The Reaper floated some distance away from him, shoulders heaving up and down as it breathed, chains dragging along the ground.

' _We will not survive this.'_ Izanagi spoke inside Yu's head.

"I didn't intend to." Yu said calmly. "But I'll be damned if I don't go down swinging!" He dashed ahead, ready to take the fight to the Reaper.

 _Take Your Time_

Takashi Shirogane arrived at the address of Yu Narukami, frowning. It had been a week since Naoto's passing, and already he had to do work. Perhaps he was a bit more personally involved in this than should be allowed, but he was going to find out what happened. There was still a lot of confusion. The Detective that had shot Naoto had a mental breakdown mere hours after doing so. The break in at one of the schools in the area. Goro Akechi being assaulted by an individual in black riding leathers and being stabbed thirty four times.

The calling cards of this Izanagi-no-Okami that all read the same. ' _You have been judged guilty by the World.'_

And then there was the fact that Yu was not answering calls or texts. He could only hope and pray that Yu had not decided to do something reckless and was now on the run. Takashi was not particularly looking forward to the day that Yu would be brought in if that was the case.

Takashi knocked first on the door, twice. He even tried to call Naoto's phones, both of them. He faintly heard the buzzing of the phones, so they couldn't be too far inside. He knocked a third time, with more urgency and force. He frowned a moment and glanced around the side. While a fair number of Tokyo residents would walk everywhere, if Yu was on the run he wouldn't be walking.

But Takashi saw the motorcycle still where it was at.

He frowned more. Yu would certainly have riding leathers and a helmet if he had a motorcycle. No, he had to stop that. He didn't have all the facts, he needed to speak with Yu before he could begin to formulate a proper response.

He glanced around the front and soon saw a rock on the ground. The dirt around it was uneven, like it was disturbed often and the dirt never had a chance to settle. He bent down and picked it up, finding a spare key taped to the underside.

He tried the key on the door and heard the lock clicking open. Takashi stepped inside, knowing it could be taken that he was breaking a few laws. But he was worried about his granddaughter's boyfriend. "Yu?" he called out.

Nothing. Silence.

Takashi tried Naoto's phones again and heard them buzz. He made short work of finding them, they were both sitting on the kotatsu, a number of messages and calls on Naoto's personal phone. "Yu!" He called out again before he noticed the note sitting on the kotatsu.

It was addressed to him.

' _Takashi, by now you have to have realized that I broke my promise. I'm sorry that you have to bury your granddaughter alone, and I'm sorry I couldn't have gotten to know you better. I was the one that broke into that school. I hope the security guard is okay, I hit him in the head pretty hard. I was the one that stabbed Goro Akechi so many times with a twenty centimeter straight stiletto dagger. I never bothered to keep count, but I still feel like I hadn't stabbed him enough times. I was the one that sent out those cards, and after my actions for the day there will be a number of bodies at my hands, if they haven't already collapsed. I don't know, I've never actually killed someone's Shadow within the Metaverse before. It could be weeks, it could be days._

' _The Chinese philosopher Confucius once stated 'Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.' I knew at the end of this path I walked, that I would die. I once met a man that offered to help me, on the condition that I accept responsibility for my actions. But I can't bear the weight of living without her. Selfish of me, I know, but I can't. I won't wait through a lengthy trial with only the barest of circumstantial evidence and a confession. And then who knows how long it would take until I am sent to be hanged. It could be months, it could be decades. I couldn't wait decades, not with this pain in my heart._

' _Take this letter to a young man named Akira Kurusu. He's staying at Le Blanc within Jogen-jaya. Naoto's personal phone should also have his contact information. Ask him to show you the Reaper, so that you might know what will be my executioner in my final hours. The pin to Naoto's personal phone is 1119._

' _Lastly, tell Akira that I'm sorry for dragging him into my mess.'_

Yu's letter, in its entirety, had made only partial sense to Takashi Shirogane. But he was intelligent enough to work with context clues. He swallowed thickly. Yu Narukami had kept his promise and had delivered swift, violent judgement to the men that he believed had taken Naoto's life. And then instead of running from the law, he ran to face something that would kill him.

Takashi stared at the letter a bit longer. Akira Kurusu. If memory served, one of the young men in the incident report from the shooting that took Naoto's life was named Akira Kurusu.

He dug out his phone from his pocket and picked up Naoto's personal phone. The pin worked as expected and he scrolled through her contacts. Sure enough, Akira's number was labeled in her phone. In moments, he punched the number into his own phone.

Unsurprisingly, it went to voicemail. No doubt the young man was in class "Kurusu-san, this is Special Investigator Takashi Shirogane. I would like to speak with you regarding an incident that has been brought to my attention. I will be awaiting your arrival at Cafe Le Blanc this afternoon, as I have been informed that is where you are staying."

Takashi hung the phone up and looked around. There had apparently been something in a small closet, it was recently cleaned out and the door left open. He took around upstairs. Almost everything was left where it had lain after Yu had tossed the guest bedroom, no doubt looking for the work phone that Takashi had mentioned Naoto having. He regretted that now.

Yu's room was barely lived in, like he had barely spent any time in it for the past week. The only thing that seemed to have been proof that, at one point in the past week, that Yu had slept in the room was that Naoto's custom double breasted coat had been in there, on the futon.

Takashi turned and left. He had already contaminated the crime scene, there was no need to contaminate it more.

Hours later saw Takashi Shirogane sitting inside Le Blanc, enjoying a cup of hot coffee. Despite how good it was, he could take little joy in the taste of it. His only granddaughter was gone. The Shirogane legacy would end with him. His granddaughter's boyfriend was very likely dead. And he didn't have enough answers.

He turned to look at the door as it opened to admit a Shujin Academy student with frizzy black hair. He drew up a bit short, looking at Takashi a moment before he inhaled deeply and sighed. "Shirogane-san." The young man said politely.

"You must be Kurusu-san." Takashi finished his coffee.

"Yeah. For… What it's worth… I'm sorry." Akira offered.

"Thank you." Takashi would be polite about it, even if the words were meaningless at that point. Takashi stood up from the barstool and held the letter that he had received from Yu out. "I got that from Yu Narukami."

Akira took it after a moment's hesitation. It was short and brief, but poignant. He watched Akira inhaled again. "Damn." He muttered before he passed the letter back.

"You know what he's done then." Takashi said.

"Yeah…" Akira ran a hand through his head. "Give me a second." Akira stepped outside of Le Blanc to the young girl that had been sitting outside. "Futaba, watch Morgana for me." He said and pulled a cat out of his bag of all things.

"A cat, Kurusu-san?" Takashi asked.

"He keeps me calm during school. He's a good cat." Akira glanced towards Takashi a moment. His eyes turned sharp and intense. "Would you like to see what Yu got up to? Then follow me."

Yu had started Takashi down this rabbit hole, but it seemed that he wasn't without a guide either. He began to follow Akira quietly. They took the train over to Central Station and Akira led to a quiet corridor off the path without cameras or much foot traffic. Takashi was immediately on guard. Just because he was old, it didn't mean he was incapable as he would show this young man if he tried anything.

Akira pulled out his phone. "I usually have more to defend myself with, but I'll make do." Akira said softly. "It'll just be a quick trip anyways." Akira glanced towards Takashi. "I need to put my hand on your shoulder so I'm certain it grabs you."

Takashi frowned but nodded his consent. He felt the weight of Akira's hand on his shoulder and then Akira's phone beeped. ' _Initiating Travel.'_

The transition was shockingly jarring and violent. Had Takashi been a man of weaker constitution, he might have thrown up. As it was, he wasn't certain how many times he could honestly handle something like that. While he tried to maintain a certain level of fitness and health, he was still an old man. He lurched, half bending over.

"Hey, you okay?" Akira asked, leaning down to touch Takashi on the shoulder.

"Yes… Yes…" Takashi focused on his breathing. "What.. What was that?"

"That was how we travel into the Metaverse." Akira said. "Your granddaughter experienced similar, worse even, during her time in Inaba."

Takashi swallowed thickly and stood up. "Is this… the TV World then?"

"No. This is Mementos. It's similar in nature, but not the same." Akira inhaled a bit and ran a hand through his hair. "So I'm going to go out and say it. This is where the Phantom Thieves operate."

Takashi turned a sharp look on Akira. "The Phantom Thieves?"

"Yeah." Akira didn't back down as he took his glasses off and tucked them into a front pocket. "The Phantom Thieves. That I lead. I know I'm going to have to turn myself in after today, but… well… Yu asked me for a favor to give some closure. Follow me." And Akira began to lead them deeper into the subway.

Takashi didn't like this 'Mementos'. The subway station was eerily quiet. And anyone that they did see ended up heading lower in almost mindlessly. Akira took the stairs that would usually lead up, simply because they had no foot traffic.

Akira then slipped deeper, into darkness. Takashi waited a moment before he followed. The darkness consumed him a moment, but as he passed through it, he was bathed in an eerie red light and he took a moment. It seemed like any other landing, but there was something ominous to it.

And wind blowed deeper in, the sound of… something echoing down there.

His attention was drawn to a very noticeable hat resting on top of a sword and Takashi felt his throat constrict as he realized what it was. He had seen Naoto with that model revolver, taking it apart and cleaning it before putting it back together. His gaze went to the words painted in black above the obvious marker.

"Here lies a Fool that sought the Truth and stood atop the World but could not bear the loss of his Fortune." Takashi said aloud. It was a bit cryptic. But he could see it was written by Yu, certain characters having similar quirks to the letter Yu had wrote.

"Yu was the Fool." Akira said. Takashi turned and almost went on the defensive. Akira was tucking a pistol into a holster and a knife that was more like a dagger into a different holster. He was dressed differently, Black duster, red gloves, a white domino mask, black bag on his back, and a set of leathers. Had he attacked Akechi? No… Yu's letter did say that it had been him. And Akira's knife was curved.

Akechi had been stabbed by a straight blade.

"Why call him a fool?" Takashi asked. "He had been a good young man." he said. Even if he had done something reckless, had killed people, Naoto had touted nothing but goodness for Yu Narukami. He just fell to his anger.

Akira shook his head. "Zero. The Fool. The First of the Major Arcana of Tarot." He said. "Yu was represented by the Fool. After his journey to seek the Truth in Inaba, he became the World, the Final Major Arcana. Each of Yu's friends were represented by another of the Major Arcana. Naoto was the Wheel of Fortune."

The loss of his Fortune. Takashi glanced back towards the message written over the sword and frowned a bit. The loss of Naoto had crushed Yu Narukami. But he had ensured that justice had been done, if in a bit of a barbaric fashion. Takashi could not condone such an act. But he had difficulty condemning it.

"Come on, Yu asked me to show you the Reaper." Akira headed down the stairs.

Takashi moved to follow, glancing over to the bag that Akira had gone to. He saw a number of others as well. Had his granddaughter been involved in this? Perhaps he didn't want to know.

Akira came down to a platform and took a seat, his feet dangling off the edge. Takashi frowned a moment, glancing around the area. There seemed to be no beginning. And the tracks were all twisted. And even looking away, he could see they made too sharp of a turn. "Where are we?" he asked.

"This is Mementos. This is the cognition of the general public at large, a labyrinth of twisted desires taken form and Shadows." Akira said. "We're waiting on something though." From his bag, Akira pulled out a six pack of soda and pulled one off the plastic ring. He passed it over to Takashi before he grabbed a second. He popped it open and took a sip.

"How long?" Takashi asked. Despite himself, he found himself opening the soda and taking a sip. It seemed to soothe the pressure settling on his shoulders.

"Oh… Not long." Akira said. "But we're staying towards the entrance. I don't want to tango with it alone, and you're a liability down here. Though…" Akira pulled his pistol and checked the safety before he turned it to hold it handle out to Takashi.

The Elder Shirogane paused a moment before he took it and checked it over. He then put it into the waistband of his pants. Not an ideal spot. Takashi was a bit of a gun buff though and decided to talk about it. "Ruger P90. Seems custom. Where'd you get it?"

Akira chuckled. "It's actually a model." He said. "But it does work here. Seems like if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it's a duck in here. Don't believe me? Pop a round or two off."

Takashi was tempted to do just that, but refrained from the overwhelming urge to do so. "No, I trust you. You've been nothing but honest with me so far, even though you could have denied everything."

Akira nodded his head. Takashi was about to speak when Akira held up a hand. "Hear that?" he asked.

Takashi frowned a moment. He didn't hear anything but the eerie sounds that this place had. He strained his ears, trying to hear for whatever it was. But suddenly, it sounded over the howling wind. The rattling of chains. He watched as Akira stood up. "What is that?"

"The Reaper." The sound of chains echoed about. "I don't know if it's up for going toe to toe with me or not, so just be prepared to head back up those stairs. I'd rather not fight it alone."

The chains sounded louder. Slowly, it drifted around the corner unlike anything Takashi had ever seen in his long career. His blood felt like ice in his veins. And he had to swallow a large lump of fear at staring at it. It floated, a ragged red garb brushing the ground, chains rattling as it moved. Its shoulders moved up and down, heaving with its ragged breath. Like an animal. It stayed at the end of the tunnel.

And he could see a large revolver that made the model Ruger P90 seem like a water pistol.

"Yu fought that?" Takashi asked. He could not imagine the fear the young man must have felt. He could not imagine Yu having survived, alone, against such a beast.

"And gave it one Hell of a fight." Akira said. "I don't know how quickly it heals or regenerates, but it does. I don't claim to know how many times Yu fought the damned thing either."

"How can you tell Yu gave it a fight or that it needs to heal?" Takashi wasn't seeing it.

"Because it usually has two arms with two revolvers."

Takashi looked at the beast in a new light. There, its right shoulder. The garb definitely seemed to be missing substance. And Takashi could see a sort of shadowy ichor dripping from it. He could imagine Yu cleaving the arm off. "Should we finish it?"

"No." Akira said. "I don't want to dance with it any more than I have to. The one time I did, I watched a friend's stomach get blown out." Akira kept his eyes on the Reaper, even as he backed up towards the stairs.

Once up by the grave marker, Takashi looked at Akira a moment. "Your friend died against it?" he asked.

"Yes." Akira said. "I don't imagine Yu having survived that, and he was a good friend."

"I meant your friend who had his stomach blown out." Takashi said.

"No." Akira sighed. "Eiha." Akira pointed his finger at a distant spot and Takashi was surprised when a red and black blast of energy damaged the stone work. "That's Arsene's ability. My Persona. A sort of… creature that fights for us in here." Akira didn't have a better term for it. "They can also heal.'

Takashi frowned a bit more. He wanted to ask then, why had Naoto died, but he didn't. He had experienced the entrance himself. It had been rough and tumultuous. He inhaled a moment. It was time they get going. "You know I have to turn you in." Takashi said softly.

He would feel bad about doing so, but his sense of justice and morals would not let him let a possible suspect like this go.

Akira nodded his head. "Let me have the rest of today and tonight. I'll swing by the station tomorrow morning."

Takashi searched the young man's dark eyes a moment before he nodded. "Very well then." He said. "I don't believe you'll cause an issue."

Together, the pair headed up to the top so that they might find a quiet spot to return. Takashi couldn't help but feel his heart break a little bit more. His granddaughter was dead. His granddaughter's boyfriend was undoubtedly dead. And now one of their friends would be arrested.

Life was truly unfair.

 _Take Your TIme_

Akira inhaled a moment as he stood in front of the police station. He knew, despite being a prosecutor, that Sae Niijima was there. She was closely watching the task force that was to investigate the Phantom Thieves. He ran a hand through his frizzy hair. Damn it Naoto. Damn it Yu. Damn it Akechi.

Akira stepped into the police station and went up to the front desk. He had already talked to his friends. They didn't like his course of action, but they understood that it had to be done. That he was saving them. Akira Kurusu was just a delinquent.

Ryuji Sakamoto had a future as a track athlete. Ann Takamaki was a popular model. Yusuke Kitagawa was an up and coming young artist. Makoto Niijima was an honor student with the world as her oyster with her level of drive and commitment. Futaba Sakura was gifted with computers and would undoubtedly go far with her skills. And Haru Okumura was the Heiress to a major company and, after her father's untimely death, was worth millions.

Akira Kurusu was someone that had assaulted a man.

His friends didn't like it. But he was going to keep them safe. He went to the front desk of the police station. "Excuse me, can you ask for Sae Niijima?" Akira asked the nearest officer. Thankfully, Akira wasn't dressed in his Shujin Academy uniform but a set of street clothes. Without his glasses on, he looked old enough and mature enough he wouldn't be busted for truancy right away. "I have information that might lead to the capture of the leader of the Phantom Thieves."

Akira moved to sit down in a chair off to the side. He saw the skeptical look the officer working the front desk gave him, but since all information on the Phantom Thieves was to be taken and determined if it was false or not, the man made the call up to to the task force regardless.

It took maybe ten minutes for Sae Niijima to come down. She was flanked by a pair of uniformed officers. Akira could see where Makoto had gotten her drive from. Sae was… intimidating as all hell. He stood up as the silver haired woman spoke with the front desk and glanced his way. She then marched over to him and put a hand on her hip. Her stance said she wasn't going to tolerate any nonsense. "I'm told you have information that might lead to the arrest of the Leader of the Phantom Thieves."

Akira raised his hands up and put his wrists together. Despite how scared he was, he was still a Phantom Thief. Showmanship demanded he make a show of it. "He's right in front of you."

He saw her scoff. "Don't be stupid." Sae said bluntly. "Do you take me for a fool?" She shook her head with disgust. "Get out of here before you're brought up on charges for obstructing justice." She turned and started to walk away.

Well that wouldn't do. "We went after Suguru Kamoshida after he had raped a student and drove her to attempt suicide. That student's name was never released, though every Shujin Academy student has figured it out. Suzui Shiho." He watched her stop. 'We went after Ichiryusai Madarame because one of his former pupils, and another of our victims, asked me to. Madarame had drove one of his former pupils to suicide, and Natsuhiko Nakanohara asked us to steal Madarame's heart so that Yusuke Kitagawa wouldn't be the next one to commit suicide."

Sae actually turned this time to stare at him. Slowly she began to walk up to him, eyes narrowed at him. Akira raised his wrists up once again. "Why?" she asked.

Akira shrugged his shoulders. "I could give a number of reasons. But with one of our own going on a rampage, the Okumura incident that we, by the way, didn't cause, and me just wanting to keep my team safe, I figured that turning myself in was the best bet. That's all I ask. Drag me through the mud and the muck if you have to, just let me take the fall. No more change of hearts, no more Phantom Thieves."

Sae crossed her arms beneath her breasts a moment, cocking her head to look at Akira. "You expect me to believe that you didn't kill Okumura?" she asked.

"I expected you to believe Naoto Shirogane's analysis that we wouldn't kill Okumura. Oh we went after him, stole his treasure and everything. We didn't do anything different from Kamoshida or Madarame or even Nakanohara or Kaneshiro. But we were careless in thinking someone wasn't in there with us." Akira said. He inhaled a moment. "Please. I'll plead guilty to all but an accusation of murder. Just… please, don't try to go after my team." He said.

Sae watched him with those sharp eyes. Damn was she an intimidating woman. Sae motioned to one of the officers and soon Akira was in a pair of handcuffs. "I have a lot of questions to ask."

Akira chuckled a little bit as he was led through the building. "I have a lot of answers. Whether you believe them or not is up to you."

It had been a fun run, but it seemed that Akira's game had come to an end prematurely. He didn't blame Yu for his actions though. Akira might have done the same.

Now, it was up to him to keep the others safe. He would take responsibility for his actions.

End

 **A/N: Before the torches and pitchforks come out, note the beginning of the chapter! It doesn't have a chapter number! This is a supplementary chapter!**

 **Everyone's calm? Cool. Cool.**

 **This is a bad end chapter. A sort of What If. If Naoto were to die, then Yu would do as he declared and butcher everyone involved with her death. I didn't want to go into too great of detail or else this chapter would end up 20-30k. Just understand, this was Yu not trying to get away with his crimes but just trying to make sure he completed his self appointed task.**

 **And then he went to his end against the Reaper like a badass.**

 **Enjoy the actual update, hope you guys enjoyed this.**


	38. Chapter 37: Baiting the Hook

Chapter 37: Baiting the Hook

There was a stretch of silence after Yu's declaration. After his Judgement being rendered. He looked, unwaveringly, at Takashi Shirogane as he had spoke. And even after.

"You shouldn't speak so recklessly, Yu." Takashi scolded. "Naoto wouldn't want you to do something so reckless." Yu was unsurprised that Takashi seemed unphased by it. After decades of working Police Cases, the Special Investigator had undoubtedly heard all manner of threats, promises, and guarantees from those that were in pain and were hurting.

"No… No she wouldn't. And I hope she scolds me when she wakes." Yu said. His voice wavered just slightly.

Just then the doors to the operating room opened up and a doctor in black scrubs stepped out. "Yu Narukami?" he asked.

Yu stood up. He felt his stomach clench. No, no no. Not Naoto. Not like this.

"She's past the worst of it." The doctor said. "Barring any freak accident while she recovers, she'll live. She's transferring to a private room as we speak."

It was like Yu was puppet and his strings had been cut. He fell to his knees, slamming into the hard tiles. The rush of emotions, the feeling of being drained and worried all hit Yu at once and he began to break down into hard sobs, He placed one fist against his mouth, trying to muffle himself a bit as he finally broke.

Naoto was alive. She'd live. She'd recover.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Yu didn't know who he was thanking. Just that they deserved every bit of his thanks for what they had given him. Naoto, his beloved lover, would live and recover.

"I'm Naoto's grandfather." Takashi spoke up. Yu barely heard it. The relief just flooded through him. He moved to Yu and helped Yu to his feet. "Come on, up you get." He grunted some.

"I'm just so happy… I can't seem to stop crying." Yu said. The tears flowed freely from his eyes and no matter how much he wiped at them they wouldn't stop in the slightest.

"I know, I know." Takashi said. He glanced over to the Doctor. "Can we see her?" He asked.

"She's sedated for the time being, and we'll probably keep her under for a day or two." The doctor said. "But I don't see a problem with taking you to the room she's going to recover in so that you can confirm for yourselves that she's alive. This way." The doctor began to lead the way, taking them the long way instead of through the operating room.

Yu was thankful for that. He didn't want to risk seeing any blood. He was also thankful for Takashi's assistance in walking. It took a moment for the tears to stop and when they did Yu was finally able to walk on his own. Relief still flooded him, and he was suddenly just hit with exhaustion. He just wanted to collapse.

They came to the room and the doctor opened the door to let them inside. "Please keep it brief." He said.

Yu swallowed thickly and nodded as he walked inside to see Naoto. The heart rate monitor was going strong, and he could see the rise and fall of her chest under the thin hospital blankets. She looked so pale and fragile, but she was alive.

"She's strong. She'll pull through." Takashi's voice was thick as he clapped Yu on the shoulder.

"Yeah." Yu nodded his head. And he couldn't wait for when she woke up. Even if she woke up yelling at him, he just wanted her awake. He turned to the doctor. "What about her hat? And her watch? Other personal things?" Yu asked.

"Top drawer of the bedside table." The doctor informed Yu.

Yu nodded softly. He'd leave them there then. "Lucky hat." He said.

"Lucky hat indeed." Takashi said. "Yu, you should go home. Get some sleep. Do you need a ride or fare for a taxi?"

Yu shook his head. "No, no. It's not far and I'd rather walk. Thank you though." It'd give him time to decompress after the trying day that he had experienced.

Takashi nodded his head. "I'll stay and speak with the doctor a little more before heading out myself. I'm sure I'll be seeing you plenty in the coming days. Be safe. No detours Yu."

Yu nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. "Yes sir."

With that, Yu headed to leave the hospital. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders, but his body still felt like it was made of lead. He did as he said too, going the most direct route to get home without taking any detours. It was about a five kilometer walk, but he just took the time to enjoy the night time.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it on. Unsurprisingly, the Investigation Team had been blowing his phone up with messages, with people saying they were coming the next day. While he appreciated the gesture, it wasn't really a feasible thing for them to do.

' **Naoto will make it.'** He texted. ' **She's going to be resting for the next few days. Her grandfather is here to help me watch over her. I know you all want to come, but there's nothing we can do right now. Let her rest, heal, then come. I'll keep you guys updated.'** He sent the text off to the group and put his phone away.

Right then, he just felt like sleeping for a while. He'd go check on Naoto the next day, then he'd likely spend a fair bit calling everyone to make sure they were okay. And then he had to get with Makoto to get copies of her notes for Naoto, as well as her homework.

Naoto hated falling behind her peers when it came to school work. She had once said she could have, and should have, tested ahead but it was the one thing that helped her feel normal, to be taking the same course material that people her age were taking.

Yu could definitely understand that, even if they were likely to never be normal. She was a Special Investigator from a prestigious family. Yu had bounced around, place to place, learning a variety of skills and mastering none of them.

And that wasn't even taking into account the Persona and TV World business.

But the near death experience that Naoto had faced gave Yu a… different perspective. He found himself asking himself how he could spend more time with Naoto. Did he really want to be a teacher? Bogged down to one school? If Naoto went the route of Special Detective, she could be moving all around Japan wherever her job took her, even going overseas if they called upon her skills.

There was nothing wrong with being a teacher, but it would keep him in the same place for an extended period of time.

Not only that, but could Naoto feasibly take him with on a case that she was called upon? They may have jokingly referred to him as a Junior Detective, but the fact of the matter was Yu didn't have the same skill set that Naoto did. It wasn't to say he couldn't learn, but there was a wide gap between their level of abilities.

"I'm more tired than I thought." Yu muttered out loud. He always tended to get too introspective when he was tired. "I'll make a decision when I get some sleep and when Naoto is up for the discussion." He ran a hand through his hair as he began to walk on home.

There was no point in deciding anything half-cocked when his brain wasn't working as it should. Not with the worry that had been etched into him all day long.

 _Take Your TIme_

Her shoes sounded against the pavement as she looked at the directions on her phone. She had already had the address and so finding the place wasn't too difficult, it was just a matter of getting there. And as she saw the house with the motorcycle under the carport, she tucked her phone away as she headed for the door.

Reaching up, she knocked firmly on the door, not hesitating in the slightest. It was after three in the afternoon, Yu should be up by then. She waited a minute or two before knocking again. She frowned a moment and crossed her arms a bit.

She reached into her pocket and pulled her phone back out before pulling up Yu's contact information and giving him a call. The first time it went to his voicemail. She wasn't having that when Naoto was in the hospital, so she called a second time. This time, Yu did pick up. "Narukami." He sounded as though he was just waking up for the day.

On a Tuesday.

"Senpai, open your front door." Rise said bluntly. "I've been standing out here for five minutes."

It took a few more minutes longer before Yu was opening the door. He was dressed in what seemed his sleep clothes, a pair of gray pants and a cream colored sweater. Rise saw the look he was giving her and already knew the comment on his mind. "Didn't I say not to come?" he asked. He turned his head to yawn into his hand.

Rise also noticed his right arm was in a sling to keep it from being moved.

"Yeah well, I was going to be coming over today regardless." Rise said, crossing her arms. "That my best friend got hurt just meant I was going to get out of recording today as quickly as I could. I had a gig here in Tokyo working with Kanami-chan on her Dropkick Album. Are you going to invite me in?"

Yu shifted out of the doorway. "Sorry."

Rise shook her head. "No, I'm sorry Senpai." She said and sighed. "I'm just…" She balled her fist against her skirt. "Damn it. I'm just so scared, and then today was stressful, and I just… Naoto-kun is going to be okay, isn't she?!"

She hadn't had a chance to breakdown, to really just let it out, and she knew if there was anyone that she could let it out with it was Yu Narukami. He had seen her at her worst and had helped her find the missing pieces that she needed.

Rise wasn't expecting Yu to step in and wrap an arm around her and pull her in close. "It's okay." He said. Damn it. Damn it. Tears started to flow. How could he be so damned calm about this? She was about to tear into him, looking up at him when she saw the moisture at his eyes. No… Yu Narukami wasn't calm, he was coping. And he had gone full circle from being an emotional mess to just too drained. "Naoto's past the worst of it."

"Damn it." Rise swore out loud again. She hated swearing. She was supposed to be a cute idol adored by all. She balled her fists into Yu's sweater, crying. "What happened?" She asked.

"One step at a time." Yu said. He stepped back inside. "Come on. Your voice sounds hoarse, I'll make you some warm tea with honey. Then I'm going to go get a shower and changed into some proper clothes."

Rise hesitated a moment before deciding that it did sound like a good plan of action. "Do you need help taking your shirt off?" It wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, so she didn't think Naoto would mind terribly much if she helped Yu out. Plus, she was quite curious why his arm was in a sling to keep it mostly immobilized.

"I'm good." Yu said. "I can get my top off without too much issue, as for putting it back on, well… as long as I'm careful."

Rise shook her head before she kicked her shoes off and stepped inside. "Senpai?" She asked as Yu headed to the kitchen. She took a seat at the kotatsu. She could see a few things that were Naoto's. Like the Detective novel on the table beside the couch or the Phoenix Feathermen R box set by the DVD player.

"Mm?" Yu acknowledged her from the kitchen wordlessly.

"Promise me that you'll make whoever did this to our sleuth pay." Rise said. "I don't want you to come close to toeing the line like you did with Namatame, but…" Rise had hardly believed that they had been ready to kill the man. She didn't want Yu doing that again, but she wanted whoever hurt Naoto to regret it.

Yu stepped from the kitchen a moment and he locked eyes with her. Rise's breath caught in her chest and she felt like her heart was starting to race as she saw the intensity in his gaze. "If I get to them before Naoto does." His words sent a shiver down her spine, and Rise could vividly recall Naoto being the one of the group about to act rashly.

Yu returned to the kitchen and finished preparing the tea he had offered. He came out and set it down in front of her before he headed up the stairs. Rise could hear the water of the shower start before it was muffled, likely as Yu closed the door.

Rise took a few moments of reflection as she sipped at her tea. Part of her couldn't help but be envious of her best friends. Yu and Naoto had made a life there together. They were happy together. And Rise Kujikawa was alone still. She refused to be consumed by that envy, instead acknowledging it and moving past it.

But she couldn't help but see a few things she might have had differently. Couldn't help but see a few things that Naoto had there that wouldn't have been there. Briefly, Rise couldn't help but wonder what might have happened had she joined the Investigation Team last instead of Naoto.

Would Yu still have been with Naoto? Would he be with her instead? Would he be single?

She couldn't help but think about the point that Yu and Naoto had made during their trip to Inaba. That had they been three small town kids that no one honestly cared about, they might have made a try at being a trio. But Rise felt like they hadn't thought that statement through all the way.

Yu Narukami was the closest to being normal out of the entire group. The sole exception might have been Chie. So Rise could infer that his decisions as he made them would still be the same as if he had been in Inaba to begin with.

But her and Naoto? They were famous. One an idol, one a detective. Their experiences colored their preconceptions of people. Yu had been a refreshing breath of air, he didn't care about Risette past that Risette was part of her, part of the whole of Rise Kujikawa. Had she never had Risette, there was a chance that while Yu would be friendly, he might have never showed up on her radar as being noteworthy.

Naoto had been so used to being treated like a boy. Yu was one of the first that treated her as a person. A person with worries, with hopes, with dreams, with every little tiny thing that made a person tick. But if Naoto Shirogane had just been a small town girl? No famous detective family, no 'Detective Prince' title from the media? Rise thought that Naoto wouldn't have had those same insecurities. And again, Yu would come across as nice, but perhaps not particularly noteworthy.

And if that had been the case, there was a good chance none of them would have been involved in the Persona stuff. Yu, maybe would have been since he had been the sort of catalyst for all of them. And without that experience to draw them together, then there would have been a bigger than average chance that they wouldn't be nearly as close as they were.

Life and death, putting trust in one another. It had been something else entirely. And Rise could remember the admiration she had those early days. The way Yu seemed to just… command attention.

If they had been three small town kids, Rise could almost see Yu getting together with Yukiko or Chie rather than Naoto or herself.

She finished her tea and took it to the kitchen sink. She hesitated, not wanting to turn on the water while Yu was in the shower but also not wanting to just leave a dirty dish in the sink. Rise debated a bit longer before deciding that Yu would forgive her for a tea mug.

And when Yu did come down, Rise knew that they were about to go and see Naoto. And Rise could admit that the dark blue long sleeve shirt looked surprisingly good on Yu. She was so used to the Yasogami uniform on him that actually seeing him in casual clothes was a bit of a different thing. And the pair of black slacks did compliment the look well.

Rise stood up a moment and stepped over to Yu. "Here." She reached out and untucked his shirt from his slacks. "You look better without it tucked in. You're going to visit a friend, your girlfriend. You don't need to put on appearances."

Yu shook his head a little bit. "Thanks Rise." He said. He gave a wry grin. "Not sure what I'd do without you."

Rise smiled a little at that. She then frowned a moment, looking to the sling his arm was in. "Senpai, what happened to you?" she asked finally.

Yu sighed. Even though his grin had been a bit strained and forced, he had still given it to try and keep their spirits up. "I tackled Naoto to the ground and took a round to the shoulder. It didn't hit any bone, but I still got banged up.'

"Are you going to patch yourself up by going into, what was it again? Mementos?" Rise asked, frowning as she tried to recall the other place.

"Not yet. Not until Naoto gets out of the hospital." Yu said.

Rise frowned more. "Senpai." she said. "Are you punishing yourself?"

"No, no.' Yu said, holding his hands up. "Naoto would verbally tear me apart if I did that." He said. "But I'm going to be visiting Naoto in the hospital almost every. Single. Day. The Doctors would be extremely impressed to see me walk stitches off in a day or two, and would want to know how I did it."

Rise had to give Yu credit for at least thinking about that. She might not have in hindsight. "Will you be okay, Senpai?" she asked.

"I will be when Naoto wakes up." Yu said.

Rise nodded her head. "Then let's go see our favorite sleuth and check on her. That'll make us both feel better." She said.

Yu nodded his head and turned to lead the way out of his house. Things weren't perfect, and Rise couldn't help but wonder about what ifs, but there was one thing she was certain of.

Someone had Hell to pay. And once Naoto had recovered enough, Yu Narukami WAS going to collect.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira should have been home. He should have been at Leblanc, but he couldn't help but have a need to think things out. And so he had gone to a place that had come to be a place where he could sit in quiet contemplation. Especially given what he had to look at.

He sat in the back of the church, straddling a bench and staring at the Shogi Board in front of him. It was set up with the pieces in irregular places. He had two Generals on his side of the board and had them surrounded by the black side. A false move on his part would have either of them, or both, taken. His side of the board had no pawns, merely knights, lances, and bishops with a single King at the center of them.

The two Generals represented Yu and Naoto. If Naoto was lost to them, then so too was Yu Narukami. And the Phantom Thieves needed their Generals. It would be a crushing blow if they lost either of them. And Akira didn't want to think about the outcome of that event.

The lances, the knights, and the bishops represented his friends. The Phantom Thieves were invaluable to him and he didn't want to think of them as pawns to be so casually sacrificed. He wanted to think of them each as a powerful piece, capable of helping him out and pulling him through this burden.

And naturally, he sat as the King. Not because he thought of himself like that, but that he knew he was the lynchpin to the Phantom Thieves. Without his flexibility and the power of the Wild Card, his friends would have a harder time continuing the activities of the Phantom Thieves. Not that he thought that they couldn't, but he didn't want to think his friends were so reckless that they would risk something like that.

The opposing side of the board however had several things going for it. Pawns in place to capture them. Lances, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, that would move about as they wanted. He had given them a General as well. And lastly, the King was missing from the board entirely.

Akechi was the General. He was powerful and in a powerful position to bring an axe down. Everything had to be carefully considered before he made his move. Was there still a possibility that Goro Akechi was innocent? Yes, there was a possibility. But Akira was ninety five percent certain that Akechi wasn't as innocent as he might try to appear. Naoto's interview and the subsequent shooting had proved that.

He could, as Naoto said, be an incompetent pawn. But Akira didn't think so.

The pawns were any number of people. The Police working around the clock to try and find the Phantom Thieves, the public, the hacker that got into Mishima's site. He didn't have the identities of the various other pieces, but he had to assume there were others.

The only one that he did have an idea on was a promoted Bishop that he had taken to thinking of as Sae Niijima. She was dangerous, extremely so. And so he wanted to put her into a position where she could move freely over the board. The slightest screw up and she would pounce on them like a rabid dog.

And the King was missing because Akira didn't know who the King was. This was not something where he could go after the head of the serpent and seperate it from its body and be done with it. And there was always a possibility that the King was only a minor King, with the real threat still lurking out there.

Yaldabaoth.

Akira could still remember the day that Yu had entered the Velvet Room with him and proceeded to slash that bastard. Seeing Izanagi-no-Okami in action was… impressive. Violent and impressive. But there was no doubt that Yaldabaoth was playing a long game, and Akira didn't know what pieces he had in that game.

If he even had any.

He sighed softly, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought about it. It was technically his go. Perhaps a western chess set would have been better for this, but he had wanted to use the Shogi board because he had been playing it a lot more in recent months than chess.

"My, that looks like quite the conundrum you're in Akira-kun." Akira glanced up to the gentle smile of Hifumi Togo as she brushed some of her long black locks back behind an ear and slowly sat down. She brushed her hands along her skirt so that it wouldn't bunch up as she sat on the bench he was straddling. "Whose go is it?"

"Mine." Akira said. He continued staring at the pieces, as though hoping they would have the answers that he sought.

"Hmm." Hifumi leaned over a little bit. "No pawns to sacrifice. Two Generals in danger. And the King is surrounded. Whereas I have quite a bit, and my own King seems to be missing." She said. "Usually the lower ranked player is given a handicap to help them win, not the higher ranked player."

"Hidden." Akira corrected politely. "I'm not playing a normal game of Shogi. Handicaps aren't in place."

"No, no you are not." Hifumi said with a smile. She reached out and very gently touched a piece, tidying it up within its square. "I recently quit the Ladies Professional Shogi Players' Association. I need to start over as an amateur." She said, closing her eyes. There was a slight depressed look on her face.

"You'll triumph in the end." Akira said. "So don't lose sight of your goal."

Hifumi smiled at that. "That's my intention." She said. "Now then, would you care for some help, even from the Phony Princess?" she asked.

"No." Akira said and saw her look a bit shocked, even hurt. "But I would take help from my very good friend, Hifumi Togo, Future Queen of the Shogi World." he said.

A hint of a blush formed on her cheeks and slowly her lips curled into a smile. She brushed her hair back again and her eyes sharpened. That analytical and tactical mind came out. Hifumi had the ability to be the best, she just needed to have it brought out of her. "What are the rules of engagement?" she asked.

"No sacrifices from Black." He said. "Except this one." He pointed to the King on the board. Him. He was unwilling to sacrifice his friends, but he would sacrifice himself. "The White Gold General is to be treated as a spy. Infiltrate the ranks of the Black, act to be working with them. The White Gold Bishop might be able to be converted to a black bishop."

He watched as Hifumi churned all this information over her head. Perhaps Akira had been too invested, and he needed someone able to look at it from an outside perspective. "Many are trying to cover for me." She said. "Saying the adults had used me. But I don't believe the fault lay with them, but with me. Had I properly assessed my skills, I wouldn't be in this situation." She said. "That says nothing about my mother." She said a bit sourly.

Akira gently reached out and tidied a piece of his own. "Maybe." He said. "But all you can do is grow from this experience. A good friend once told me, once you hit rock bottom there's only two things you can do. Either lay there, or get up and start climbing again."

Hifumi nodded her head. "That is good advice." She said. "I plan to climb. I'll climb as high as I can. But you didn't abandon me even after you learned about the fixed matches. It's… empowering to feel someone encourage me on. To believe in me. At first, I treated it like a deal. I learn and practice new moves, you get to learn how to play. But here we are, you're a very dear friend to me."

"And you're a good friend to me, Hifumi." Akira said politely.

Hifumi smiled warmly. "I'm not going to pay any attention to the criticism anymore." She reached out and picked up the black King, advancing it into an open space for Akira. She then moved the Gold General of White into a better position to place the black King into check. "This time, I'll earn everyone's admiration with my own skills, and I'll start by showing you."

Akira continued to look at the board before he moved one of his Lances forward. "You've already got mine Hifumi, you don't need to earn anything from me."

Hifumi smiled more. She adjusted a pawn forward. "No drops?" she asked.

"No reinforcements." Akira said simply.

"Ah." Hifumi shifted a piece to tidy it a bit more. "It is truly difficult without a King." she said.

Akira moved a Rook to pin the Gold General a moment. Futaba would be able to help counter Akechi's plan. Maybe she could hack his phone? Hmm. There was something that he would have to look into.

"I do hope that you… No… The Phantom Thieves have found my lessons helpful." She said as she adjusted the Gold General back and set it up to make it look like it was going to take a pawn of her side of the board.

"So you know." Akira said. He glanced up to her dark eyes a moment before back at the board. "We do." He said. He wasn't going to try and deny it. Not to the people he forged a tight knit bond with. It would just insult them if he tried to do so. Not to mention having been called out on it four times, there was just no point in it. Akira moved to put pressure on the pieces surrounding his two Generals.

"I am deeply honored to be told that by one of the Phantom Thieves." Hifumi said as she moved. They soon slipped into habits, adjusting the pieces faster as plans came to mind. "I told you about my mother and then she changed. I knew then that it couldn't be a coincidence. I am just glad that you have seen fit to continue to be my friend." She said.

Akira looked towards Hifumi. She had a slightly unreadable expression on her face. She usually did. The ferocious Queen that hid behind the demure school girl. He doubted he was much of a match against her. And she was right, she had such a ridiculous advantage because of how badly he handicapped himself. "I couldn't just let you go to the wolves." He said.

"If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to rely on me." Hifumi offered. "Though I am somewhat disgraced, I don't plan for that to be the case very long."

"I will." Akira offered the girl.

The game continued on from there. Hifumi had, at several points, looked like she wanted to push him to the point of conceding, but from her determining that he was a Phantom Thieve, she knew that the game was likely him planning several important steps. And already, Akira was getting a number of ideas on how to move and how to position Akechi so that his own trap bit him.

"It is a shame I am not your type." Hifumi said somewhat suddenly.

"Huh?" Akira's head rose up sharply. Where the Hell had that come from?

Hifumi offered a slight giggle. "Please, even when I was banned from dating I had dropped a number of hints that I was interested in you. And now that I am not banned, I find myself somewhat disappointed."

What did he say to that? "I'm sorry?" He knew he sounded confused but it sounded like a good start.

"Don't be." Hifumi said. "I am content to at least be considered a very good friend. You may not ever see me in that manner, but I can tell that if I were to ever need assistance with anything, you would not hesitate to come and offer me assistance." She smiled as she moved the Gold General again. "Would you please close your eyes, Akira-kun?" she asked.

Akira frowned a moment. What did she want him to close his eyes for? But he did trust Hifumi. He closed his eyes. Slowly, he felt a hand reach up and take the glasses off his eyes. Dainty fingers covered his eyes before he felt something soft press up to his lips. He was almost certain that Hifumi had just kissed him.

"Check." She whispered before standing up, pulling away and walking out of the church.

Akira could only watch her go before his gaze went back to the board, trying to figure out the check. He felt only confusion with the dark haired girl leaving him with a riddle to try and resolve on his own.

 _Take Your Time_

Slowly, she felt herself regaining consciousness. The dream she had been having was slowly fading away. It was slowly slipping from her grasp, details leaving her even as she felt a strong desire to hold onto them. It was like trying to hold water in her fingers however, and it was bound to slip out.

Slowly, her eyes opened and she began to take stock of her situation. Her chest throbbed and ached. Something was taped to her arm. White ceiling. And her throat felt so dry. The steady beat of the heart rate monitor confused her a moment.

It spiked as she came to remember what had happened, what had caused her to be in this state. Adrenaline pumped through her body as panic spiked. But she took a moment to try and calm down.

"Ung…" She turned her gaze to her right. There, sitting in a chair to her right was her boyfriend. Naoto could feel herself slowly calming down. She was alive, and Yu was okay. His head was lulled forward. He was clearly asleep.

She swallowed with her dry throat. She desperately needed some water. She licked her lips a moment. "Senpai." She rasped out. She licked her lips again and tried to muster more strength. She brought her hand up to try and reach out to touch him. An IV was hooked up which made it more difficult to move her arm without agitating the needle in it. "Senpai." She managed a little louder.

She couldn't quite reach him.

Naoto swallowed again. Her throat felt hoarse. She tried to sit up, but found the task a little too difficult in her current condition. "Yu!" She finally managed to get out much stronger.

"Guh!" Yu sat up bolt right, coming to consciousness. "I'm awake." He said in a gentle manner, as though trying to keep from disturbing her. He rubbed at his eyes a moment. Naoto couldn't help but feel a soft smile coming to her lips as she watched him.

"Senpai." She said softly. "Water."

Yu's eyes widened as he turned to face her and took note that she was actually awake. He stood up and like a man possessed by something, he rushed to the bathroom to grab her some water. "Takashi-san!" He called out. Naoto winced at the loud sound. Her temples throbbed a bit.

But sure enough, through the door in strode her grandfather. "What is it?" He asked before he noted that Naoto was awake. He rushed over and took her hand. "Naoto!" he said. He hit the call button for the nurse.

Yu came out of the bathroom and moved to her side. He helped her drink the water, especially since she was having difficulty with her arms still. She was thankful for the aid, but more thankful for the cool and refreshing liquid spilling in her mouth.

She licked her lips as Yu pulled the cup back. However, before she could really ask about things, a nurse came in. "What seems to be the problem?" The man asked quickly.

"Naoto is awake." Her grandfather said.

The nurse nodded his head. "Okay, both of you out." He said. "Shirogane-san, the doctor will be along shortly." The nurse said. "I'm going to start with taking some vitals."

Naoto nodded her head a little weakly. She hated the feel. It was like when she came out of the TV World all over again. She had been weak, exhausted, and she hated it. Now she just had to go through that all over again.

And she didn't bother with asking stupid and unimportant questions that Yu and her grandfather could answer when she would have a few moments to catch up with them. She just focused on having her vitals taken by the nurse. And when the Doctor came in, she listened to what he had to say.

She took it all stoically. She would be on bed rest for almost two weeks. She might not be able to do some of the more physically demanding aspects of being a Special Detective anymore given the damage to her left lung. The Doctor was hopeful, but was honestly unsure. She had physical therapy ahead of her for the damage, but she might have to have an inhaler for the rest of her life to help with breathing.

Naoto was hopeful for what could be done once she was in Mementos.

Two weeks though, two weeks of recovery inside the hospital. She knew that her friends with the Phantom Thieves might not always be able to come. She knew that her grandfather would not always be able to be there. And her friends with the Investigation Team likely wouldn't be there either. Not that they wouldn't come, but they couldn't possibly come all the time to keep her company. Even Yu would have to go to school, work.

Naoto was on the bench, and honestly, it pissed her off something fierce.

The Doctor let her boyfriend and grandfather in, and she watched as Yu came around to her left side to take her hand. She frowned at the sight of his watch but her bare wrist. She hoped they hadn't broken her watch. Unfortunately, she had to make them both at the same time so that she could get the receivers to sync up with one another.

She could make her own and take Yu's apart, but she'd be having to put it back together again. And while she quite thoroughly enjoyed working on them, taking it all the way apart was always a pain.

"They saved your watch." Yu said after a moment, a bit of amusement showing through his tone.

Naoto looked a bit surprised before giving a sound of amusement. "Am I that transparent?" She asked.

"To be fair, you have been staring at your naked wrist quite intently." Takashi said.

Naoto sighed a bit. The drugs she was on, and she had little doubt that she was on some powerful pain meds, were making her mind drift and be hazy. It was why she hated having the meds. But she did acknowledge that she was lucky to be alive. "How long have I been out?" Naoto asked.

"You were shot on the seventeenth." Yu said softly. "It's now the twentieth."

Naoto gently tugged Yu's hand towards her to check the time. 3:47 PM. She closed her eyes and inhaled a little bit. And she was going to be down for another two weeks. "Damn it." She said.

"Language." Her grandfather's reaction was immediate.

She also gave him a glower that seemed to only amuse him. She sighed and looked over to Yu. "I'm going to be bored." She said.

"I'll make sure to bring some books. Would you rather stuff from your collection or should I pick up some new things?" Yu asked. "I'll also make sure to get Makoto to bring by classwork and homework since I know you hate getting behind on that."

Naoto was grateful for that. She did in fact hate getting behind on her school work. One time, one time her case had interfered with her school work and the teacher had made a snide remark. She didn't ever want a repeat of that. Not if she could help it at least.

And she knew that Makoto would be able to give her excellent notes to work from. And Yu would be more than capable of helping her study if she ended up missing something important. She had her educational bases covered. "Some from my personal collection would be fine." She answered Yu. "But a new detective novel recently came out that I would like as well. It's from a new author."

And after the disappointment of the latest novels from one of her favorite authors, she was definitely interested in a new author to try and get something exciting and intriguing.

"Rise will also be stopping by before she heads back to Inaba." Yu said. "She's here recording a duet portion for Dropkick." They had all seen the posters hanging around for the upcoming album.

Naoto couldn't help the slight purse of her lips, the slight frown that wormed its way onto her face. While she didn't truly think that Rise would do anything, especially not while Naoto was in the hospital, she couldn't help but feel a little possessive, a little… self conscious.

Damn it, she thought she had worked through this.

"We will also be having a talk, Naoto." He said after a moment. Likely to distract her from her thoughts regarding Rise. No doubt Yu, and Rise for that matter, would be able to quite quickly ease her worries but now was the time for it. "Something about the TV World?"

Ah. Damn. She looked over to Yu. "How much did you tell him?" She asked.

"Not enough. You would be able to tell him more and make more of a logical sense of things than I would be able to." Yu said. "And I uh… also have a conversation. I might have done something stupid, but I don't want to make you angry and irate at the moment, not when you've just woken up."

Naoto narrowed her eyes at Yu. Suspicious began to creep into her brain. "I might not be getting angry and irate yet, Senpai, but I've clearly missed a lot while I've been out. What did you do?"

"Later." Yu said softly. "Let's get you feeling a little less woozy on pain medication. Let's just say I might have said something in front of your grandfather that was incredibly stupid of me to do so."

Naoto stared at him long and hard before she gave a slow jerk of her head. "I don't suppose anyone knows where my hat is, do they?"

Her grandfather opened the top drawer to the bedside table and produced the familiar blue hat. In it was also her watch.

She accepted both and strapped the watch on first. She then took her hat. She noted a hint of blood had splattered on it. "I'll get that out later." She said. She then placed the hat on her head, adjusting it a little bit.

It didn't feel right not having it on.

 _Take Your Time_

Makoto looked over the study guide she had prepared. They were getting closer and closer to where it would be time for final exams and Makoto had no intention of being unprepared for them. Plus, she would be giving the study guide over to Naoto as well. It would give the injured girl something to do.

A bowl of curry sat to her right and she would occasionally lean over and eat a bite before continuing to look through the study guide. Because of her position as Student Council President, because of Sae's success, everyone had high expectations for her.

She smiled a little as she thought of her friends. Except them. The Phantom Thieves and even the Investigation Team had all told her it was okay to be normal. There were going to be things she was good at, and bad at. She didn't have to worry about perfection, but in trying her best.

Makoto's best just happened to be a little more than her peers academically speaking.

"I'm home." Sae's voice rang out as Makoto heard the shuffle of Sae taking off her shoes.

"Hi Sis." Makoto greeted as Sae started to enter the living room of the apartment they shared. "I'll warm up some dinner." She slid out of the chair and began to make her way towards the kitchen.

"No, it's okay." Sae said brushing some of her long hair back behind her ear. "I just came home to get a change of clothes."

"You're planning on staying at work?" Makoto asked. Unconsciously, she began to let a little bit of that harder edge that was Queen begin to slip out.

"I've been given an important task." Sae said with a hint of pride in her voice.

"Then it's all the more important that you eat, so sit down. I'll have a plate of curry out in just a moment." Makoto said and started in the kitchen.

"I don't have the time, Makoto." Sae said, a hint of disappointment slipping into her voice. Maybe it was disapproval. Makoto didn't care.

She whirled on her sister and let Queen come out in full force. "Sit. Down." She said with more force. "You're exhausted, the makeup barely covers the bags under your eyes, and you have a slump to your shoulders. You're favoring your right leg by putting most the weight on your left foot. Given you're right handed, you walk a little heavier with your right foot, I'm willing to bet you have blisters on your foot. So Sit. Down. And. Eat." By being Queen, Makoto had gotten to be very good at analyzing the people around her. The slightest bit of information that they were unconsciously betraying.

"What has gotten into you?" Sae asked a bit more defensively, crossing her arms across her chest.

"What's gotten into me?" Makoto asked. "My sister who I care for very much is being a stubborn idiot." Makoto continued heating up the curry and rice to a good temperature before pouring the curry over some rice.

"As an adult, there are times when failure isn't an option, Makoto." Sae argued. "It's all over for me if I can't complete this."

Makoto brought the food over and sat the plate down at Sae's usual spot. "And spending fifteen minutes to get off your feet, and fill your stomach isn't going to cause you to fail, Sis. When you collapse from exhaustion, you will fail." Makoto was not going to be steamrolled and let Sae walk all over her. Not when she held her sister in such high regards, the Palace she held be damned. "You have barely been home in two weeks."

"This is my one chance to get a promotion!" Sae said. Makoto could see the one eye close in a slight wince, a tic that she was very familiar with because she did the same thing. "I have heard detectives have been coming to your school, that must make it very hard on your studies." Sae attempted to change the subject.

"A promotion?" Makoto wasn't going to let her though. "That's what this is about? You're going to work yourself into the ground for a promotion?"

"I'm going to catch the Phantom Thieves myself." Sae said.

Disbelief rippled through Makoto. Her sister had set her sights on the Phantom Thieves? "The Hell is wrong with you?!" She actually snapped at Sae, causing the older woman to recoil. Makoto had never actually used such language in Sae's direction, being the dutiful younger sister to try and make things easier on Sae.

But this… This went too far.

"They are murders." Sae said, stepping forward.

"No, they are not." Makoto said, holding her damned ground against her sister once more. "Or have you forgotten what happened with Naoto Shirogane? It's been less than a week!"

"What happened with Shirogane-san is regrettable and unfortunate." Sae said. "But half-baked theories and ideas do not interest me." Sae's tone was getting sharper.

Oh no. No, no, no. "I've known Naoto for the better part of five months now, and have learned a lot from just sitting beside her." Makoto said sharply. She wasn't going to let anyone discredit her friend. "So let me give you some insight into Naoto-kun's mind, Sis. Naoto, doesn't do anything half baked. Everything is thoroughly researched, thoroughly thought about, and is always, always baked up with carefully collected evidence. If Naoto-kun says she has information, then she damned well has information regarding the mental breakdowns, and those people behind it would certainly want to use the Phantom Thieves as scapegoats, and get rid of Naotoso her evidence isn't made known. You're playing right into their hand, having the SIU go after the Phantom Thieves. Would you even get the SIU to go after the targets if Naoto-kun did drop the information on you? Or would you still dog the Phantom Thieves for the glory?"

"This isn't about glory!" Sae shouted at Makoto.

"Didn't you just say this was about a damned promotion?!" Makoto shouted right back. She breathed hard and heavy, shaking her head. "What happened to you Sis? It used to be about justice, about doing the right thing." Makoto pulled back. "I'm staying at a friend's house tonight." She said. "Eat. Get some sleep. Then go chase the Phantom Thieves. Not like you've ever asked my opinion before doing whatever it was that you wanted." Hardship of being the younger sister, Makoto supposed.

She went and gathered an overnight bag, tossing a spare uniform into it as well as some extra things.

Sae was still in the living room, even as Makoto was making her way past. Perhaps her words had some effect. Perhaps not. "And if I said you couldn't go out?" Sae asked. Technically she could as Makoto's legal guardian since adulthood was at twenty for Japan.

"I'm going out to keep from saying something hurtful and mean, Sis." Makoto said bluntly. "And it was a spur of the moment decision since you seem to be acting like this."

"Say it." Sae said. Makoto glanced over her shoulder. She could see the angry glower on her sister's face. She really didn't want to say the words. "I likely won't be around much the coming days, so say. It. Get it out in the open."

Makoto continued watching her sister a moment. "I wonder if Dad would even recognize you anymore Sis." Makoto wouldn't have gotten the obviously shocked recoil or the quickly morphing anger of Sae's face had she walked up and punched her sister. Mentioning their father was always a bit of a difficult thing. Makoto grabbed her keys, slipped her shoes on and walked out of the house.

Her first thought was to see if maybe she could crash with Akira since he was so reliable. But then, that might make things a bit awkward and difficult between them. She pulled her phone out and scrolled through her contacts before dialing a number.

" _Mako-chan, what's up?"_ Haru asked as Makoto brought the phone to her ear.

"Hey, odd request. Do you think I could sleep at your place tonight?" Makoto asked as politely as she could. "I promise to tell you the full story, and I have some news for the group as well."

Haru would be the safer bet. They had, since the induction of the Okumura Heiress into the Phantom Thieves, been seen together in a friendly manner, so it was safe for people to assume that they had become good friends,

" _Oh! Certainly, it'd be nice to have some company!"_ Haru said in a very cheerful manner. Makoto couldn't help but smile a little bit at that. She was glad that her company would be appreciated. " _I'll message you my address."_

"Thanks Haru." Makoto said. Maybe she should have tried to stay with Haru other times, especially since her father was gone. Makoto was all too aware of how lonely nights could get. "See you when I get there."

Makoto had no idea of if her sister would take her words to heart, but she hoped that Sae would. Once things settled down a little bit more after the Cultural Festival, she would bring up her sister's Palace with the others.

Hopefully Akechi would have made his move by then so that Makoto could probably plan around and including his attempt to bring them down. None of the Phantom Thieves would be willing to sacrifice Akira, no matter what.

And then hopefully her sister would go back to being a good person once more. She was a highly respected and regarded prosecutor, her sister should be proud of her position.

Makoto should have been able to be proud of her sister.

Chapter End

 **A/N: And here we go, the chapter that continues the story onwards.**

 **I never did like the way Sae just swapped to Akira's side after one interview. So I'm hoping to change a scene or two here and there to make it a little more realistic that Sae would put her career on the line for Akira.**

 **And I also included a rank 10 Confidant scene by complete accident.**

 **Hope everyone enjoyed.**


	39. Chapter 38: Playing the Fool

Chapter 38: Playing the Fool

Naoto sighed a bit and set her book down. It was a good book, but she was moving through it too quickly. She had just started probably that morning and already she was halfway through it. She checked her watch and sighed. Shujin had been out for a time too. Surely Yu or someone would be showing up at any moment.

Someone, anyone to take the damned boredom away.

Plus side, she wasn't necessarily confined to the bed. She didn't have anymore catheters anywhere, no more IVs, she was able to eat by her own volition. Hospital food sucked, but at least she could eat it on her own.

And then there were her minders. Her grandfather had pulled a few strings to get some retired officers to watch the door. They weren't to stop her from getting up and walking around the limited distance she could go, but they did screen everyone that came to visit her with exception of a select few.

Her grandfather, Yu, Akira, Makoto, Rise, Doctor Tae Takemi and Nurse Sayoko Uehara, and Naoto's current physician and nurse were the only ones allowed in without her being asked about them. Haru, Ann, Futaba, Yusuke, and Ryuji had each come to check on her, only to be met by the older officers. And even the rest of the Investigation Team had shown up over the weekend to make sure she was okay, and they all had to get checked at the door.

The door opened and Naoto glanced over in that direction. She smiled as she saw Rise come in. The redhead was always welcome. They had been through too much for them to not be good friends, regardless of how different from one another they were. Rise sat down in a chair and sighed.

"The life of an Idol again?" Naoto asked politely. She had heard Rise offer many a tirade about the life of an idol and how people didn't seem to get it through their skulls that she was different in private than she was on stage.

Both were part of who Rise Kujikawa was, but Rise did want people to respect she was someone else off the stage.

Rise offered a wry grin. "I'd say you don't know the half of it, but I think being a Special Investigator as famous as you might be worse." She said.

Naoto smiled, but suppressed the laughter that wanted to slip out. Three years ago, she wouldn't think anyone would visit her in the hospital if she got hurt on the job. Now she was having to suppress the laughter that wanted to spill out from her friend, just to keep herself from getting hurt more.

"Do you have any nightmares about what happened?" Rise asked a bit more somberly, leaning in and tucking her hands between her knees a little bit.

Naoto shifted a bit to look at the redhead better. She couldn't shift as much as she wanted to, but she was still able to adjust herself. Naoto pondered the question a for a while. "Yes." She admitted. "Only the gun isn't trained on me." Naoto had long since accepted the possibility that someone would hurt her.

Rise shook her head. "You two, two of a kind." She said.

"I'm sorry?" Naoto asked. She didn't have the context, though felt like Rise was talking about Yu.

"I asked Senpai if he had nightmares about what happened, and he said yes as well, that it was you dying on the floor of Le Blanc." Rise sighed and shook her head. "You two scared us really badly, Naoto-kun. Senpai because he wasn't offering us information, you for getting hurt."

Naoto folded her arms under her breasts a moment. "You all do realize that I am a Special Investigator, right?" She asked with a bit more frost to her tone than she meant to have. She hated being looked at as helpless or in need of rescuing.

"Naoto-kun, it was like hearing Nanako-chan got kidnapped all over again." Rise said, staring into Naoto's eyes. "Only worse this time. It's not that anyone of the Investigation Team thinks that you're helpless or incapable of handling the danger. It's that helpless feeling of not knowing what we can do, of feeling powerless. Senpai was terrified when you were laying on the floor in Le Blanc. He felt powerless and weak, and scared. Not because you got hurt, but because there was legitimately nothing he could do at that point in time and he knew he was watching you die."

Naoto relaxed a moment as Rise explained it. She thought back to that helpless feeling, back when Nanako had been taken and then later when she had… died. Naoto closed her eyes and tilted her head down softly. She hadn't been the closest to Nanako, but by then Yu and her had been together officially with one another, so she had frequently seen or heard about Nanako from Yu. And then there had been that look on Yu's face when Nanako had died.

Naoto couldn't remember feeling more helpless. Feeling more weak. She had reached the pinnacle of her strength, or so she thought with the ascension of Sukuna-Hikona into Yamato-Takeru, and even with all that strength at her disposal, there had been nothing she had been able to do about a young girl drawing her last breath. There was nothing she could possibly offer her boyfriend when justice had failed to save her life.

And Yu was even stronger than she was with his multitude of Persona. What did it say about him when she had been about to die and he could not do anything? What about the helpless feeling that he had when her blood soaked through his shirt as he held a compress on her? What about as the blood soaked his fingers?

"I hadn't thought about it like that." Naoto admitted softly.

"It's even more important to talk with your friends when you do things like this." Yu's voice carried from the door, causing Naoto to jolt and look at him, having not seen him come in. "Considering the forces we're dealing with." He said. He walked over and stood beside Rise.

Naoto nodded her head softly and looked to her hands. "I… had not anticipated a Detective coming after me." She said. But, she had more than a few supporters on her side now. Apparently, after being taken into custody, the Detective in question had a mental breakdown that killed him. The police were keeping it especially hushed, Naoto barely knew and she wasn't telling anyone. It was just more evidence.

She had hypothesized that, perhaps, the Detective's orders had been to commit suicide after shooting her. Because the Detective could not commit suicide because of Akira and Ryuji detaining him until the police showed up, his body gave out in a more blatant and suspicious manner.

Now if only she could figure out what was giving the orders. Was it just something that could be done with someone's Shadow within Mementos? Was it Akechi's Persona? Was it something else?

"Senpai, Naoto-kun," Rise spoke up. "What's the chances that you'll be attacked again when they figure out you're alive?" She sounded terrified.

"That thought process was why Grandpa put the guards on my door. No one is allowed in except people I trust, and I know for a fact that Grandpa's friends are using pseudonym to keep them safe as well. I'm also under a pseudonym right now as well.' Naoto blushed a bit at the thought of the pseudonym. "I'm also aware of two instances so far where they had to turn people away."

"That's… thorough." Rise said.

Yu chuckled a moment and Naoto shot him a dirty look since he did know the pseudonym. Really, using the last name of one of his Reflections with the first name of the actor that played Blue Swan in the most recent series of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R.

"So…" Yu started, getting Naoto to look at him. "We need to have a talk."

Naoto turned to face him, pushing her embarrassment aside. "Yes, what did you do other than telling my grandpa about the TV World?" she asked.

"He did what?!" Rise turned to look at Yu sharply.

"She was kidnapped, she was hurt, she's been in danger because of the Metaverse." Yu said. "And Naoto could have died. Died with her grandfather less than ten meters away." When he put it like that, telling her legal guardian and last living relative what had happened made some sense. "I had to tell him something about why Naoto was hurt." Yu faced Naoto fully. "I am sorry, Naoto-kun." He said softly, earnestly. The shortened version of her name and the use of the proper suffix was reserved for solely when they were alone.

Naoto shook her head. "You don't have to explain it to me." She said. She understood why he had done what he had done. "What is it that you want to tell me?" she asked.

Yu inhaled. "I mentioned that… if you died, I was going to kill the people that had caused it." He said and looked her in the eyes. "In front of your grandfather."

Naoto searched his eyes, saw the truth in them. Yu would have become a murderer for her. She shook her head lightly. She heaved a sighed. "Idiot." She said bluntly. Her tone softened a hint. "But I am glad that you care that much. I know you were scared, angry, and hurt."

She wasn't going to berate Yu too badly for it.

Yu nodded his head and he reached out to her. She took his hand in hers and squeezed their hand. They would be strong together.

"So… Are you mad I've been hanging with Senpai?" Rise asked.

Naoto shook her head. "Don't be silly." She felt that possessive twinge and stamped it down hard. "Rise, you're my friend. You're Senpai's friend. It's only natural that you hang out with him." There was nothing between them. And she felt some of her worries finally leaving her, finally disappearing.

They had worked through their problems together in the time they had been together in Shibuya. Naoto wasn't going anywhere, and neither was Yu. She smiled as she felt Yamato-Sumeragi inside of her, shining with power at the strength of their bond.

She would make a full recovery, and then a trip into Mementos was in store.

 _Take Your Time_

"I do feel kinda bad about it," Akira watched from the upper area of the gymnasium as Akechi spoke. "I'm sure you'd rather a popular singer or a mascot to appear on stage, wouldn't you say?" He offered a charming smile, even as he spoke into the microphone. People laughed like it was funny.

Akira had to give Makoto credit. She stood down there beside him, looking like the Student Council President that the entire school had come to respect. "It'd be wonderful if you could tell us more about your experiences with the notorious Phantom Thieves, we would like to know more about your investigative process."

Akechi smiled again, as though basking in the attention. Or perhaps he was plotting a plan. Akira mentally thought back to the Shogi game with Hifumi. The black king moved forward, and now the White Gold General was moving to strike. "I'm not used to being the one interrogated, please go easy on me." Akechi said.

"How much do you think he really knows?" Ann asked. "Is this a waste of our time?"

"He talks about how the Phantom Thieves are dangerous, yet they are not murderers." Yusuke said. "I see three possibilities. Either he is the culprit as we suspect, knows the true identity of the culprit if we are wrong, or he has figured out our identities in turn. It is difficult to say, and there's some manner that they could blend together."

"As much as you can say, would you tell us how far along your investigation is?" Makoto got right to the point of the matter.

"He won't say anything on stage." Akira said to the group he was with.

"Well, if it is as much as I can say, everything already stated on the TV and the Internet is all of it. We don't know their methods, we don't have any leads yet." Akechi said.

"You have denied any correlation between the Phantom Thieves and the recent string of murders, something confirmed by Naoto Shirogane before her tragic accident." Akira could see the way Akechi's smile strained slightly. No doubt he didn't like the thought behind Naoto being the one to prove his ideas. "Why the sudden change? Until now you have upheld the idea that the Phantom Thieves are dangerous. How are you so positive that they haven't committed the murder?"

"Notice the way his smile tightened at the corners, the way his eyes narrowed ever so slightly." Akira said to the group. "He's wearing a mask of a charming individual but mentioning Naoto gets under his skin."

"Dude, you can see that shit from up here?" Ryuji asked.

"I'm impressed myself Akira." Yusuke said. "But you are absolutely right now that it has been pointed out."

"Aren't you a little too comfortable interrogating people? Why it's as if you're a prosecutor." Akechi joked. No doubt he knew about Makoto's relation to Sae.

Makoto closed her eyes and shook her head. "Apologies, I must have been watching and listening to my sister a little too much." She spoke amid the laughter of their peers. "But can you blame me for asking? What reason could you have that would make you profess their innocence when you have staunchly upheld they were unjust?"

"The targets of the Phantom Thieves have all been criminals, including Okumura-san." Akechi said slowly, as though trying to think of an answer.

"He's probably been prepared for similar lines of questioning." Akira said. "He's drawing it out on purpose."

"So why did Okumura-san need to be killed? I couldn't deduce a reason to it, so I believe that his case should be treated separately, as though another party was involved." Akechi continued.

There it was again. That statement. 'I believe.' Akira was with Naoto, gut intuition was good for the job, but it needed to be backed up by solid evidence. Otherwise, people like Akira all over would be screwed over by the Justice system.

"And if- This is all Hypothetical mind you, if the Phantom Thieves are the ones I know of, then I can't possibly imagine them killing someone." Akechi raised his head to speak with confidence.

"Shit. We're busted." Akira said. Conversations with Akechi from in the past ran through his mind. He's known about them, likely since about as long as Akira had known about Akechi. The damned TV station. Maybe sooner.

"Your comment just now, does this mean the police have identified the Phantom Thieves?" Makoto asked.

Akira gripped the rail. She was pushing them directly into Akechi's trap. But it was fine, Akira knew it needed to happen. He had told the group that it needed to happen. Akechi was going to spring his trap, then it was up to them to set up counters in place. It didn't mean he wasn't pissed though.

"Oh no, the Police haven't gotten that far yet, but I have my own conclusions about who the Phantom Thieves are." In fact, he seemed to be looking right at Akira, even though he was turned more towards Makoto.

"This confirms it then, right?" Ann asked softly.

"Let it play out." Akira said.

"Could he be bluffin'?" Ryuji asked.

"Let it play out, Ryuji." Akira said a little stronger.

"You're not going to ask me who they are?" Akechi asked, sounding just a hint smug.

"It may have repercussions on the Investigation to let that information. Are you certain you can share with us this information?" Makoto asked. Good, she was still being careful. She had to sound inquisitive without letting too much information away. But Makoto had to of figured it out that they were caught.

"It's only my personal opinion, so it's quite safe to say. However, there's a chance that everyone here will hear the truth before the police or the media." Akechi said. He sounded in control and confident. It was annoying to Akira.

"Come on, come on… Get on with it." Akira said.

"Akira, patience." Yusuke said.

"I know. But it's difficult when we know he's planning something and I can't begin to plan around him without knowing his plan." He tried to remain calm and relaxed though.

"Very well then. Who do you think the Phantom Thieves are Akechi-san?" Makoto asked Akechi outright.

"They are all someone you know quite well in fact." Akechi said. "The identity of the Phantom Thieves are-" Ring ring. Ring ring. "Oh, apologies, that's mine." Akechi took his cellphone out of his pocket. "Unfortunately, I can't turn it off because of work."

"Bullshit, even Naoto-senpai turns her phone off." Ryuji said under his breath.

"Would you mind if I stepped away about ten minutes or so to take care of this?" Akechi asked.

"I'm terribly sorry everyone, but it appears that we are taking a short remission." Makoto said, working to smooth things over.

Check. Akira mentally went over the actions in his head. It had been a planned interruption. Likely Akechi had asked someone to call his cell phone or message him if he got to that point. Which meant that Akechi's next move would be…

"Please don't troll me online for the interruption, okay?" Akechi offered a slight bow to the audience. He then walked behind Makoto. He paused long enough to say something that the microphones didn't pick up.

Akira spotted the suspicious look on Makoto's face. That was it. "Guys, stay here. I'll go with Makoto." Akira said. He shifted away to head to a hallway. His phone buzzed with Makoto's message for the P.E faculty office.

When he entered, Makoto and Akechi were already there. "Hmm, I was expecting everyone." Akechi said.

"What is it that you want to talk about?" Makoto asked.

Akechi drew something from inside his coat out and slapped it down on one of the desks. Akira could see the picture was of them in front of Okumura Foods Headquarters, coming out of the Metaverse. "Let's not feign ignorance, I have video footage too."

Akira sighed and nodded. "This is why I told them to stay back." He said. Better that he was there alone to mitigate the responses. Someone might snap at him and they needed Akechi to take the bait. In order to expose him, Akira had to purposefully walk into his trap.

"You all can go into the other world too." Akechi said. "It's not just all of you, I'm aware of it as well. When you traverse over there, your appearance changes because of those mysterious powers." Akechi pulled out his phone. "I found out about that world about a month ago," He held up his phone to show the MetaNav. "This had been installed onto my phone without my knowledge. The app activated on its own and the scenery changed."

Outwardly, Akira tried to show concern. Inwardly however, he was running through plans in his head. Akechi had just confirmed that he was definitely not to be trusted. Whether he was the one actually murdering people or not was to be debated, but Akira had known Akechi was aware of the Metaverse since the beginning of June.

It was almost November. That was at least three months longer than Akechi was claiming to have known about the Metaverse.

"Quite frankly, I can barely believe it myself." Akechi shook his head.

"Kindly get to the point." Akira said. "We've all gone through that experience."

"You all are acting as the Phantom Thieves in the Metaverse. I can say so with complete conviction because I have the same power as you." Akechi said. "In all honesty, I had been curious about you since the Madarame Case. But to think it would end up like this." He shook his head. "You asked me how I could be so sure that you were not the murderers of Okumura," Akechi looked to Makoto. "It's because I saw another, the real culprit."

Akira narrowed his eyes. He wanted to hear who Akechi was talking about. But he did know better than to cast his suspicion at Akechi with the other teen right in front of him.

"I couldn't identify his face, he wore a mask like the rest of us." Akechi looked away and grabbed his arm. "I entered that world when I took these photos and noticed someone else moving about. He shot at me the moment he noticed me." Akechi glanced up at Makoto and Akira. "He shot to kill me, so I believe him to be the prime suspect in Okumura's murder."

Akechi looked up a moment. "I was thinking, 'I can't die here, I need to determine the truth.'" He said. "That was when I awoke to those powers."

"Persona." Akira said. He could feel Morgana wanting to make himself known, the cat squirming in his bag to open the zipper wider. "That's what they're called."

"Persona?" Akechi asked. "I… Yes, I can certainly see that. Where did you hear that?" He faced Akira. "Who instructed you on how to change hearts?" he asked.

"Don't worry about it." Akira said. "Igor doesn't come out of the Velvet Room." He felt Morgana still as he lied his ass off. And he could see the slight surprise on Makoto's face as he blatantly lied. But Akechi's face was turned towards him so he couldn't see it.

Akechi blinked a moment. "Igor? The Velvet Room?" He sounded confused.

"Again, don't worry about it." Akira said. "We go into people's Palaces, steal the core of their distorted treasures, but leave their Shadow selves alive, and get out. The Palace collapses and they have a change of heart. Igor gave me the tools for the job after I awoke to my Persona, but it was my decision to do it. All he's ever asked for with his assistance is that I take responsibility for my actions."

"Truly?" Akechi asked. "That seems… careless. But, then who would be able to figure out such an obscure MO?"

"Can you get to your point for calling us back here?" Akira asked again. "You wanted ten minutes, we've wasted six."

"The Police are assured that the Phantom Thieves committed the murders." Akechi said. "And while I do not fully understand the process of changing hearts, I know that you are not murderers and do not deserve the long drop. I am here to strike a deal if I can. I can help save you from this situation. Cooperate with me in search of the truth. If you decline, I will have to take the video to the police."

"That's Blackmail." Makoto said.

"Say what you will, but I cannot let someone murdering people go freely without facing justice." Akechi said. "Sae-san's higher ups are pushing for her to close this case. They will care little for evidence beyond proof of your identities. If they need to, if Sae-san is cornered, she may be willing to make up a confession."

In which they would be labelled as murderers. And murder, in Japan, was punishable by death by hanging. Even minors could be tried for capital punishment. Akira grimaced a bit. Sae Niijima, he was right to make her the White's Gold Bishop, allowing her to move freely about the board.

And he could see Makoto was shocked at the idea Sae would have something made up. "We'd still be arrested." Makoto said.

"Yes, if you were caught." Akechi claimed. "However, I cannot dig deeper alone anymore and it is why I would like your cooperation. In return, I will turn a blind eye to everything you have done. But I must ask that you disband the Phantom Thieves after this."

Akira closed his eyes a moment. "Let me discuss it with the rest of the group. You'll have your answer by Friday."

"Yes, that would be beneficial. I will have more information by then as well." Akechi said. He smiled. "And since this is you we're talking about, Kurusu-san, I do believe that you will come to a favorable decision." He closed his eyes and looked overjoyed. "I'm glad we could talk, it's been such a long time since I've spent time in such a meaningful manner. I look forward to your response."

Akira nodded his head slowly. But he could see Akechi for the viper that he was. He had to watch himself so he didn't end up with a knife slipped into his back.

"Ah, well, I do believe this concludes our business." Akechi said. "Would you terribly mind if we ended the panel here?" Akechi asked Makoto.

"I'll deal with it somehow." she said.

Akechi walked out of the room, with Akira staring hard at his back. "He had total control over us." Morgana said, peeking his head out of the bag.

"Yes, it does seem like it." Makoto said before she walked from the room to go be the MC for the panel.

"It's only control over us if we didn't let him take control." Akira said to Morgana. "And he's just tied the noose around his own neck. Had he said he had his Persona for a few months, I might have actually been inclined to believe his spiel about getting shot at. Now, I just need to wait for the right moment to strike myself. And keep a knife from being slipped into my back.'

"Heh. That's just like you Akira. Always one step ahead of everyone else. I'm glad you still remembered his earlier slip." Morgana said.

"Yeah, yeah me too. Not that Yu would let us forget. We'll have to go and collect everyone's things from Yu's place. Think he'll let me borrow his duffle bag?" Akira asked.

'Maybe, but it would be better for us to move spots. We don't want Akechi catching on that we know he's not who he says he is, and we need to keep our backup hidden." Morgana said.

Akira walked out of the P.E. Faculty office, taking his phone out to begin texting the others so that they were aware of what was going on. That everything was proceeding as expected, that Akechi had reached out to them and was trying to force the disbandment of the Phantom Thieves.

From there, he just meandered about slowly. He had some time before Sojiro expected him and Futaba home. The intercom cackled to life overhead and he turned to look at it. " _The Post-Festival Party is about to begin in the gymnasium. Please join us everyone."_

Akira pulled his phone out. "Damn. It's that late already?" He had been meandering a bit more than he had thought.

"You were super focused, so I didn't think it was necessary to interrupt. You've just been staring at the ground intently for like an hour, meandering about." Morgana chimed in from the bag.

Akira's phone buzzed with a message from Makoto, asking him to go with her to the festival. He offered an affirmation before he started to head to the gymnasium. He had no doubt her reason of just wanting to take her mind off Akechi was just part of it, but he wasn't going to be lying to himself in saying that he wouldn't enjoy the chance to just enjoy the time with Makoto.

Akira made his way towards the gymnasium, spotting Makoto in the back and by a wall. He moved to stand beside her, leaning against the wall. "Hey, you alright?" He asked.

"Stressed." Makoto admitted after exhaling deeply. "Between what we heard, this whole event, Naoto's injury…"

"We'll manage." Akira said. "We always do. So don't worry about it, take this chance to relax." He turned his attention to the stage, listening to the MC and watching the performance.

"DId your old school do something like this?" Makoto asked him.

Akira turned, a little surprised. "Hm. Well, no." He said. "We had a cultural festival, sure, but a post festival party? Nope. Mostly we just cleaned up once it got past a certain time."

"Clean up thankfully begins tomorrow." Makoto said, rolling her shoulder a moment. "After homeroom."

"Mm. No doubt Ryuji will complain. You'd think he'd be used to helping clean up." Akira said with a hint of amusement. Most schools in Japan, as far as Akira knew, had the students clean instead of having a janitor. As younger students, it seemed a bit of fun and a break from school. As older students, they were just used to it.

Ryuji just seemed eternally the rebel though.

"Heh." Makoto gave her own sound of amusement. "I may need your help with something. When everything with Akechi calms down." Makoto said. "I want to head up to Shinjuku and ask around about Eiko's… boyfriend." Makoto scowled.

Akira nodded softly. He had heard about Eiko asking for money. The host worker had apparently broken an expensive bottle of sake and had to replace it. Akira and Makoto were of the opinion now he was just fishing for suckers and they were going to keep Eiko from becoming the next one.

"My apologies about being so distracted." Makoto turned to face Akira fully. "I can't stop thinking about what Akechi said." She said politely. "What is your opinion?" she asked.

Akira shrugged his shoulders. "He's tied his own noose as far as I'm concerned. We just now need to plan accordingly. I'm getting stuff from Yu's place tomorrow. Shoot Akechi a text to tell him we're meeting at Leblanc. We already know our answer, let's be realistic. So for now, relax."

Makoto nodded her head softly. "You're right. I'll do that. I… also think I know where he will have us target." Makoto admitted.

Akira glanced towards her. "Alright. We'll deal with it then." He said confidently. He didn't want his team to worry, and right now he was with Makoto to try and keep her from worrying.

"A round of applause for the dance team for that wonderful display!" The MC called out. "And now it's time for your favorite Shujin Tradition: The Student Sharing Special!"

"This event is never popular." Makoto shook her head. "The older teachers seem to enjoy it for some reason, so keep forcing it back into the lineup."

"Does someone have anything to say?" The MC asked. "Anyone at all?" Akira cut his eyes to the stage. "No? Then I'll just have to pick someone!" Akira watched him pan over the audience.

"Oh, the MC this year is actually somewhat capable." Makoto commented.

Akira noted how the MC's eyes lit up as they landed on him and Makoto. "Thank me later." He muttered to her. He stepped forward and raised his hand. "I got something!" he called out.

He could see the slight look on the MC's face. "Well… I was going to pick our lovely student council president, but…. Who am I to deny a volunteer? Give him a round of applause ladies and gentlemen!" Akira began to walked towards the stage in a calm manner.

Already he could hear the students recognizing him. There were a few muttered whispers, and a sparse bit of slow claps. He expected it to be truthful. And as he climbed up onto the stage, he could see the nervous way that the MC looked between him and his bag, finally recognizing him.

A childish part of Akira wanted to go up to him and go 'Boo' but he refrained. Instead, he offered a benign smile. This was going to be fun. He turned to the audience and offered a proper bow. "My name is Akira Kurusu, Shujin Academy Second Year. Please take care of me." He offered politely. He spoke without the need of a microphone.

If Toranosuke never needed a microphone, no matter the size of the crowd he had drawn in, then Akira would damned sure follow in his footsteps. Akira would speak clearly, confidently, and project his voice.

"I don't honestly know a thing about this event, but I assume that it's just to share something potentially embarrassing about ourselves?" Akira turned to face the MC who nodded slowly. "Excellent! Then let me put a particular rumor to rest, once and for all!" Akira brought around his bag to the front of him. "I. Do. Not. Carry. A. Knife!" He unzipped his bag. "I carry… a cat!" He withdrew Morgana out of the bag and held the large, heavy cat up with one hand.

"What?" Akira wished that he was a normal person, just to hear the 'meow' that came from Morgana's confused mouth as he hung their limply, staring out at Shujin's many students.

A pin could have been heard dropping.

"Ohmygod! It's so cute!" And there it was. Any respect, any credit that he had with the male population of Shujin Academy was likely to go out the window. But his popularity with the female population was going to take a sharp uprise.

"A… Cat?" The MC asked over the sudden squeals and chattering of the female students..

"Yes." Akira said as he pulled Morgana in against his chest a bit. "He's my super villain cat." And he proceeded to pet Morgana like Akira was pretending to be a super villain, and given the way Morgana began to purr, the cat was not going to take offense to it.

"You owe me." Morgana muttered under his breath.

"I carried Morgana back in the beginning when the rumors were at their worst." Akira offered to the MC. "Really, I swear, I'm just a normal guy. My criminal charge was… Not something I am proud of." Trying to argue it was an effort in futility. "But I wanted to show my mom that's not who I am. But the rumors, at their worst and before I made some good friends, they almost made me go back to that point. So I carried Morgana, and I'd reach into my bag and give his soft fur a couple of pets to calm down. It's just not worth it being on probation. I might catch some flak from the school about carrying him around, but Morgana's clean, quiet, and I taught him to use the toilet."

"I don't suppose I could look in your bag?" The MC dared to ask.

Akira shrugged his shoulders and slipped it off while he held Morgana. He even moved Morgana up to his shoulders where the lazy cat wrapped around his neck like a scarf. He held his bag out to the MC.

"Huh… Just a few school books, some pens, and some drinks." The MC sounded surprised before he handed the bag back. "What about the rumor of you leading a gang?" he asked, pressing Akira for information.

Akira didn't mind. It was a public venue and would give him a chance to actually maybe kill some rumors. "I don't have time for anything of the sort." Akira scoffed. "I am the top student of the second year. I don't mean that in a bragging way, but anyone shooting for my spot? They know how much effort goes into keeping my grades up like that. I also work at the Triple 7 over by Central, help out at Untouchables, work at a Flower Shop in the underground shopping mall, work at the Beef Bowl shop," Akira began to tick the things off his fingers. "I help out over at Leblanc in Yongen-Jaya, which I highly recommend everyone goes to if they can, we serve the best curry." Akira took a moment to just picture the curry dinner he was having tonight. "So good. And then I also try to make time for my friend, Ann, Ryuji, Makoto, Haru, our friends Yusuke and Futaba, plus I'm working out to try and stay in shape since I don't have time for any sports or clubs…" Akira shook his head.

And that said nothing for the Phantom Thieves business.

"It sounds like you have quite the busy plate Kurusu-san," The MC said. "And you're telling me you can manage it all?" He asked incredulously.

"Drive, commitment, and effort." Akira said.

"What about a girlfriend?" The MC asked, no doubt trying to wiggle more juicy information from Akira.

"I think that's all the time I have for today." Akira said politely. He turned to the audience and offered a bow. "Thank you for your time and patience." He tucked Morgana back into his bag, but felt Morgana squirm to stick his head out now that he didn't have to hide.

Akira then walked off the stage. He wasn't about to give the MC a chance to embarrass him more.

 _Take Your Time_

Thursday, the twenty seventh of October. Akira shook his head. Just the day before they had been outed by Akechi. Akechi would give them more details to look for his 'truth' later that day, but he felt like it was time to seriously upgrade what he was using. Not that his Persona were weak by any stretch or measure, he felt like it was time that he got something with a bit more…

Power.

He stepped through to the Velvet Room and went to the entrance of the cell. "Justine. Caroline." He greeted the twin attends cordially.

"Inmate." They greeted at the same time. He let the inmate slide, they didn't mean anything spiteful by it anymore.

Inhaling, Akira thought on how to word his comment. "I need something… Bigger. Something that I might not be able to handle. Yet." He admitted.

"Oh no. Absolutely not." Caroline said waving her shock baton at Akira. "We told you. You cannot just get something that you can't handle!" She said. "It. Will. De. Stroy. You." She bit every bit of that statement, punctuating it.

There was a sharp clack of heels as Margaret walked over behind the twins. She smiled in a patient way. Akira thought the look to be terrifying. "What seems to be the concern?" She asked.

"Ah! M-Margaret." Caroline turned to look at the older attendant. Was that a hint of fear? "The Inmate, Guest!" She corrected herself at the slight shift of Margaret's eyes in her direction. "The Guest! They want to obtain a Persona they're not ready for."

"And what Persona are you looking for?" Margaret asked, turning to face Akira, her yellow eyes boring into him. But Akira told her which Persona he was looking for. "Oh my." She said, actually covering her lips a moment. "That is indeed out of your range for the time being, Trickster."

"But only just." Justine said softly. Her finger thrummed gently against the side of her clipboard, and she was looking down at the ground. "Another battle or two would give him the push he needs over that threshold."

"And what are you planning, Justine?" Margaret asked, arching a brow at the younger girl.

Justine raised her head. "Fight me, Akira Kurusu." She said. "Show me your strength of heart. Show me your will to survive."

Akira looked to her one uncovered eye a moment. He nodded his head. "I don't have my weapons. Only my Persona." It wasn't going to stop him, but he thought she should know.

"Then that will be your weapon. You may use only one Persona." Justine said.

There wasn't any hesitation. "Arsene." Akira stepped out of the cell properly and his attire changed. His mask was no doubt the one for Arsene.

Justine narrowed her eye at him however. "Are you mocking me? You select-"

"I selected the Persona that has been with me every step of the way." Akira said firmly. "Not even the Persona I am after would replace him."

Justine watched him a bit longer before nodding. "Very well. Then I will also restrict myself to one Persona. The Velvet Room will be our battlefield. Please do your best to avoid Master Igor." With that, Justine stepped away with full quiet confidence, spinning her clipboard around.

Akira was about to step after her when Margaret paused him and placed her hand on Akira's chest. "A moment, Trickster. Do not hold back against Justine. Do not hesitate with physical violence because her body is that of a child. She can kill you with a flick of her wrist if you upset her, and then she will bring you back to make you try again. Show her the strength of will that she asks for."

Akira nodded. "So don't hesitate. I don't plan to." Akira walked forward a bit more.

' _Your resolve is admirable, but I think these shackles might be too much for even us.'_ Arsene whispered in Akira's mind. ' _You are meant to be flexible, to be able to adjust on the fly. She is boxing you in, and your faith in me is appreciated, my Other Self, but I do not think my strength is up to this task.'_

"It's fine." Akira told his Persona. "Victory isn't the goal. We have to show our strength."

Akira inhaled a moment as he bounced on the toes of his boots, watching Justine. Thankfully, it seemed Caroline was staying out of it, perhaps to try and not incur Margaret's wrath if this action did so.

Justine pointed her finger at him like she was aiming a gun. "Bang." Akira's danger senses went off just in time to avoid the shot that exploded right next to him.

He landed roughly on his shoulder and scrambled to get back to his feet. Justine had already crossed the distance towards him, drawing her hand back and thrusting it forward. He dodged out of the way, his senses telling him where the 'shots' were coming from. But the third caught him in the sternum and blasted him away, forcing him to slide along the ground. He gagged a moment as his stomach and lungs tried to relearn how to work.

Justine came in for a hard kick and Akira brought his arms up to block it. His bones felt rattled. Damn. For her small frame, she was immensely powerful. "Eiha!" He managed to gag out. The burst of curse energy caught her in the face and Akira used that distraction to backup a second.

"Is that it?" Justine asked as she rushed forward again, firing another, stronger blast of gun damage at him again.

"I'm just getting started." He said. He dodged out of the way and came up. He took a swipe at Justine with his longer leg and watched the young girl duck under it before sweeping his foot out from under him. Akira rolled quickly on instinct, just as she brought her foot down into the ground.

The fight was extremely one side. Akira did what he could. He didn't pull his punches. But Justine was just a juggernaut in her own right that Akira wasn't ready for. Maybe if he had his full team, full use of his Persona, maybe he could have handled the petite girl.

Somehow, he doubted it. She wouldn't handicap herself if he did have his friends and his Persona. Bottom line was, he just wasn't ready for Justine.

He didn't know how many times he had his ass kicked by the petite girl. He lay there, half in, half out of consciousness. His vision blurred and darkened a bit. And then it cleared and it was easier to breathe. He sat up, looking at Justine who had her Pixie disappearing from view.

"I barely touched you." Akira said.

"Perhaps." Justine agreed. "But, you did not stop. You did not hesitate. We will perform the Fusion you ask." She said.

"And…" Caroline stepped forward a bit hesitant, glancing at Margaret a moment. "Since you're an outstanding inmate, we'll fuse more powerful Persona for you in the future." She said confidently. "Call it a special privilege. But it's going to cost you."

Akira exhaled deeply and sat up. "Thank you. Both of you." He said. A bloom of light appeared at his chest and he touched it a moment as he felt the confirmation of a new strengthening of his bonds within the Velvet Room.

"Most Splendid." Igor said from the table that he had been sitting at the entire time. "You have been strengthening your bonds quite well, Akira. And now, you hold a Blood Vow with members of the Velvet Room." He offered that toothy grin. "I do wonder how much power your Persona of Strength will receive from fusion."

"Hopefully enough to justify the ass kicking." Akira muttered as he stood up. "Can we get on with fusing this Persona?" he asked.

Akira watched as the selected Persona he wanted fused together were taken to the gallows to be hung. And as his new Persona fused with his mask, Akira felt the surge of power from it. That was going to take some getting used to.

"Thank you very much." He offered the denizens of the Velvet Room before he walked out. He had to grab their things from Yu's place still and then go deal with Akechi.

 _Take Your TIme_

Yusuke Kitagawa liked to think of himself as a rational, and logical, individual. Passionate about his art, but still rational and logical. Thus, he could not find the ration or logic in offering such a vast amount of money for the capture of the Phantom Thieves. Nor could he figure out the actions behind one Goro Akechi.

He understood the logic of why Akira was planning what he was planning. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And their back was to the wall with enemies closing in all around them. Akira wasn't going to let them take a fall if he could help it.

So it meant working with a man that Yusuke was not entirely comfortable with because he could not get an accurate read on him. He shuddered to think what their group would do without the assistance of Naoto and Yu, of having their foresight and the way that Naoto looked at things as an investigator. They, the group, might have fallen for the smiles and the lies.

Then again, Akira might not have. He was perceptive.

So Yusuke sat in Leblanc, a cup of coffee on the table next to him while he stared at the _Saiyuri,_ occasionally sketching out something in his sketchbook. Sae Niijima was prepared to falsify testimonies, get forced confessions out of them.

No, not out of them. The police didn't know about them. Whoever Sae got a forced confession out of, it would be an innocent bystander.

And Yusuke couldn't stand the thought of it.

"You're here late, Yusuke." Akira mentioned from the sink as he washed dishes. "You do know we technically closed thirty minutes ago." he said, as though to try and bring humor to the situation. It worked a bit, as Yusuke gave a small sound.

"I suppose I am." Yusuke said calmly. He sipped at his coffee, tasting the bitter black taste and the disgusting taste of it being cold. Still, he drank it. He would not let it go to waste. His thriftiness would not allow for him to waste it.

"Something on your mind?" Akira asked, wiping his hands with a towel.

"A great many things." Yusuke lamented. "Are we doing the right thing. Is Naoto alright. What will I do about future funds as an artist." He was quiet a moment. "What innocent bystander will be dragged into our mess."

"Want to talk about it?" Akira asked as he faced Yusuke a bit more.

"No, not really." Yusuke admitted as he leaned back into the seat, turning to face Akira rather than the _Sayuri._ "Tell me, how do you handle it? The secrecy? It must be somewhat relieving to not have to tiptoe around boss anymore, but everyone else. Your own mother."

Akira sighed and leaned against the counter of the bar. "Who would believe me?" he asked rhetorically. "Who could I go to about this? You know Rise once told Naoto the truth of what they were doing, before she joined the Investigation Team, and Naoto thought they were making a fool out of her. Yu told me. The same would happen here. Sure, people have figured out I'm part of the Phantom Thieves, Hell we didn't even bother to hide much from Shinya, but… Fighting Shadows with the representation of the repressed sides of ourselves? What does it say about us that we're outlaws?"

Yusuke supposed Akira made an excellent point. Goemon had been known to steal gold and give it to the poor until he and his son had been both boiled alive after a failed assassination attempt.

"It is somewhat disconcerting when you compare our Persona to that of the Investigation Team." Yusuke said. "They have Persona based upon deities and we, without fail, have characters based on rogue elements."

"Well, I don't think they reflect on us that badly." Akira said. He came around and leaned against the counter. "Most of us have Persona based on legends that were good with questionable methods. Between you and I, I think they reflect us well. We're mostly social outcasts, even people like Makoto and Haru."

Yusuke inclined his head and offered the barest of smiles. "Social outcasts." He said. "At one point, I might have taken offense to that statement." He said. He frowned as he looked to the _Sayuri_ once more. The source of his inspiration to be an artist. Even now, he could feel a myriad of emotions upon gazing at it, especially in its truest form. "How bad do you think it will get?" he asked.

He had to know.

Akira sighed softly. "I'm not going to lie to you Yusuke, it's not looking good. It's not looking good at all. Yu and Naoto are sitting this one out, we're having to deal with Akechi on our own, but I'm starting to think we're getting to the point where we don't have to rely on them. We're standing on our own two feet. We need to show that we can."

Yusuke frowned a little bit more. "I do not like relying on them." He admitted. "It is different among the group, you and the others because you rely on me in turn. But Yu and Naoto… They do not need us to be safe within the Metaverse."

It was less how powerful they were that bothered Yusuke, and more that he could not be there to be relied upon by them.

"Well, we're catching up to them. After all, with the Persona I just got today," Akira smirked a bit. "And you're right there with me Yusuke."

Yusuke found himself curious and he turned to face Akira. "What Persona did you receive today?" He asked. When he heard the name, he felt surprise and even a hint of excitement run through his veins. "Then yes, you are correct Akira. We are catching up to them."

Not much longer. He wanted to be able to view Naoto and Yu as his equal. While they were more diversified in their abilities, he still wanted to be dangerous in what he could do. This would be their first real test of their abilities, to really show that they were ready to stand on their own and Yusuke wasn't going to fail it.

"What have you been sketching on over there?" Akira asked.

"Ah… It is the rough draft for my submission to the art exhibit. You will notice the changes from _Desire._ I think I may just paint over _Desire_ to make this work. I may start from scratch. I have not decided yet." Yusuke passed over his sketchbook to Akira. He felt no small sense of pride in himself. "I call it _Hope and Desire_ so that it will be easily known to everyone."

He looked to the _Sayuri._ "Everyone feels Hope and Desire." Yusuke said distantly. "Hope is within Desire. Desire within hope. Desire can be twisted into a cruel and ugly thing, much like Sensei's gilded museum that acted as a tribute to his ways. But his desires started as a beautiful hope, to bring gifted artists' talent out." Yusuke looked to Akira. "The Phantom Thieves represent Hope and Desire quite well."

"Are you saying we have desires that are twisted?" Akira asked.

"Are you saying we don't?" Yusuke asked in return. "I desire to be a talented artist, and through our time together, you have shown me how my previous efforts have been half-hearted and in a mire. It is still my desire to be an artist, but instead of attempting to force people to feel something, it is my hope that I will instead show them how I feel."

Akira looked down to the sketch a while before he passed it back, nodding. "It's my hope to keep everyone safe. You, Makoto, Haru, Futaba, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Naoto, Yu." He looked down to his hands. "I suppose my selfish desire is to never have to stop. I want to keep helping people, keep protecting everyone."

"Well, as far as selfish desires go, it is a noble one." Yusuke said calmly. "But I think when it is all said and done, I would prefer to quit." Yusuke wanted to dedicate himself to his art. "If you would ever need me, I will be there."

Akira inclined his head. "You're a great asset to the team Yusuke. And I know if I need anything in particular, you'll be there to help me."

Yusuke nodded his head and inhaled a moment. Slowly he breathed out and got up from the seat. "So, Akira, what can I do to help in regards to Goro Akechi?" Yusuke asked, shifting to the mindset of Fox. He needed to be brutally cold like the ice Goemon brought, he needed to be unflinching like some great Emperor.

So that when Akechi made a mistake, he could put him to the sword.

End Chapter

 **A/N: So this took a lot longer than I had hoped. I was trying to get it out before I went to my anime convention this past weekend, but it kept fighting me and then I was busy with that so it took a bit to finish.**

 **I bring an end to a running gag with this chapter. A silly one, but it was one I had with this story.**

 **This will be the Phantom Thieves powerblock of chapters. It's going to be mostly from the perspective of the Phantom Thieves with some Yu and Naoto sprinkled in.**

 **Internet cookies to anyone that can guess the Persona Akira fused.**

 **Until next time**


	40. Chapter 39: Making the House Fold

Chapter 39: Making the House Fold

Akechi had to hide the self satisfied smirk as he was proven correct once more. He watched as the entire group of Phantom Thieves arrived in the Kasumigaseki District. Oh he had video evidence and pictures of the group coming out of Okumura's Palace. He had even enjoyed tailing them when they had gone to steal Okumura's treasure so that he knew when to strike.

He watched as Akira Kurusu walked, taking in the area. The Leader of the Phantom Thieves, and a victim to Shido's machinations. The only reason he had gotten in at Shujin was because Shido had wanted to keep an eye on him. He should have been a nobody, and yet… even Akechi had to admit he was at the center of many of the major events since he had arrived at Shujin Academy. Akira was someone to take notice of. Why? How did he get so powerful? It didn't make sense to Akechi.

Ryuji Sakamoto. Akechi had initially wrote the blond boy off as a brash idiot. He didn't know what he brought to the team. A solid meat shield perhaps. But it was in watching Akira that Akechi had seen the rough gem that was Ryuji Sakamoto. A meat shield perhaps, but one capable of enduring far more than Akechi had thought possible, one that could seamlessly work with Akira. Where a scalpel was not needed, a club was often a viable tool of choice, and in that regard there was none finer than Ryuji Sakamoto.

Ann Takamaki. Akechi had wrote her off as a ditz, a brainless tart. But it was in watching the Phantom Thieves that Akechi had learned where Ann Takamaki shined. She was a saboteur. Her talents lay in being subtle. Her personality, her outfit, her weapons all were beautiful in distracting the enemy from what was really going on. He had watched as she layered a snap of flames, a burst of automatic gunfire, while layering the enemy with debuffs that would slow them down, make their defenses not as strong, or make them not hit nearly as hard. And she could heal the injuries of her team.

Then the cat. Morgana… He was almost certain that the cat that Akira carried was the same almost caricature of a cat that followed them around within the Metaverse. Akechi had nothing truly bad to say about the creature. It did its job, and did it very well. It was the teams dedicated healer. Its abilities with the wind were impressive enough, but Morgana was clearly designed to heal.

Yusuke Kitagawa. A bit of scatter brained artist with little talent in Akechi's mind. On the outside, he would likely amount to nothing had it not been for Madarame's tutelage. Without Madarame's word to get Yusuke Kitagawa inside Kosei Academy on a Fine Arts Scholarship, then the other teen would likely be flipping burgers at Big Bang Burgers. But within the Metaverse, if Ryuji Sakamoto was the roughened but strong club to beat opponents with, then Yusuke Kitagawa was the razor fine scalpel. He was precise, did not hesitate, and was remarkably calm under pressure.

Makoto Niijima. She might have made a good pawn had she stayed the diligent and obedient sheep. But instead, she thought herself the rebel. She would be someone else they would have to remove eventually, just as Shido had removed her father three years ago. It was a little before Akechi had brought himself on by killing Wakaba, but Akechi was aware of his father's methods. No doubt it was Makoto's brilliance that allowed the Phantom Thieves to operate under the radar as long as they had. He wondered how it felt to be twisting that brilliance around on Sae.

Futaba Sakura, formerly Isshiki. The daughter of the cognitive psience researcher that had solidified Akechi's place within Shido's inner circle. As a combative, she was a liability. Weak and slow, she didn't even have a weapon when entering the Metaverse. But what she lacked in the physical capabilities of her teammates, Futaba Sakura more than made up with the mental. He had seen her Persona take her up and keep her safe. He had watched her blind the Shadows with it to allow her teammates go from being surrounded to being the ones surrounding. No doubt she was the hacker that had released the information on Shido's Medjed hacker.

And lastly, Haru Okumura. On the outside, she was a shy and demure little girl. Okumura had planned to bring in Sugimura, but Haru's efforts had derailed that plan. It meant that, after killing Okumura, they would not be able to receive the funds from Okumura Foods after Sugimura had pressed the issue of Haru marrying him. Inside the Metaverse, Haru was a fierce and sadistic tiger. It was like a switch was flicked back and forth whenever she went in and out of the Metaverse. And she would give complete disregard to her own safety if it meant protecting one of her allies. Akechi did wonder if he could perhaps change her to his side, a little poke, a little prod here and there about how the Phantom Thieves were responsible for her father's death with their ineptitude.

He began to move over to where they had gotten off the train at. He had to go meet them. "Ah, everyone's arrived." He said in a pleasant manner.

"Not that we had much of a choice in the matter." Ryuji said with a scowl.

"My apologies." Akechi brushed the scorn off easily. "I did not think you would help if I didn't offer the ultimatum."

"Let's hurry up." Morgana said, poking his head out of Akira's bag. Akechi had feigned shock at hearing the cat speak before, but was pretending to get used to it. "What did you find out Akechi?"

"I don't get to see Sae-san much anymore." Akechi made himself sound contrite. "But I've figured out her course of action. She plans to launch an investigation of Shujin Academy on the 20th…. And the Sakura Residence."

"Not like they'll find anything." Akira said. "But then, if they're just looking for someone to take the fall." He grimaced. Akechi was impressed, he was already aware that his neck was on the line.

"Then our deadline is the 20th of November." Yusuke said.

"It won't take place before the 20th." Akechi said with full confidence. "This is a substantially forced operation. It will take a lot of time to get the manpower to move around." He said.

"Then we should focus on the infiltration." Makoto said.

"I concur, and soon." Akechi said. He dug into his pocket for his phone. "A bunch of teenagers standing around this district will draw attention." He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"That's-!" Futaba exclaimed.

"My smartphone?" Akechi asked.

She then snatched his phone away from his hand and was holding it up to look at it, thumbs already moving over the screen. "This is the model I wanted!" Akechi had to hold back the anger at the girl snatching what was his away from him like that. He didn't let anyone touch his property. But he had to play a part.

"I am so sorry about her." Ann said. "Until recently, Futaba was… well…"

"Sae-san told me the gist." Akechi said, faking his smile. "It's okay. But I will need that back." And he made a mental note to have it checked for bugs, just to be safe.

"Right," Makoto said. "It might also be best if you exchanged contact information with everyone, and not just me." She said.

"This is true." Akechi said. He watched as the various phones came out and he rattled off his contact information. He then saw a number of flashes and buzzes from his phone as he was sent messages so that he had the contact information for everyone. "Shall we then?" He held his briefcase a bit tighter.

Akira pulled his phone out. "Makoto?" he asked.

"Sae Niijima, the Courthouse," She hesitated a moment. "A casino." She said.

' _Initiating Travel.'_ Akechi braced himself for the familiar disorientation as they were drawn into the Metaverse.

"Can I have my phone back?" he asked Futaba, plastering the fake smile on his face.

"Oh, right, sorry." She said sheepishly and offered it back.

Akechi tucked it away and turned, following Akira's lead as they began to walk around the corner towards the courthouse.

"Woah…" Ryuji's whispered statement as they came up to the neon lights of the courthouse was not unsurprising. It was quite the sight, especially to a native of Japan where gambling was illegal. Akechi himself even wondered what the courthouse was modeled after.

Perhaps some movie?

They found a spot near the courthouse, but out of view of the Shadows that were undoubtedly patrolling the area. Akechi glanced around, taking in how everywhere else seemed to be a normal area. He could see that Akira was already glancing around as well, as though taking in something that only he could see.

"Isn't that-?" Yusuke turned to a particular building.

"The police station, yes." Makoto said.

"I didn't know the station and the courthouse were right next to one another." Haru offered.

"Our attire hasn't changed." Akechi noted. "That must mean we're not considered threats or hostiles just yet." Akechi watched as everyone turned to look at Morgana.

"What?!" The cat asked. "I always look like this. I'd be pretty damn useless as a cat."

"The police station is also part of Sae's work area whenever an arrest is made. I've brought her food before to the station." Makoto said calmly.

"Regardless," Akira said. "The police station isn't our target. The courthouse is. I'd rather avoid the inside of the police station if I can help it." Akechi smirked internally. If it was up to him, Akira would be visiting the police station very soon.

"Hm, Akechi will need a codename." Makoto offered.

"A code name?" Akechi blinked a moment, confused on that one.

"Right, can't be a Phantom Thief usin' your actual name." Ryuji said.

"What's everyone else's?" Akechi asked.

"Mine is Fox." Yusuke said.

"Queen." Makoto offered.

"Skull." Ryuji grinned as he said it.

"Mona." Morgana said.

"Oracle." Futaba said.

"Panther." Ann gave a grin. "We sorta just picked stuff based on our appearances."

"What is it Haru?" Makoto asked, directing attention to the Okumura Heiress.

"O...oh… Nothing." Haru said stuttering a moment. "Mine's Noir."

"And I'm Joker." Akira said.

Akechi thought on it a moment. Given his new Metaverse outfit… "Perhaps… Karasu." He offered. "Like a raven."

"Vetoed." Akira said. "It's too close to my last name, and I don't need to be answering every time someone is yelling for you in the heat of battle."

"Why not Crow?" Ann asked with a smile.

"Alright." Morgana said. "From here on, you're Crow."

While Akechi was of the opinion that he should still be different from the others, he couldn't fault Akira's logic in why his original name was declined. And since he would be in battle with them, he couldn't risk Akira's attention being split or them tripping over one another. "Crow it is." He said, trying to make things more smooth.

Akira glanced about. Akechi watched the sort of change in his posture. A slight relaxation of his shoulders, a loosening of his body. He watched the other teen take on the mantle of the leader of the Phantom Thieves. "Crow, you are up front with us. Queen, Fox, front and center as well. The rest of you, follow behind at a safe distance. We all know the drill by now. Stick to the shadows, stay quiet, and if we can, we deal with security discreetly."

Akechi then watched as the Phantom Thieves began to produce armor, slipping it on before arming up as well. Akechi set his briefcase down and popped it open, producing the toy gun and sword that he had acquired fo this work. He had decided to go with something different, something that would make himself known. It was more sci-fi than anything, but it would definitely make a statement.

Akira glanced the toys over a moment before he began to make his way towards some stairs to the side. He took them quickly, with Akechi following closely behind him. He could feel the eyes of the others on him. He didn't mind it.

They came to a door on the rooftop and Akira led the way inside. Akechi followed suit and glanced at his hands as they were suddenly covered with gloves. He looked to the white jacket he wore. "Oh, we're acknowledged as a threat, correct?" he said.

"You're plannin' to operate in that getup?" Ryuji asked incredulously.

"It just means that's what he thinks a rebel looks like." Morgana said.

"No, this is what I think a person of strong justice looks like." Akechi said. The black uniform and mask came to mind, and he wondered for a brief moment if that was his subconscious version of a rebel. He did have Loki after all, a known trickster of mythology.

"The people here look completely normal." Haru pointed out.

"They're just cognitive representations of people." Akira said. "This way," He began to lead the way once more and Akechi followed after him.

He wanted to get a better idea, how did Akira have such power? Why did a no one like Akira Kurusu get to be so strong?

"Sae-san's perception of people is surprisingly undistorted." Akechi commented as he followed along.

"Yes, but we should be cautious of people in a position of power." Yusuke said. "They will likely be more dangerous, even more distorted."

"Is this what you had to go through every time?" Akechi asked, looking more towards Akira than the others.

"Yes, every time." Akira commented as he continued moving along the rafters, looking for something.

"I admit, this is a little nerve wracking." Akechi said, even offering a slight laugh to try and make himself look a little more disarming towards the group.

"Just keep up." Makoto said. "We need to secure a route to Sis' treasure before we send a calling card."

Akechi offered a fist pump. While he knew the reasoning behind the calling cards, he wanted to seem like the innocent, excitable detective of justice trying to do the right thing and catch the real culprit. "I knew it! So the calling cards do have a necessity!"

"Shh." Akira said, turning quickly to shush him. "It's difficult to concentrate with you almost shouting, and we need to be discrete." Akira then leapt to the light fixture, pausing a moment. When he was sure it didn't move, he then leapt to the next one.

Yusuke and Makoto followed so Akechi moved to leap across as well. He wasn't going to slow the group down.

The path above the casino was a little winding, with Akira running over things as quietly as he could. When he came to a vent, he didn't even hesitate before beginning to crawl in. Makoto slid in after him followed by Yusuke. Akechi hesitated just a touch before he followed suit.

Damned thieves, they crawled around like rats in the vents. This was acceptable? He thought Akira was better than that. He admired the willingness to do what it took, but even still, there should have been standards.

Akechi climbed out behind the others and brushed his white coat sleeves off.

" **Welcome, come on out you petty thieves."** Akechi paused in mid motion as he heard the distorted voice of Sae Niijima's Shadow. The group turned to look at the ground and stare right at Sae. It was quite disconcerting to see her staring up at them. " **You're after the treasure, aren't you? Come on down and I will tell you where it is, it's only fair after all."**

Akira watched Sae a moment before he leapt down with the other two following. Akechi could hear the rest trying to work through the vent, so he followed down after the rest of the forward party.

Akechi arched a brow behind his mask at Sae's Shadow's appearance. Dressed in a black dress of a revealing nature, she also had a black spiked collar on and a wide brimmed hat. The black and the dark makeup made her look even paler than she usually was. Was this really Sae's Shadow?

" **The Treasure is located in the manager's office on the highest floor of this building."** Sae's Shadow offered a confident smirk. " **I want to go about this in the fairest manner possible, and you won't be able to reach it. If you can come up to my location, we'll continue this discussion there."** Sae's Shadow then snapped her fingers and there was a brilliant flash that forced everyone to look away.

"There!" Akira said when he could see again.

And though he was seeing spots still, Akechi could see Sae's Shadow in the elevator, heading up to the next floor. "We should pursue her Joker!" Akechi said, leaping over the railing to take the initiative. He landed in a crouch and began to move.

Akira followed suit and was soon walking in time with Akechi towards the front of the elevator. Akechi hit the call button. ' _Authentication required. Please insert your member's card.'_

Damn it. "Perhaps it bears a relation to a player's club." Akechi offered, turning to face Akira.

"Alright, then how do we register for it?" Akira asked. Akechi was impressed that he was able to keep up, but he supposed that he wouldn't have made much of a leader if he was incapable of keeping up with such basic things.

"I would assume-" Akechi turned as a Shadow appeared before a door. "We have to go through them." Akechi tightened his glove on his fingers, wiggling them. "Leave it to me." He said, stepping forward and reaching for the crimson mask.

The Shadow burst apart like ink, revealing a bipedal leopard man with a green cape and twin swords. It charged at him. Akechi simply smirked a moment and tore away the crimson beaked mask. "Robin Hood!" He summoned his Persona, the golden bow coming up to bear down upon the leopard. Akechi backed up, avoiding a pair of slashes. "Eigaon!" He declared, blasting it with Curse energy.

What he wasn't expecting was for the leopard to come bursting through with the swords raised up. Akechi moved to brace with his arms only to be thrown out of the way by Akira. He deflected one of the swords with his knife and avoided the other one by the barest of margins.

"Queen, blast it!" Akira barked, drawing his pistol and snapping off a pair of rounds into its knees.

"Freidyne!" Makoto blasted the creature with a powerful spell that rocked it back.

"Fox!" Akira grabbed Akechi by his arm and yanked him up to his feet. Yusuke drew his rifle and popped off three rounds into it.

Akechi grit his teeth. He didn't like that he was being looked at like he was weak. "Kougaon!" Akechi blasted it instead with the Bless Energy. It finally fell and disappeared in a burst like ink.

"Are you alright?" Akira asked.

Akechi wanted to snap at him. But he didn't, he swallowed his anger. It was something that he had gotten exceptionally good at. "I'm fine. A little rattled. That was the first enemy to have ever just been immune to the curse damage."

"It happens from time to time." Akira said. He tucked his gun away and began to make his way towards the door that the Shadow had been guarding. "Let's move." he said.

Akechi followed after Akira with the others moving to catch up. And as he followed, with them moving to ambush Shadows from behind crates of all kinds, or eavesdropping on Shadows, Akechi did his best to continue to shine. He even blasted some Shadows with a Megidolaon. But either Akira had a Persona capable of the Almighty Spell, or he was too focused on the task at hand, as he never seemed to be in awe at what Akechi was able to do.

It was actually pissing him off somewhat. But he would keep it in. He would continue to act his part. In a way, he was already the center star. He was in the forward party. Either Akira trusted him, like a fool, or he was keeping a close eye on him. Either way, Akechi was close to Akira and he would try his best to make him drop his guard.

They managed to fight their way into the registry room and deal with the elephant Shadow within.

Akechi bent down to pick up one of the cards from the pile that was on the floor. "Oh… they're not registered." He said with a hint of disappointment coloring his tone. "We won't be able to use them."

"Leave that to me!" Futaba walked past him, yanking the card from his fingers. She got into a chair and then pushed herself down along the line until she stopped at a computer. She slotted the card in and began to type rapidly on the keyboard.

There was a slight beep and she pulled the membership out. "Here we are!" she said, holding the card up. "I just made up a name, Taro Tanaka."

"They'll tell it's obviously fake." Ryuji said, shaking his head. "Come on Oracle."

"Ugh… Fine. Better to be safe than sorry." Futaba got another card and uploaded it before starting to type in more. "Here, Shinji Nakanomatsu." She said, holding the card up. "I also found a map." She tapped a button and a printer sounded off to the side.

Akira collected the map and glanced it over before tucking it inside of his coat. "Good job Oracle." He said and took the card.

"Here, Crow." Futaba held out the original card. "Toss that in the trash, would ya?"

Akechi sighed and took the card. However, as he held it in his hand, he flipped it over a moment. It was a valid membership card… He wondered if it might come in…

"Oracle." Akira said, pulling Akechi from his musing. "Can you make more of these?" he asked, holding up the Shinji card.

"Yeah, it's no problem." Futaba sounded confused, turning in the chair to look at Akira.

"Make one for everyone. Better to be safe than sorry." Akira said.

Akechi glanced away. So Akira wasn't an idiot. He recognized the value of having multiple memberships without having to be told of the possibilities. "Then I'll just hold onto this one." He offered, holding his up.

"That's fine." Akira said.

Futaba shrugged her shoulders. "Alright," she said before she started to make the other cards. "I mean, it seems a little silly to me." she offered.

"We're in a casino, Oracle." Akira said. "Where are they going to put our chips?" Her clacking on the keyboard paused as she turned to look at Akira again. "They're going to put them on our cards. I'm willing to bet we're going to need to have enough chips on at least one card to get up to the manager's office. There's no way in hell we can just skip from the public area to the manager's office without having to gamble a little bit, so we're cheating the system."

"Clever." Makoto said. "By having multiple cards, we can have a card to fall back upon in case we end up losing in the gambles we make."

"I would also assume that we will be able to get a loan." Akechi offered. "They may offer a paltry sum of chips to begin with, but I would assume that we can get more up to a certain amount."

Akira nodded his head. "So if we divide and conquer, then pool our resources, we should be able to make it to the Manager's Office with little issue."

Futaba took a few minutes longer while Akira studied the map. She then passed out the cards to everyone.

"It looks like if we take that vent over there, we can get back to the elevator quicker." Akira said, with MAkoto over his shoulder.

"Then let's get going." She said.

Akechi frowned as he looked at the vent. But he just resigned himself to the task. Though his respect for Akira went up a bit. Akira wasn't above playing the game in a way that would benefit him rather than trying to force himself to play in a way that would only make it difficult for him.

The group made their way back to the Elevator, with Akechi continuing to fight Shadows. Whether it was a Mamudoon or a Mahamaon or even a Megidolaon, Akechi wanted to show that he was superior to the people that Akira worked with on a regular basis. He wasn't limited to just one element like the rest of them and he could mercilessly debilitate their foes as well.

Akira swiped the card and they listened as the mechanical voice told them that they had access to the members' floor. They all piled into the elevator and rode up to the member's floor only to be greeted by Sae's Shadow once more.

"Looks like she just wants to get this on." Ryuji said, sounding excited.

" **Do not speak to me as though we are equals. At the moment, you lack the qualifications to fight me."** Akechi narrowed his eyes at the Shadow. While he had expected it to some extent, he definitely did not like being looked down upon.

"And if we wanted to fight you no matter what?" Akechi asked.

" **Then you will need to continue to win."** Sae's Shadow said.

"So because this place is a casino, we need to keep winning if we want to get at you and your treasure." Akira summed up.

" **Of course. Do you have the confidence to win at a game of chance?"** Shadow Sae sounded extremely confident about her course of action.

"Careful, we might just pull the rug out from under you." Makoto said calmly.

" **I don't have high expectations of you, but I'll be waiting regardless."** Shadow Sae snapped her fingers again and they turned to hear the elevator going higher.

"Damnit!" Ryuji said. "We shoulda just attacked."

"This is different." Morgana said. "She'd rather scheme than try and beat us with brute force."

Akechi frowned a moment. Sae's Shadow was definitely a conniving schemer, he would have to say that much. He was curious as to what it said about Sae herself that her Shadow was like this. After all, the Shadow was the true self. "A fight against all of us would do her no good." Akechi said.

But it was delaying his own schemes. There was much he had to do in the outside world still, but he needed to be there to try and make the Thieves trust him. Especially Akira.

"I was not expecting to come all the way to a Palace just to gamble." Yusuke said a bit scornfully.

"We knew it was a possibility." Akira said. "The second the word casino was involved with the Palace, we had to expect that we would be subjected to some sort of game based on luck."

"But I've never done anything like this." Ann said, glancing at the spinning slot machine. "What about you guys?"

Akechi glanced about at the almost deafening silence. "Well, then it is good that we thought ahead with the Membership cards." He said. "Now we just need to figure out how it works and what avenues are available to us on this floor. That is what it takes to win. In any case, we need to enact the change of heart, this is non-negotiable."

Of course, that was just a minor speed bump to Akechi. Sae was a pawn being used, and was about to be discarded. While he would not be able to eliminate her with traditional methods, she was still going to be discarded. There would be no promotion, and her reputation would likely take a hit after a while.

"Sae-san didn't used to be like this, did she?" Akechi turned to ask Makoto, acting like the concerned justice seeking detective. "Do you have an idea of what might have created her Palace?"

Makoto was quiet a moment. "I believe it might be related to my father's death." She said softly. "She took on the responsibility to handle it." She closed her eyes and tucked her hands in front of her.

Akechi sighed softly. "My apologies, but we don't really have time to be sentimental. We should really start looking around."

Akira glanced towards the counter at the end of the walkway. "There looks like a good place to start." He said before he started to walk. The others were quick to follow him, but Akechi brought up the rear. At the moment, they weren't under threat of being attacked and so they could travel as one party. That could likely change in the future.

" **Welcome to the Member's Floor."** The Shadow behind the glass spoke, even offering a bow. " **We received word of your coming."**

"I feel as though we are being manipulated into her plan." Yusuke said. Akechi couldn't help but agree, even if he had expected it. With Sae's Shadow having plenty of time to be there before they got there, she could have covered everything already.

" **First, if you will kindly present your membership card, we will be giving you a free gift. Please accept a complimentary one thousand chips, courtesy of the House."** The group passed over their membership cards, with each of them being loaded with a thousand chips. Even Morgana had a card. " **To the left of the counter is dice, and to the right is slots. Please proceed to whichever suits your fancy. Beginners often find the dice games to be more suitable to their tastes. Furthermore, a map of the Members Floor."** The Shadow pushed out a pamphlet at this point. " **Casino chips can be exchanged at this counter for prizes. Our most desired prize by everyone on this floor is a Member's card for access to the High Limit floor. The price of the exchange is fifty thousand chips."**

"Fifty thousand!?" Ryuji exclaimed.

"There's just no way!" Ann was shocked.

"So this is Sae-san's intent. She wants us to obtain that card by winning at this games." Akechi pondered, putting a hand on his hip.

"But it is for an absurd price." Yusuke said.

"I did not say it would be easy." Akechi said. "Merely that's her intent."

" **We do offer a loan up to the amount of chips on your card."** The Shadow said with a chuckle. Even if they all took the loan, they would still be thirty thousand chips short of their goal, so they would have to play the game. But now that Akechi had confirmation about the loan, he had to quietly plan to use it to his advantage. He had no doubt that once they reached the amount to reach Shadow Sae, the woman would change the price to something absurd.

"Might I speak with you all about something?" Akechi asked politely.

Akira nodded his head. "Everyone this way." He said. He led the group back towards the elevators. He turned, his mask coming off before being replaced. "Mediarahan." He said, casting the healing spell over the group. Akechi sighed with some relief. He had never experienced a healing spell within the Metaverse, so he was pleasantly surprised at the expedience and effectiveness of it.

Akira then grabbed the handle to a door, taking his mask off before replacing it once more. Akechi recognized it as Akira changing his Persona, he had noted it in the fights leading up to Okumura when he had tailed the Phantom Thieves.

Akechi was even more surprised when he stepped inside the room and took note that it looked more like a courthouse waiting room for the jury than a casino room. "What the-?" He asked, stepping to look around.

"It's a Safe Room." Akira said. "We can take a moment to rest. The Palace Ruler's cognition doesn't quite cover these areas, so the Shadows don't even seem to realize they exist." Akira set his bag down on the table, and everyone slowly began to take a seat.

Akechi was grateful for the moment to rest his feet. He would have to remember to look for these things during future jobs. While Loki was indeed powerful enough to handle any threats that came at him, a chance to rest and relax would still be quite welcome.

He closed his eyes just a moment. Only a moment because they snapped back open when a metal coffee thermos was rather focefully set in front of him. He looked up at Akira who was giving him a measured look. "What seems to be the problem?" Akechi asked.

"We work as a team for a reason." Akira said. "If you exhaust yourself, you become the weak link. Spamming Megidolaon, Mamudoon, and Mahamaon isn't a viable strategy. Pace yourself. You have a saber and a pistol, use them." Akechi felt his anger spike. Akira was lecturing him on the use of his Persona?

He could do as he damned well pleased.

Even still, he had a role to play. Akechi swallowed his anger and forced a charming smile. "My apologies, I'm still a bit new to this, I'll try to remember that Joker-senpai." He added the title to make it sound like a joke, but by the way Akira grimaced at it, he could tell it was distasteful for the other Persona user.

"Just… Joker." AKira said and he sat down.

"Not to… undermine you, Joker," Makoto said. "But you barely used _your_ Persona the entire time so far." Now that she mentioned it, Akechi had noticed that Akira had rarely used his Persona. He seemed content to swap to a healer, and then swap back to whatever it was that he wasn't using.

Akira grimaced a moment. "Ah… About that… My current Persona is…. Well…" He rubbed the back of his neck

"It is too powerful for you." Yusuke said.

Akira winced. "Got it in one, I'm afraid." He said and sighed. "I managed to strike a deal to get a stronger Persona than I was ready for. While it won't destroy me, it won't help me yet either. I have to show it my worth, so I've been working on that. I get its defensive properties, so that helps…"

"Then you know what new super Persona he has Fox?" Ann asked, leaning in a little bit, suddenly excited.

"I do. However, I think it is Joker's surprise to be told." Yusuke said.

Interesting. It seemed that Akira had a benefactor of some kind that enabled him to have stronger Persona. Again, he questioned as to what made Akira so special that he could have such abilities. But personally, to Akechi, it would matter little in less than a month.

He could regulate it to a back burner and ponder it as a mild curiosity soon enough.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about Crow?" Akira asked, turning the attention back to him.

Akechi took a moment to pour himself a cup of the coffee. He enjoyed the taste of it going down, Le Blanc's house blend. While not as a robust flavor profile as his preferred cup, there was no lacking for quality of flavor in Sojiro Sakura's personal blend.

Akechi set his cup down on the table and looked among the group. "I do not believe that Sae-san's Shadow has any intention of letting us win." He said with full confidence. He relished the shocked looks on most of their faces. There was just something thrilling about having everyone clinging to his every word, waiting for his next deduction.

"What the fuck?!" Ryuji exclaimed. Akechi wasn't surprised. Ryuji was the most outspoken and quickest to set off. Honestly, setting Ryuji off was akin to child's play.

"This is still the courthouse. The conviction rate in Japan is unusually high. And Sae-san has gone her entire career without a single loss." Akechi said. Many of the most recent cases have been because Shido has wanted certain people to disappear, and he didn't care what else happened. It worked, because Akechi could then step into the spotlight.

But with the Phantom Thieves, this was one instance where Sae Niijima was going to lose.

"I would not be surprised if every single game in this casino was rigged so that the house always wins. It is one of gambling's oldest tropes." Akechi said. He had a number of ideas in the process to work around that little issue, but he had to bring it up before everyone went off spending their chips so recklessly.

"Yes, I figured as much as well." Akira said, causing Akechi to look at him. He didn't know whether to be impressed or angry, but he settled for just listening. "I'm still thinking about a work around, but we'll actually have to go into the gambling halls for me to start noticing things. Then we can figure out how to stop the games from being rigged."

Akechi nodded his head. "In order to succeed, we will have to beat Sae-san's Shadow at her own game, and I don't mean gambling. We will have to rig the system in our favor to win."

"Well, we already have a good start on that." Makoto said and held up the Member's Card that she had. "We currently have ten thousand of the fifty thousand chips needed." She said. "Do you think there's a way to transfer them to one card?"

"Let's worry about that if it comes to it." Akira said. "For now, we'll focus on my card." He held his up a moment before tucking it away. "If we get the chance for you guys to earn more chips, we'll take it, but if we focus on getting fifty thousand for all ten of us, then we're going to be at this for too long."

"Do you think we should stop here for today then?" Akechi asked. He didn't know how time passed within the Palaces. And being fair, most of the time he just had to get in quick into Mementos and then get out quick. Very rarely was he in there for more than an hour.

"I'd rather keep going for a while longer." Akira said. "At least until we find the next Safe Room. Then we'll have a route that we can traverse, and we'll know the security's patterns. Then next time we can get back to it with minimal issues."

"As you say, Joker." Akechi said, offering a casual smile. He wasn't certain how long it would be that he needed to keep his charade up, but he would do so.

Then he'd put these fools down for good.

 _Take Your Time_

"Do you need any assistance Naoto-sama?" Naoto sighed softly at Yakushiji asking her the question. It was a question that he had asked several times already.

"I'm fine, Yakushiji-san." Naoto answered her grandfather's secretary politely. As she had every time that he had asked her. She was just thankful to be going home, to be able to walk around. She knew that the police station resembled an anthill being kicked over, and she wanted to be able to check on things

And that they somehow knew a shady enough individual that was willing to help her out with her needs. Naoto was still surprised that Tae Takemi had agreed to oversee Naoto's 'physical therapy' when they had asked her about it. But then, Akira and Yu had both mentioned that Doctor Takemi was at least a little bit knowledgeable about the Metaverse.

And for a few more answers, Doctor Takemi was willing to help them handle the situation that Naoto was involved in, where she was supposed to go to physical therapy. She and Yu had already planned to make a trip into Mementos and hit them both with Salvation.

Their wounds might be too old to fix anything, but they had to try and Naoto had to determine what sort of shape she was in after two weeks of bed rest.

It was already the second of November. She and Yu were being kept abreast of the situation with Goro Akechi. At the moment, it seemed that the Phantom Thieves were having to wait until tomorrow when they could go and watch a trial in view of Sae Niijima to get past a blockade within her Palace.

Naoto opened the door to the car her father's secretary was driving and got out of the backseat, gathering her bag of belongings from the hospital. She closed the door behind her. She checked her watch a moment and after a moment, pressed the button. She saw the digital display pop up. ' **Distance: 7m.'** It made Naoto smile a little bit, so Yu was in fact home.

She clipped her keys from her belt loop and soon unlocked the door. She noted that Yakushiji had yet to drive off. No doubt he was waiting to make certain that she was home and safe before driving off on her grandfather's orders.

She turned a moment and went over to the driver side door. The window soon rolled down, with Yakushiji looking quizzically at her. "Is there something you forgot Naoto-sama?" he asked politely.

Naoto shook her head. "Thank you, Yakushiji. For everything. Watching over me, watching over Grandpa, You're as much family as you are my grandfather's secretary. Your service has been above and beyond exceptional." Naoto held her hand out to Yakushiji.

Yakushiji gave her a look before he reached out and took Naoto's hand, shaking firmly. "Thank you for the praise, Naoto-sama. I take pride in being able to help your grandfather as much as I do. Now hurry along inside."

Naoto inclined her head and turned. Her grandfather was retiring. She wondered if Yakushiji would stay on. It was something to consider. At the time being, Naoto had no need for a personal secretary. She wasn't quite at the age where it would become an issue, nor was her popularity as high as her grandfather's. Could her grandfather afford to keep Yakushiji on? Did Yakushiji even want to stay on? Naoto wasn't certain she wanted to dwell on it

She went to the door that she had unlocked and opened it up. She tossed her keys into the bowl before taking off her boots. She began to walk along the hardwood floor, glad to be out of the hospital and back home. And she spotted her boyfriend in the kitchen. And based on the smell coming from the kitchen, he was cooking up something delicious.

Her stomach growled and tightened at the thought of actual food.

"That's not going to be too heavy is it?" She asked as she leaned against the doorway a moment.

Yu turned to look at her. "No, or at least I don't think it will be."

Naoto nodded her head. "I'm going to take my clothes upstairs and send a few emails out." She said. "Call me for dinner?"

Yu nodded his head and set his wooden spoon down. He came over to her and wrapped her up into a hug. Naoto smiled a moment and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him in return. Only in private did she really allow herself to enjoy this. "Welcome home." He said, sounding full of relief.

"It's good to be back." Naoto whispered to him before she stepped back. "Let's make sure our friends are okay, then we'll be able to enjoy ourselves." She was getting back into the logical mindset, and her friends were with Goro Akechi who was trying to put them down. It was up to her and Yu to keep that from happening.

She watched Yu nod his head. No doubt he was of a similar mindset. She then turned on her heel and headed up the stairs. She put her the laundry from her stay at the hospital into the hamper. She then sat at her laptop that she used for her work and opened it up.

She took to ordering a new chest binder. She was thankful for the website that Yu had gotten for her. She understood that it needed to be cut off, but she didn't have to like it. While she was outed as a girl, she had no intention to stop dressing in a more masculine manner. The feminine manner was for when she was spending time with Yu and her friends. The more masculine style was more professional and would keep issues from arising at the very male oriented police station.

Though, she supposed that she would have to get female uniforms as well. She winced a bit. She was excused from school until next monday on the seventh of november. She sent a message off to Makoto requesting her help in finding a female Uniform on the Sixth.

She sighed as she started typing up emails to a few contacts, asking them to keep her abreast of any possible movements made by Goro Akechi or the Phantom Thieves Task Force. She was also on 'leave' from the police until the seventh as well, or else she could do it herself. But Akechi would also be suspicious of her if she showed up, so she had to play her cards just right.

She finished her emails and stood up, stretching. She then went to the bathroom and started the hot water for a shower. She pitched her clothes into the hamper in the bathroom and paused a moment.

She stared at the new scars on her breast in the mirror. She touched them even. Her heart had just barely been spared being blown out. She jerked a moment as she thought she heard the gunshots again. A shiver went down her spine.

She tore herself from the mirror and stepped into the water, letting it beat down upon her. She had a new appreciation for the fear for her own life. She had always tried to put on a brave front, but she was still human, still capable of feeling fear. She shivered as she thought about what had almost happened to her.

Naoto still had difficulties with dreams. Dreams where Yu had been shot. Where Akira, Makoto, Yusuke, any one of the Phantom Thieves were shot instead. Or that she was shot and could do nothing but watch herself bleed out, or worse have Yu and the others do nothing. She shivered again, even with the hot water beating on her back.

She didn't want to think about her friends abandoning her when she was bleeding out. She didn't want to think about her lover doing the same to her. But she couldn't help the fear that gripped her. There were just some things that were irrational and illogical, and now, now that she was in the safety of her home, she couldn't help but think about it.

She sobbed softly, trying to muffle her voice with her fist. She had battled countless Shadows, fought her own Reflection that sought to take from her, even accepted her Shadow. And she had survived a battle against the Reaper not once, but twice now. But it was something happening to her in the real world that finally managed to pierce her defenses. Naoto just couldn't shake it.

And she just let go, sobbing to herself in the shower. She wanted to feel safe again, but was having difficulty actually feeling it. She knew she needed to pull herself together, but she needed just a few moments to cope and deal with what had happened.

She didn't hear the knock on the door or Yu calling her name. She only raised her head when she heard the door open. She saw the worried look on Yu's face through the frost glass of the door. Even through the frost glass, she could see his brow furrow.. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. "You've been in here almost forty-five minutes."

Had it really been that long? Naoto glanced at the watch on her wrist. Yes, yes it had been that long. She wiped at her eyes, knowing there was no sense in hiding from Yu. And while she felt a little modest, her naked body wasn't anything Yu hadn't seen before. She stood up a bit, keeping her back to Yu as she started to lather up her hair. Her muscles felt sore.

"Nao-chan?" he asked softly.

"No." Naoto admitted. "No, I'm not okay." If she couldn't tell Yu, then there would be a deeper problem than she thought. She began to rinse her hair. "I'm scared. I'm scared of being shot again. I'm scared of dying. I know it was partially my fault. I let myself get goaded into saying what I did, I knew it would elicit a reaction, but I'm still scared."

Yu slid the door open to the shower and she felt his hand on her shoulder, a solid and comforting weight. Despite everything they had been through, or perhaps because of everything they had been through, they were closer than close. Naoto trusted him. She felt modest, being bare, but she knew at the moment that her own fear took precedence over any teasing or flirting. Yu wasn't going to bring this up later either.

Just as she didn't bring up his breakdown in Heaven. There were just times they needed to be there for each other.

And before she could help herself, she turned and buried herself into his chest, sobbing again. Damn it, damn it, damn it. She hated feeling this weak, she hated feeling this insecurity. She was stronger than this. But as she felt Yu wrap his arms around her and lean into her, brushing her hair, she just cried. Yu didn't even bring up the fact that she was soaking through his clothes. "Damn it!" she screamed out into his chest.

"It'll be okay." Yu whispered against her hair. "You stumbled, just like I did, and I'm there to help pick you up, just as you were there to pick me up." He wasn't wrong, but she didn't want to feel like she was depending on anyone. "We're walking this road together, side by side for as long as you want to." She supposed that he had a point.

Naoto pulled back and looked up to her boyfriend, staring into his eyes. She looked into those gray eyes for a while. "You'll walk this road with me?" she asked softly. She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it again regardless

"I thought you're the smart one." Yu said with a soft smile. "Of course I will, as long as you'll have me." There was no doubts. Not anymore. Now it was just personal fears brought on by experience.

"If I'm the smart one, then what does that make you?" Naoto asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm the people person." Yu said with a shrug, "You're smarter than I am, but I don't have your tin ear. We help balance one another out."

Naoto gave a soft sound with her mouth. "Hm." She turned to start washing up. She heard the door slide shut.

"Dinner's ready. If you're not down in fifteen, I'm coming back up to check on you again." Yu told her.

"Yu, wait." Naoto said. "Do you really think I'm smarter than you?" She asked. She couldn't help it.

"Oh yeah. But there's nothing wrong with it." Yu said. She glanced over her shoulder. "I'm not a stupid man, so I can acknowledge that you're definitely smarter than I am. But like I said, there's nothing wrong with it. I can usually keep up in conversation with you."

Naoto smiled a little bit. Compliments were nice every now and then, especially when she felt so worried. "Flatterer." She said. But she did like it. "You know I'll probably have a few more episodes before this goes away." She said.

"I know." Yu said. "And I'll be there. But I also need my Detective back for when our friends get knocked on their asses, even if it's their plan."

"And what do you think of Akira's plan to work with Akechi?" Naoto asked.

"I don't like it." Yu said flatly. "There's too many risks involved. But what can we do?"

Naoto nodded her head. "There are too many risks." She said as she scrubbed at her body. "But what we can do is make sure that our friends are ready for those risks."

And when it was time to deal with Akechi, Naoto had a Colt Anaconda with six friends she planned to introduce Akechi to.

 _Take Your Time_

Ann checked the machine gun at her hip with a practiced ease that she shouldn't have been comfortable with. And yet, because of her time as a Phantom Thief, the gun was comfortable in her hand as her phone was. It was funny to think about, how only seven months ago she was just worry about Shiho and her position on the volleyball team.

Ann's skin still crawled thinking about the things she had done, trying to make sure that her friend kept her starting position. She should have had more faith in Shiho's abilities. Kamoshida had been a right bastard, and last she heard Shiho was still having therapy for her androphobia. Ann had thankfully gotten her therapy when she had blasted a fireball at him with Carmen.

But she had grown so much since then.

"You sure you want me up front Joker?" Ann asked Akira. Her healing wasn't on the same par with Makoto and with Morgana. And Akira definitely had the fire covered.

"I'm sure. You, me, Skull and Crow." Akira confirmed as he slotted his gun away. They were currently standing outside of Sae's Palace again.

Ann nodded her head. She wasn't going to argue if that was how Akira wanted to play it. But she still felt like she was starting to lose her role as a starter. She coiled her whip at her hip and tied the velcro strap around it so it wouldn't come undone from the small hook on her belt. Where Akira found all the accessories, she didn't want to know. But she did suppose that the internet had a lot of stuff.

She glanced towards Akechi a moment and looked away. She was barely keeping herself under control. Every time he spoke, it was like oil across her skin. His words were honeyed, and Ann wasn't ashamed in admitting that she wasn't sure what to believe. She didn't catch all the small little hints that Akira, Makoto, Naoto, and Yusuke all saw. She wasn't as perceptive as they were.

But she did trust Akira. Fully, without question. If he said that Akechi was lying to them, then she would believe that. So she didn't trust Akechi. She'd just act like she was upset that he was forcing the disbandment of the Phantom Thieves. That was something Ann could easily feel upset about. She felt like her time as Panther was helping people, the downtrodden like she had been, like Shiho had been. She was cleaning up adults that needed to be changed.

But Akechi was coming in to tear that apart.

She sighed and pulled her mask on over her face. She then took the time to stretch a little bit, remembering the things that Ryuji had worked with her on. Since she went to workout with Akira, she had gone on to continue joining Ryuji. He had taught her how to prep herself for a workout, had taught her how to pace herself.

And had taught her how to run like hell if absolutely necessary.

She glanced over to the other blond of the team. She watched as Ryuji finished the check on his shotgun before slinging over his shoulder. She was glad for her mask as she flushed a moment, remembering the last time they had worked out. Nothing had really happened, but she couldn't help but wonder when Ryuji's shoulders had filled out.

"Ugh… Why do we get heels?" She asked, turning to look at Makoto briefly. "I've learned more about running in heels than I ever thought I would need to know."

Makoto shrugged her shoulders a bit and adjusted herself to look over her shoulders at her own heels. Ann was jealous. Makoto had shorter heels than she did. "I do admit it's rather… difficult at times." She said.

"Have you tried to take the heels off?" Akira asked.

Ann gave him a flat and long stare. "They're thigh high boots, Joker." She said. "And worse, the body suit only goes down to about the middle of my thigh. The boots just barely cover the skin."

"Woah, really?" Ryuji suddenly sounded much more interested in the conversation.

Ann gave him the same look and smiled oh so sweetly. "Skull, I got a new technique with Hecate, you'll be the perfect subject to test it on. You can tell me how effective it'll be on Shadows."

"Shuttin' up!" Ryuji quickly went to stretching himself out, ignoring them completely.

She smiled a bit more at how effectively Ryuji was handled. She then turned her attention back to Akira. "I'd rather not be showing that much skin, if it's all the same to you. Plus, it's chilly enough as is and not all of us got nice coats." Really, Ryuji, Yusuke, Akira, and Akechi all had coats, or at least warmer tops. Makoto, Futaba, and herself were in bodysuits and Ann didn't like it. "I've managed this long, I'll be alright." Ann said

"Noted." Akira said. He was definitely in full Joker mode, their fearless leader. Ann couldn't help but wonder how far they might have gotten without him.

Probably not very.

Akira motioned for them to finish up and soon they were making their way back inside along their infiltration route. Ann was quick to focus up on things that didn't concern her at the moment. For now, she just had to act as the healer and punish the Shadows.

She slowed them down, Akira set them up, and Ryuji knocked them down. They were effective, they were efficient, and they even integrated Akechi. While he had taken Akira's words about not wasting his energy to heart, there was still very much a certain competitiveness to Akechi. Like he was trying to show that he was better, trying to show that he was that much more valuable than the rest of them.

Ann thought it to be silly.

When they got to the second floor, the barricade blocking their progress was gone. And when they went to the chips desk, they got another gift of a thousand. It brought Akira up to a thousand, and the rest of them to two thousand. So far the plan to split the difference was working off.

The first snag came when they found that the bridge leading to the manager's office wasn't going to lower for less than a hundred thousand. And once again, they were stuck playing games for the amusement of Sae's Shadow.

And Ann had a feeling that if they weren't careful, that Sae's Shadow would cheat once more and just bump the price of the bridge to something ridiculous. In fact…

"Joker," Ann came to a stop as she addressed Akira. She watched him turn to face her, giving her his full attention. "I don't claim to be the smartest or most dependable member of this team," She admitted. "But even I have some pattern recognition. If Niijima-san's Shadow cheated on the lower floor, wouldn't she do it again on this floor? I mean, she claimed to be the number one player. She's not going to just let us come after her."

"I gotta agree with Panther." Ryuji said. He bounced his bat against the toes of his foot. "I'm all down for a scrap, I'll even play these damned games. But I don't wanna be runnin' around for nothin'."

"But what are our other options?" Akechi asked. "This is not an ideal situation for any of us, but if we wish to find success with this heist, then we will have to play by Sae-san's Shadow's rules." Ann looked over at Akechi. She had a hard time reading him. She thought he might be enjoying his time with them, but it was difficult to tell.

Plus there was what he had done with Naoto. Ann still remembered the fear that day. The questions that plagued her. Would she be next? Would Naoto survive? Would any of her other friends be shot? All those things had gripped Ann that day, mercilessly tearing at her.

"Panther," Akira started. "One, don't ever say you're not the most dependable member of this team. I trust all of the Phantom Thieves with my life." he said rather bluntly. It was a statement that made Ann recoil a moment. "If I could, I would be running these jobs myself and not putting any of you in danger by having you up here with me."

Akira stepped a little closer to Ann. "I know things look bad." He told her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "But we need to do this. No matter what it takes. Shelve your morals, Panther. We're already cheating, we'll cheat more to keep them from winning. Do I have you at my back still?"

Ann gave a firm nod of her head. He shouldn't have even asked. "Now and always. Me and Skull." She said with a bit of a cheerful smile worming its way onto her face. "So let's go steal the show and set the stage on fire."

She and Hecate were more than ready to rock.

Ryuji bounced up beside them. "You ain't doin' this alone partner." He punched Akira in the shoulder. "But we wouldn't be us if we didn't speak our mind."

Akira nodded his head. "Now come on," Akira bounced on his feet a bit and turned around, his coat swishing. "We got too much to do!" He began to march towards the first room.

Ann ran her fingers through her hair a moment before she began to walk after, her stride turning more confident. She watched as Skull stepped in line with her. They didn't have anything they needed to prove, they would follow Akira unconditionally. He had earned the right, to ask of them things that no one else could ask them.

She glanced towards Akechi. He needed them so that when it came time, he wouldn't be caught flat footed. They were in enemy territory, with an enemy infiltrating them, he needed them at their best. Ann planned to give it.

And Ann moved with Akira through the next game. While she didn't quite understand the proxy battle, she did understand that Sae's Shadow was cheating once more when they had to traverse a pitch black maze. Yet despite it being pitch black, with doors blocked, and Shadows roaming the halls, they managed to walk away from the game, everyone coming out ten times richer than they had been when they first started.

It meant Ann had twenty thousand on her card. They technically had enough to go after the Manager's Office, but Akira had brought up the point that Sae would likely change the money, they needed an absurd amount that she wouldn't be expecting.

And so they went to the second game of the Floor. A battle arena. It seemed pretty straight forward to Ann, they went in their and kicked some ass.

" **I'm sorry,** " The Shadow said with a hint of humor. " **But these are** _ **fair**_ **one-on-one battles. Which means,"**

"Which means only one of us can fight." Akechi said, narrowing his eyes at the Shadow.

" **That's right, but I do encourage the rest of you to bet on your champion."** The Shadow was mocking them. But it moved away to guard the door, its piece said.

Akira led the whole group further into the area. It looked like a sitting area. "Well, we all know who is going to fight." Akira said as he tightened his gloves. "I'm the best choice."

"You shouldn't have to." Makoto said. "I can fight as well." She stepped forward.

"I'm sorry, but no." Yusuke said. "Joker is quite correct. He is the best choice. None of us are as versatile as he is." Yusuke glanced to Akira for a long moment. "You can do this, correct?"

Ann shook her head. It still wasn't right. "Why don't we just try and cross the bridge?"

Akira glanced towards her. "Because we won't make it." He said. "If Sae's Shadow bumps up the cost from a hundred thousand to even two hundred thousand, we won't make it." He said firmly. "So we need to win. And I will. Ten to one. Hell, on my card alone that's a hundred thousand chips."

"You didn't answer Fox's question." Haru said. "Can you do this?"

Akira chuckled a bit and he pulled out his pistol. He checked the clip, notably not saying anything before he put it back into its holster. He then took off the duster, surprising all of them. The vest under it was sleeveless. "Can one of you hold onto this for me?" He held the duster out to them.

"Uh… Sure." Ryuji took the coat.

"Joker!" Ann shouted as he began to walk away.

Akira held up his gloved hand in a fist. "Relax! I've got a ringer!" He walked beyond the gate which slammed shut behind him.

Yusuke's form stiffened. "Can he use that Persona then?" he asked quietly. He then looked to the Shadow Teller. "We should place our bets." He began to make his way to the counter.

Ann watched as Akira began to descend some stairs, and she then went to follow Yusuke. She didn't know the ringer that Akira was talking about. But it had better be damned powerful.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck as he made his way down towards the arena. He brought his hands up and cracked his knuckles. Despite himself, he couldn't help but feel a little excited. This was a good chance to see how strong he had gotten. No one but him and the enemy before him. There was nothing convoluted about it, just someone that he could put down.

And his Persona had given him permission to use its strength.

He crossed his arm over his chest as he walked. He was taking the chance to limber up. It was such a rare thing to do, that he never really got the chance to do it. But he wanted to have the absolute best chance that he could get.

Because despite himself, Akira was still measuring himself up against Yu Narukami.

Akira knew that at the moment, he just didn't measure up against the sword wielding member of the Investigation Team. The holder of the World Arcana, Yu's back was an imposing sight to behold to someone trying to catch up to him. Yu didn't try to be imposing or intimidating, he just… was. And for Akira, it was unacceptable. He wanted to catch up, to be as much of a threat as Yu was.

No, not a threat. He wanted to be as much of a defense for his team as Yu Narukami was for his.

Akira jogged the rest of the distance and charged out into the arena. His eyes adjusted to the brighter lights quickly. He quickly went into a slide however as he had two scimitars looking to take him at the waist and at the head.

He flipped himself up to his feet and drew his knife and his gun. He charged back in, eyes narrowing as he deflected one of the scimitars. His enemies were some elephant looking Shadow with large bulbous stomach. A pair of Ganesha if Akira's memory of the Persona associated with the Shadow was accurate. But they were definitely stronger.

His knife worked to deflect both of the scimitars coming for him. He found his opening and fire his gun twice, blasting the knees out from one. He then maneuvered himself behind it, avoiding the slash from its compatriot by hiding behind the Ganesha. Akira then kicked the downed on hard in the kidneys and moved back. He put some distance between them. He ran through his current roster of Persona.

The problem was that he couldn't remember what they Ganesha was weak to. He swapped to a different mask. "Mabufudyne!" He declared, summoning his ice up and blasting them both away.

One came charging at him and he moved out of the way, bringing his gun up and shooting it again, this time into the Ganesha's back. "Black Frost, Diamond Dust." Akira snapped his fingers and froze the turning Elephant solid. He ran towards it and leapt up, grabbing the back of its head and brought it forward to shatter on the ground.

He landed in a roll and brought his gun up to look at the other one. His pistol came out in a flash and he emptied the rest of his clip save for one bullet into it before charging forward at it. The Ganesha attempted to meet his charge in kind, but at the last moment, Akira used another ability of Black Frost. "Bang." He fired off the last round, using One Shot Kill. The Ganesha was stopped in mid-charge and faded to ash.

" **Wow, the stupid leader of the Phantom Thieves doesn't get it!"** The Announcer called out.

"Then bring it on!" Akira shouted right back.

" **Onto the next round!** " The Announcer declared. Either they didn't care about Akira's declaration, or they thought they could still win.

Akira went into a dive as _three_ shadows appeared behind him. He quickly got back up to his feet properly and with practiced ease hit the release for his clip. His second hand was already moving with a fresh clip, catching the spent one and slotting a fresh one in with much the same motion. He then tucked the spent clip away. He had gotten extremely comfortable with his handgun over the months of work with it.

The Shadows he noticed were ones that he had seen before in Niijima's Palace. They sort of floated there, making them almost impossible to hit with melee attacks where they would then counter attack. Akira's gun came up again and he pulled the trigger three times, each of the three scattering.

" **Can he even hit the broad side of a barn with that peashooter?!"** The Announcer declared, despite having seen Akira take down the previous round opponents with it.

Three more shots, three more misses. Akira couldn't help but think back to something Shinya had told him. He could still hear the words echoing in his head.

' _Stop, stop, Stop!' Shinya had yelled at Akira. "Oh for f-" Shinya gave a low growl, clearly cutting himself off from swearing. Akira had no doubt that the younger boy's vocabulary was quite diverse. "You don't know what you're doing, do you? You're a total amateur."_

" _I'm trying here!" Akira snapped back. He needed the information so that he could take down that cheating, hacking prick in Mementos._

" _Okay, okay, look, you're moving around too much." Shinya sighed. "Staying mobile is all well and good, but you're moving around too much. It throws off your aim. You're aiming where you think the enemy will go, which I gotta give you props for, but when you move at the same time, you have to take that into consideration as well."_

 _Shinya then shooed Akira to the side and took the plastic gun for the game. "Watch and learn Rookie." And despite Akira's best attempts, and wanting to be mad at Shinya, there was definitely a clear difference in skill level. Shinya did move as much as Akira had, but the difference was that Shinya kept consistently hitting his targets. "You have to take your own movements into consideration or you won't ever hit the enemy."_

 _He then held the plastic gun out. "You got quick reflexes Rookie." Shinya looked at him with an almost bored look. "But if you don't up your game, you'll never make it to the top."_

 _Akira hesitated a moment. "What do you do about enemies that anticipate your aim?" he asked. He had tried to deal with a number of flying enemies but by the time he had gotten a bead on where they would be, they were moving in a different direction._

 _Shinya smirked a bit. "Thinking like that will get you to the top Rookie, that's some top class skill. But you'll need to choose a gun like this," He showed the pistol off. "Plenty of ammo per clip and in reserve, fairly accurate. You might be able to do it with a rifle too, but you'll need the size of a pistol in order to have the ease of movement."_

 _Shinya held the plastic pistol alof and moved around the menus to change up the enemy. "That looks a little something like this."_

Akira fired off the last three rounds of his clip and stopped moving, turning to face the enemies. The clip was already falling, ejected with a practiced hand as he slotted the third one in. Akira let nine rounds off in just under five seconds, felling all three of the enemies.

The previous clip had been used to corral them. For their movements to change in a way. Shinya had taught him how to make it look like he was shooting for where they were going to be to corral them. And then once they were in his crosshairs, he dropped all of them.

For a game, it was fairly simple. In Mementos, it was a bit trickier. But then again, his opponents were forced into the small arena with him. It wasn't like they could go anywhere they wanted as easily as the enemies in Mementos.

Usually he'd get Yusuke to help him set the enemies up before he could take them all down.

He switched off of Black Frost to his strongest Persona. He had a feeling that whatever they threw at him next would be the most dangerous, so he wanted to make sure that he was having his best readied.

A large Shadow formed, donned in white and gold armor with a cape and a helmet. It raised its hammer up high. " **And here he is! Our reigning arena champion! The THUNDER EMPEROR!"** The Announcer shouted. " **Squash that Phantom Dweeb flat!"**

The hammer came hurtling down at Akira. He dodged to the side planting his hand flat on the ground as he half cartwheeled out of the way. When he had his feet back under him, he holstered the pistol and drew his knife before taking off to get around it. He used his Persona's power and felt energy surge through him as he remembered back to some of the lessons with Yu.

" _Sometimes, Akira, you're going to fight something bigger than you. You're going to be alone. Whether you got separated from your team, whether they're done, whatever. You're going to be alone and you have to deal with something much bigger than you with a longer reach." Yu stood tall, some distance away from Akira with his sword balanced on his shoulder._

 _They were in the first area of Mementos, and Akira was getting his ass handed to him in the training match. He was breathing hard and he had a few cuts in his uniform from where Yu had cut him. He gripped his knife tightly, looking at the older teen. "W-what do I do?" Akira asked, breathing hard._

 _Yu brought his sword down from his shoulder and charged at Akira. Akira tensed, bringing his knife up and moving his hand up to his mask to summon a Persona. At the last second, Yu cut slightly to the right, making Akira's attack miss before he came in low, moving past Akira. Akira spun to look._

 _Only Yu wasn't there._

 _Akira felt something pointy and sharp press into the small of his back. "If you can, against a bigger opponent, get behind them." Yu said. "Stay behind them. It's harder to hit someone when they are directly behind them, and you can basically control the flow of combat." Yu said. "You're fast on your feet, so staying behind them should be easy. And with your knife, you can stay closer to your target than I can with my sword."_

" _So get close and do damage huh?" Akira asked._

" _Yes. And theoretically, it could even be used on the Reaper. But, neither of us wants to test that theory." Akira could hear the grimace in Yu's voice. "And if you choose to let them turn around." Yu grabbed Akira's shoulder to turn him and Akira moved with the motion, bringing his knife up until he had Yu's sword under his throat. "You can use it to finish the fight with a decisive blow."_

 _Akira nodded his head slowly. He stepped back from Yu who balanced his sword on his shoulder. Akira shifted the grip on his knife. "Alright, let's try it." He said before he rushed at Yu._

Akira moved and slashed at the back of the legs of the 'Thunder Emperor.' He gripped his knife tightly and moved with the creature, forcing it to keep trying to turn to get a good hit at him. He saw it grip the hammer with both hands and come around for a full forced swing. Akira took a step back, holding his knife tightly.

Time seemed to slow down as he locked eyes with the Shadow from beneath its helmet. Akira stepped back in closer. He was within range of it to smash.

"Hassou Tobi!" Akira roared out Yoshitsune's signature attack and cut the Shadow across its chest in one harsh line.

The Shadow paused mid-swing for a moment. Then, along its arms, a second slash across its chest, its thighs, and two along its neck, wounds opened up. Deep and gushing that black ichor like blood as it fell backwards only to dissolve into ash.

Akira held his knife confidently and looked up. "Who's next?!" He declared defiantly.

Chapter End

 **A/N: I did not expect to be working on this chapter for as long as I did. I actually had it longer, more drawn out, and a little more boring so I had to axe something and rework some other things.**

 **I hope the glimpse into Akechi's mind makes things a little interesting and makes up a bit for the lateness of this chapter.**

 **And yes, Akira's new powerhouse Persona is Yoshitsune itself. My thought process was that by now, Akira has faced an entire 'Palace' by himself in Naoto's Secret Lab, he and his friends had actually fought the Reaper. I've been a bit ambiguous about the difficulty they face, I thought this should show where Akira is at.**


	41. Chapter 40: The Flop and the Turn

Chapter 40: The Flop and the Turn

Damn that Akira! Akechi furiously paced in his apartment, a glower on his face as he thought on the no body that was Akira Kurusu. He was no one special at all, so how? How did things keep going Akira's way?! When did that frizzy haired punk get so damned cocky?

Akechi bit the tip of his thumb between his teeth as he thought. The plan would still work. It had just been bad timing so far. No amount of luck was going to save Akira Kurusu, not with the planning that Akechi had put into this. Not with the favors that he had pulled. An upstart to the Metaverse was not going to best him.

"Tch." Akechi tasted blood as he bit harder.

His superiority had been all but assured. With the strength of Loki, and then Robin Hood, Akechi had been poised to be made into a valued member of the Phantom Thieves. He would have been trusted by Akira Kurusu, so that when it came time for it, he could slip the noose around Akira's neck a lot easier. He would have shown himself to be superior in strength, superior in Persona, superior in tactics, superior in every way to the fools running about attempting to change hearts. Akira would have relied on him more and more.

But instead, he had been thwarted at. Every. Single. Turn.

Akira thought of the idea to give everyone their own membership cards. Akechi had been planning to quietly gain funds so when Sae outrageously and egregiously bumped the price of admission into her office up, he would have had it covered. But Akira had outwitted him, and then proceeded to play the game that Akechi had figured out. He had thought of all the games rigged, but Akira had already been planning to rig things in his favor.

Then, after that damnable maze, he had everyone get loans on their cards up to the full amount allowed. If there had been one game with ten to one odds, then chances were that there was going to be more. And Akira had called it correctly. And when they had been preparing to fight in that arena, Akira had already deduced that his flexibility would be the best bet. No one liked it. Akechi had expected him to lose without his friends behind him. That Akechi would have to fight and get to show off his talents.

Yet nobody fucking Akira Kurusu pulled out a powerful Persona that had made mincemeat of something that even Loki would have had difficulty with without inducing madness on himself.

It was damned maddening! He was better than Akira Kurusu!

It reminded him of being compared to the likes of Naoto Shirogane. His teeth grit at just the thought of that woman. Two years ago, he was beginning his career as an ace detective while that charlatan had been waist deep in a murder case.

Worse still, she got credit for three solved cases! The two initial murders, the murder of the small town teacher, and the number of kidnappings. The media just loved pointing out how Naoto Shirogane had correctly deduced that the original two murders didn't fit the third! With Namatame pleading guilty on kidnappings and Adachi pleading guilty on murder, the media enjoyed the 'Detective Prince' solving three crimes at once!

He had been, for a time, tempted to talk to Shido about getting Adachi out of prison so that he might deal with Naoto Shirogane, give the former detective a chance at some revenge, but because he pleaded guilty to the charges of two counts murder without a deal being struck, Adachi had already been given the 'long drop.'

"Everything is still in order." Akechi reminded himself. He breathed a little easier and settled in. The Police had been riled up for months on the manhunt for the Phantom Thieves, he had a lot of people just itching to prove themselves.

He had not been lying when he had said that it would be a huge undertaking for the police to investigate Shujin Academy in its entirety. It would be. But the fact of the matter was the police wasn't gathering to investigate Shujin, they were going to be going into the Metaverse in order to capture Akira.

Akechi took a few moments to relax and settle himself down. Everything was still going according to plan. He needed to pull a few strings, talk to a few people, and he would undoubtedly get his task force soon enough. He just needed to have a little bit more patience. He needed to stay calm and keep his cool.

Akira Kurusu was still a nobody to be crushed under his heel.

 _Take Your Time_

Yusuke stood off to the side away from where his portrait hung at the art gallery. It was, once again, within the student portion and was to be rated by a number of judges, including the Kawanabe himself. He had wanted to show that his original idea of desire had not been wrong, merely incomplete to the man, it was why _Desire_ was once again hanging upon the wall.

"So that's the finished product." Yusuke nodded his head as Akira stood beside him. "It's quite the piece. What's it called?"

" _Desire and Hope._ " Yusuke said. He turned to face his dark haired friend that had helped him drag himself out of the mire that he had been stuck in. Akira had even been a good sport about some of Yusuke's less than orthodox methods. Even when they had been remarked as a couple, Akira had merely shrugged it off, refusing to let the brother and sister pair bother him.

And when they had been caught in the church by the Priest, Akira had still been a good sport about it. There were few that could call themselves as good of friend as Akira Kurusu to Yusuke Kitagawa. Even when Yusuke needed to go to Madarame's shack to try and figure something out, it was Akira that had picked the lock with little hesitation to the fact they were, in fact, breaking and entering.

"It was during our time in Inaba that it came to me." Yusuke said. "While you and I were with Yukiko-san and Yu." Yusuke smiled ever so faintly. "Hope. Hope and Desire, much like the positions in Tarot, are one and the same." He said. "Just because an Emperor is in the Reversed or Upright position, does it stop being the Emperor? No. Hope and Desire are the same thing, two sides of the same coin. It occured to me when I had hoped I have been as good of a friend to you as you have been for me."

Yusuke turned his attention to Akira who was looking at him rather intently. "Of course you have."

"My original idea was incomplete. I was forcing my opinion of Desire upon people." Yusuke admitted. "That it was inherently ugly. But no, Desire is not ugly. It is when it has been twisted. Do we not desire to correct some of the wrong of society?" He closed his eyes a moment. "I still have much to learn, but I believe I have finally painted something I can be satisfied with."

Yusuke had spent a lot of time dwelling on the subject. Especially as he had painted the portrait. There was nothing wrong with Desire. Desire was what pushed someone to better themselves, pushed them to make academic achievements that might have otherwise gone unhad. Desire was what made artists such as himself push to have such passion in their art. It was, sadly, when it was twisted that that desire turned into something ugly.

But even still, they all hoped, they all aspired to have their hopes and dreams and desires be beautiful things. It was why he had painted the 'hope' of _Desire and Hope_ in bright and vivid whites and golds. It was to emphasize that purity.

Yusuke noted Kawanabe stepping up to _Desire and Hope_ with the other judges. He tried to pay a little closer attention to their conversation.

"Isn't this the same painting that was submitted a few months ago?" One asked almost disdainfully.

"No," Kawanabe said. "It might have started as the same painting, but it is different. We will judge it by its own merits." He said fairly.

"I saw the original and thought it lacking." The other Judge with Kawanabe said. " _Hope and Desire_ eh? A bit abstract for my tastes, but… looking at this…"

"A lot of artists think they can choose such an abstract subject and put a picture to words." The First judge said. "However, looking upon this, I can't help but be drawn to the flecks of gold in the darkness, or the darkness in the bright white. A mistake?"

Kawanabe shook his head. "No, I knew the young man's mentor. Everything was done with deliberation."

"Desire within hope and hope within desire." The first Judge said thoughtfully, looking upon the picture once more. "It seems he has an understanding of technique. And he does show some measure of understanding to his subject,"

"I cannot fault him either for his topic of choice." The other judge said. "It's just such a powerful picture, with its sharp contrast and vivid colors."

"I like it." Kawanabe decided. "Unlike last time, I don't feel it is eccentric for the sake of being eccentric."

Kawanabe seemed to notice Yusuke and he broke away from the other judges to make his way over. "So this is your answer." He said.

Yusuke took a moment, looking to the man's eyes. "It is." He said after a moment.

" _Desire and Hope_. Yes, humans are creatures of both ugliness and beauty. It seems you understand that well." Kawanabe said.

Yusuke was a bit guarded and he regarded the older man a while. "What are you playing at?" he asked.

"You provoked Yusuke on purpose, didn't you?" Akira asked from where he was still standing. Yusuke glanced to Akira a moment before back to Kawanabe. He saw the slight smile on the older man's face that confirmed Akira's suspicion, a suspicion that Yusuke had held for a while as well after some research into Kawanabe's foundation. "Why?"

"I apologize, although it was my intent to inspire you, it was a rather crude way of doing it." Kawanabe admitted. "I wanted to ignite your competitive spirit."

"Why?" Yusuke asked. "Why go to such lengths?"

"I wanted to do something for you." Kawanabe said. "As someone else that is free from Madarame's chains."

"Huh?" Yusuke blinked, not actually following Kawanabe's train of thought.

"Madarame believed that I was stealing his customers from him." The director said. "My start was hardship after hardship that Madarame caused with his name and influence. The heart of a man is painted with desire, even when that desire is completely black and devoid of beauty." Kawanabe looked away a moment. "However, instead of cowing away from it, you stood up to it and confront it, Kitagawa-san. Perhaps if he had your strength…"

"Do you mean Madarame?" Akira asked, sounding a little more interested in the topic at hand. Not that Yusuke blamed him. Akira had, in the past, admitted to having little knowledge or interest in more high brow art. However, he was more than willing to try and be there for Yusuke, which was something he was appreciative of. That the topic was straying from art and more to something they had personally tended to, it had to gain Akira's attention more.

"Yes, Madarame and I go way back." Kawanabe said. "Classmates, we taught at the same art school. He had been noble once. But sadly, politics are seeded even in the art world, and those that are cunning succeed." Kawanabe looked at Yusuke's painting. "But the heart can't completely separate from black and white. I was quite surprised when I heard he took you in. Madarame had never liked children." Yusuke was surprised at that and it must have shown on his face. "I got a call from him before he cut all ties, I got a call from him. He was in a panic, saying all the clinics were closed and his kid had a fever."

"Sensei…" Yusuke remembered that time. He had been… incredibly young. He had stayed outside in the rain, hoping for some semblance of inspiration from the crack of lightning across the skies or the rumbles of thunder.

"That was another aspect to him." Akira offered.

Yusuke turned to look at the other teen and nodded. "Yes, it was." he said. Madarame hadn't been all evil, all vile. He had fallen from the path of being a good man, but even Akira didn't seem to hold a grudge.

"I don't want anymore misguided winners or losers like me born from this world." Kanawabe said. "It's why I started this foundation. So how about it, would you like our support without the overbearing marketing production?" he asked

Yusuke inhaled deeply and he offered a very polite bow to Kanawabe. "Thank you for the gracious and generous offer, however I must respectfully decline."

"Oh?" Kanawabe looked surprised. "May I ask why?"

Yusuke glanced to Akira a moment before back to Kanawabe. "I am not Madarame. I will not be tainted by desire. I can see hope quite clearly." He thought of the Phantom Thieves, of the Investigation Team. He thought of the conversation he had with Kanji Tatsumi over the use of colors with fabrics in the making of kimono and yukata. He thought of Futaba who he seemed to always butt heads with over artistic intricisity. "As long as I have them, I know they will offer a guiding hand, or a chastising remark if I need either."

Kanawabe smiled a bit at that. "Ha. It seems Madarame truly did have a good eye." He said and chuckled. He reached into his suit pocket and produced a business card from a case. "If, Kitagawa-san, you decide to change your mind." He offered it politely.

Yusuke accepted the business card and watched the other man walk off. "What a strange man." Yusuke said, turning to look at Akira.

"Mm… Do you want Kanawabe to be the pot or the kettle?" Akira asked with a slight smirk.

"Heh. For me to decline his offer? It is a tad wasteful, I admit, to decline." Yusuke said as he looked at his painting. "I feel contradictory, but that is the human heart, is it not? I believe that is what I should be painting." It felt good to Yusuke. It felt good inside of him to think of this contradictory manner. He then turned to look at Akira. "I'm sorry that it has undoubtedly been troublesome to put up with me." he said.

Akira shook his head. "It's not an issue." He assured.

"Thank you. For some reason, I knew you wouldn't abandon me until the very end." Yusuke squared his shoulders up proudly.

Yusuke felt his mind being tugged inwards. For a brief moment, he saw Goemon. The usually stoic faced Persona of his cracked a slight smile before a blinding flash of light enveloped it. "What is this?" Yusuke asked quietly. Suddenly his Persona changed to a wild haired man with a sword. "This power… it's… incredible… Kamu Susano-o." His eyes opened and he looked to Akira who was touching his chest. "I didn't realize that there was still this much power within me."

Akira cocked a slight grin. "Same happened with Ann and Ryuji." He said. "I look forward to seeing what you can do."

Yusuke held his hand up and touched his chest. "As do I." Suddenly, Yu and Naoto didn't seem so far ahead anymore.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira got off the train at Shinjuku and tucked his hands into his pockets. He began to make his way towards a specific side street where he saw Chihaya already set up. Her eyes lit up with some delight at his approach. Slowly, Akira took the chair across from her and sat down, leaning back a little bit.

"Kurusu-kun," The Fortune Teller greeted. As far as Akira could tell, Chihaya wasn't that much older than he was, probably about a year or two older than Yu. "I would think that with your powers to change Fate, that you wouldn't need to keep coming to me for a reading."

Akira shrugged a bit, even as she reached out to start shuffling her cards. "Call it a hunch, but I think Judgement will be particularly close to the Fool." He said.

Chihaya narrowed her eyes slightly, even as her smile never wavered. "What have you been getting up to Kurusu-kun?" she asked. "Nothing illegal, like say… acting as the Phantom Thief?" She asked.

"Ah… Figured that out huh?" Akira asked.

"Sorry, I cheated and did a reading." Chihaya's smile grew a bit. "I couldn't help but think that you had something to do with the Chairman's confession. Then I discovered that you're the Fool. It was the Fool that had helped me with the Chairman.

Akira shook his head. "Don't worry about it, it's fine." he said. "I trust that you'll keep it to yourself." He said.

"I dunno, there's a lot of money being offered right now." She said teasingly. They both knew she didn't do what she did for the money, she did it to help people. Slowly, she began to do a spread. She flipped the first card over and shook her head. "Jeez, no matter how many times I try to do a read on you, you always come up as the Fool. By now you'd have leaning towards something else." She pouted playfully, even if she had already known that the Fool was going to show up for Akira. "It's as odd as when I did a reading for a young man some months back and he was represented by the World."

Akira shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to touch on that topic. He knew for damned sure that she was talking about Yu. "I like the Fool. It represents infinite possibility."

"Hmph. Well then, let's see how accurate you are, Kurusu-kun." The Fortune Teller flipped the next card over. "Judgement." She looked at her card before up at Akira. "And how did you know that? Hmm?"

Not that Akira was going to tell her, but with their plan he had no doubt that Sae Niijima was going to represent Judgement for him. It was the last of the Major Arcana that he had yet to interact with. "Let's call it a hunch based on what I know going on." he said.

Chihaya looked at him a bit more closely before she began to flip the next card. "The Lightning Struck Tower." she said. "Representation of Disaster perhaps?" The next card was the Wheel of Fortune. "Luck, perhaps." She flipped the last card and Akira wasn't certain who was more surprised, him or Chihaya.

"The World." She said. "An end of a journey."

Akira looked to the cards and frowned a bit. It didn't say whether it was good, or bad. "Well, it's a good thing I don't believe in predestined Fate." he tried to lighten the mood. It almost sounded like he was going to die, but he couldn't focus on that. Not when there was still a lot of work to do. And he had already proven to Chihaya, over and over again, that Fate was something that could be changed.

She offered a smile and nodded her head. "Onto other topics, the members that were calling me a Maiden seem to be doing better. I do a phone consultation with them from time to time and they all seem cheerful. Same with my usual Fortune Teller customers."

Akira nodded his head. "It sounds like business is booming." he said.

"It is!" She said sounding excited about it. "And I'm glad to be helping them. I refuse to let the names Monster or Maiden sway me anymore. Even the people that get bad Fortunes thank me!"

"Of course." Akira said. "You're pretty accurate with your fortune telling, and by telling them they have something bad coming up, you can help them divert away from it or prepare for it." It was basic sense for Akira. "Good, bad, life is all about experiences. Even the humiliating ones and the ones that make you feel on top."

Chihaya looked a bit surprised before she nodded. 'You're right," she said. "That's a good way to think about it. So got any experiences you want to share?" she asked.

Akira thought about it for a moment. "Hmm… I did end up in Shibuya on an assault charge." He said. He could see the surprise on Chihaya's face. "It was trumped up by someone with power over the cops, there wasn't anything I could do to stop it from happening." he said.

Chihaya nodded her head. "I had a good friend in the town I grew up in. She was the first person I read a fortune for and after that, we grew distant. I did a reading on the fate of our relationship, but… well… As you can imagine, it didn't end up well. And no matter how hard I prayed, it never changed."

Akira leaned back a bit. He could see the downcast mood that Chihaya was in, no doubt wishing she could go back and change things, to actually make an effort to change the fate of the relationship with her friend. Akira thrummed his fingers on the card table. "You know, it's never too late." he said. "People get older, people get wiser, they get far apart. But it doesn't mean you can't try now." he said.

Chihaya raised her head up blinking a bit at Akira for a moment. "You know, sometimes you sound like an old man." she said.

Akira chuckled. "Well, I do hang around someone that best represents the Hierophant." he said.

Chihaya took her cards and shuffled them back together and began to lay them out. When she reached over to flip the first one over, Akira reached out and put a finger on it to stop her. She looked surprised once more, looking to him.

"I understand if you want to do a reading based on your conviction to speak with her," Akira said. "But I think that this is one Fortune that shouldn't be told." he said. "Have faith in your own conviction."

Chihaya smiled at that, brightly and broadly. "Faith in my own conviction huh?" she asked. "Alright, I'll do just that." She gathered the cards up then. "I am a Fortune Teller, offering advice to people with downtrodden spirits so that they may have the conviction to face their future without feeling like they are being pushed around by fate."

Her face got a little more concerned, a distinct frown on her face. "Only, the fate of the Phantom Thieves is unclear to me." she said softly, lowering her voice to a whisper. . "I've never seen anything like it. It's almost like you're pointed at both Heaven and Hell."

"Well, a walk to Heaven is usually through Hell." Akira said. He wasn't exactly a spiritual type, but even he understood that the path to Heaven wasn't defined as being easy.

Chihaya shook her head. "I don't think it's like that." She said. "But I know you'll do as you have always done and face it strong."

Akira nodded his head. That was all he could do. And after they were done with Sae's Palace and Akechi, he'd have Yu and Naoto watching his back again. It was something he was honestly grateful for.

Chihaya's phone rang and she glanced to the number. "Oh, I'm so sorry Kurusu-kun, but this is a call from the group."

Akira nodded his head. "I'll see you around, Chihaya. And remember to hold tight to your conviction." He began to walk away. He felt the blossom of power in his chest as he walked, knowing that he had come to know the ultimate power of the Fortune Arcana.

But he couldn't help but think about what she had said about the fate of the Phantom Thieves. He'd face it as it came, but he was concerned for his friends.

 _Take Your Time_

Makoto inhaled a bit as she got off the train. She was definitely in an area of town she wouldn't usually frequent on her own. She hadn't even been back there since they rescued Yu from Naoto's Reflection. She rubbed her hands against her pants a bit. Akira had recommended that they not look like school kids, and had accordingly planned the event on a Sunday.

Even still, it didn't feel like she belonged there in Shinjuku.

But she had to get Eiko away from her 'boyfriend.' She heard terrible, horrible things about Hosts all the time, reading them online, and with Eiko asking about money, some red flags had gone up in Makoto's head.

She spotted Akira standing off to the side with his glasses off and dressed in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a black blazer. It was always surprising to Makoto how at ease Akira seemed to fit in wherever he was. Even when he was dressed up for school, he would look like an every day Shujin Academy student.

She just hoped her own clothes would work. She huddled into her blue coat a bit more, feeling a tiny bit exposed. "He's supposed to work in this area." She said as she approached Akira. "So we should be able to find out a few things, right?"

Akira nodded his head. "Yeah, should be easy enough. Plenty of promoters out and about to ask about."

"We need some solid evidence." Makoto said. "And as my father told me, real solid evidence requires legwork, so let's go." And she was determined to keep Eiko safe, so it meant she was ready to put in some serious legwork. She began to follow Akira as he walked through Shinjuku.

While she wanted to hurry a little bit, she understood the need to appear like they belonged, so she followed Akira's more sedate pace towards the promoters.

The first one they went to barely glanced their direction. "Sorry, we don't let couples in." He said in a bored manner.

Akira however stayed relaxed. "Do you know a Tsukasa?" he asked politely.

"Look, if you want to sabotage our business, I'll gladly take this conversation out back." The man said, looking in Akira's direction.

"We should probably go elsewhere." Makoto said. She didn't want to see Akira getting hurt.

Akira shook his head at the man before he walked away with Makoto. She was quite thankful for that. Even though she knew that both she and Akira could have taken the man, it would be better if they didn't get into random fights. "Man, some people." Akira said. "Can't even take just being asked a question."

Makoto nodded in agreement. "Let's try that Gentleman." she said.

They wandered over to another hawker. "Hey, we got a great club." The man said, spotting them. "We even let couples like yourselves in." Makoto was having difficulty keeping her blush under control as everyone insinuated that they were a couple.

"Sorry, we're looking for a Tsukasa." Akira said politely.

"Is he a host?" The man asked confused. "Sorry, but I'd never promote for a host club."

Makoto offered a smile. "Thank you for your time then." She said and was already onto the next person, Akira following behind her. "Shinjuku certainly has a number of people." she muttered softly.

"We'll find our answers." Akira said. "We just need to be patient."

They continued on until they found a man in a green jacket. "How about you come to our club and we show you a good time?" The man said. He then noticeably looked Akira over. "You uh… got any money though? You look kinda poor."

"Do you know a Tsukasa?" Akira asked.

"Tsukasa?" Makoto immediately knew they had a valuable source of information. The outright anger the man had as his posture went from slightly hunched over to standing up right, the way his hands balled into a fist and the glare he sent Akira's way. "You bastard, you a friend of his?"

"No." Akira said.

"He broke a sake bottle and is asking a friend for help." Makoto said.

"He's usin' the sake bottle trick still?" The man asked. His anger didn't evaporate. He grit his teeth. "He's an old hand at that trick. Let me tell you this, get the girl outta there. Tsukasa's known for ruinin' lives. He 'breaks' an expensive bottle of sake, then sells the girl to pay for it back. Same fuckin' thing happened to one of my friends." Makoto felt for the man, and she almost wished that she could convince the others to go into Mementos after Tsukasa. But the problem was they couldn't go inside Mementos for every tiny little thing.

"Come on, we have proof now." Makoto told Akira. "Thank you for your time." She bowed to the man before she went towards the shop that Eiko worked at. She knew Eiko was close to getting off of work.

Akira followed behind her again, even as Makoto strode forward powerfully. She was going to finish this. Eiko wasn't going to get hurt by that man.

They waited around for a while and soon Eiko got off. She spotted her and Akira and Makoto could see the other girl's lips purse a moment. But she walked over regardless. "What do you want?" she asked a bit sharply.

"Your so called boyfriend is infamous around here for tricking girls into debt and forcing them to sell themselves." Makoto said. She stepped towards Eiko. "I'm worried about you. You need to get out of there before you're in too deep."

Eiko rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you came all the way here to tell me that?" Eiko sounded angry and Makoto narrowed her eyes. "You need to stop with your lying bullshit! I'm tired of it! Get out of here!"

"I have testimony from one of the promoters in the area. I bet he'd even tell you the same thing." Makoto said. She was getting a little angry as well. "You're not the first one he's broken a bottle of sake and lied about it to. From the sounds of it, he's quite infamous for it. He won't ask for much at first, then the interest starts adding up and eventually he'll ask you to sell your body to pay for it. All the while, he'll pocket the money you're giving him. There is no sake bottle."

"Oh shut up!" Eiko yelled. "I already have a date with him, we're going to swing by his club." She said in a smug fashion.

"Yo!" Tsukasa himself began to stroll up. "Did I make you wait babe?" He asked. "I came a little late after seein' your text, but I guess you're already here." He spotted Makoto and Akira then. "Heyo, I know these two." He said. "Wanna swing by the club with us? It'll be a total blast!" He offered a smooth smile.

"They were saying some bad stuff about you babe." Eiko said. "Like that you force girls into debt and then get them to sell themselves. They're lying to me, right?" she asked, almost sounding desperate to prove Makoto wrong.

Tsukasa looked surprised. "You believe that crap?" he asked. "Look, there's nothing like that happin' here. I'd never do that to you Princess." Tsukasa said.

Makoto decided she'd pull the wool from over EIko's eyes. "It's always Princess with her. It's all you ever call her." She narrowed her eyes at Tsukasa. "Why don't you use her real name? Or are there too many princesses to remember?"

She watched Tsukasa look to her. And she saw something flash in his eyes. But he was staying quiet.

"Tsukasa?" Eiko asked, a little concerned sounding.

"What are you talking about, you just texted me babe." Tsukasa offered a smile. "I know you're Makoto."

Makoto gave a droll look. "I thought so." She said. " _I_ texted you earlier. Used the text speech and added emojis to make it look like it was Eiko." She shook her head. "Admit it, you don't even bother remembering names anymore. Every girl you get money from is your Princess." Makoto looked to Eiko. "This is who your boyfriend really is." She said emploring the girl to open her eyes to the vile thing he was.

"You tricked him!" Eiko said, turning to face Makoto. Hardly the reaction that Makoto was expecting. "What do you honestly know about love?! Tsukasa is all I have! Leave me alone you bitch!"

Makoto inhaled. "I hope you'll eventually forgive me for this." She took a step forward and brought her open hand across Eiko's face, making her head snap to the side. She could see the surprise in Akira's form. "Wake. Up." Makoto said sharply. "You already know the truth of the matter, but you'd rather be blind than to actually turn and face it. Quit lying to yourself and grow up."

Eiko stared at Makoto, a red hand print forming on her pale skin. She looked at Tsukasa a moment before she finally turned and walked away. "But Tsukasa is the only one that cares for me." She sobbed. "He's the only one that treats me like I'm special." She turned to face Makoto, tears streaming down her face. "A perfect girl that meets everyone's expectations can't possibly know how it feels! So stop trying to feed me your honor student bullshit."

Makoto raised her eyebrow. "That had nothing to be with an honor student. And I'll smack you again if you say otherwise. That was me trying to help one of my friends. And I damned sure will not ever stay quiet or demure when a friend is having her life ruined." She whirled on Tsukasa. "As for you, apologize to Eiko and stay the Hell away from her."

"Huh?" Tsukasa asked. "You're startin' to annoy me with this shit, bitch." He took a half step forward. "Don't think I'll go easy on you just cause you're a chick. I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget." He took another two steps forward.

"I dare you!" Makoto said loudly. She'd drop him to the pavement. She could already see that he favored his right side, probably would come after her with a right swing.

Akira stepped between them, hands coming out of his pocket. "You want Makoto? You gotta come through me." He said in a low tone. "I'll even let you have the first swing, but afterwards, I will put you on your ass." He would. Makoto knew he would. And Akira had gotten skilled enough that a bully like Tsukasa wouldn't stand a chance.

That said, her heart was pounding in her chest at his action to defend her. And it wasn't slowing down either. It wasn't like he hadn't stepped in to defend her before, but this felt oddly… personal.

Makoto inhaled a moment and stepped forward. Akira would get into a lot of trouble. "If you really want to start something, I can't stop you." She said. "But I come from a long line of police officers. And I know there's a camera there, there, and there." She pointed to the three visible ones. "And those are the public ones, not the ones in any number of these clubs and cafes that the police would be glad to pull as evidence."

Tsukasa turned to face her, taken aback by it a moment. "D-damn it! I'll remember this!" he said. He then took off.

Makoto shook her head a bit. Of course, as a bully he was in all honesty really weak. Eiko then ran off. "Wait, Eiko-" She called after her.

"Did you see that?" Someone from a club said.

"Was that girl fighting with a host?" Aw man, she had attracted a lot of attention and Eiko's yelling definitely hadn't helped in the slightest.

"People noticed what happened." She told Akira with a wince.

"Follow me." Akira told her and began to move briskly. Makoto could agree with him, understanding that they couldn't stay out there. It would only cause more trouble.

Akira took her to a place called Crossroads, and once inside she could see that it was a bar. He helped her sit down at a stool and took a seat next to her. Makoto half slumped against the bar with a groan. "I can't believe I hit one of my friends." she said.

"It was the right move." Akira said. "I kinda stayed in the background because it looked like you had it handled, but when he started to move in on you, I knew I couldn't just let that fly." He said.

Makoto shook her head. "Was it the right move? All I wanted to do was wake her up to reality." Was that really such a bad thing? "When I get worked up, I just… react." She said. "My father was the same way, it's why I try to stay in control so much."

It was why she could come across as overbearing or controlling to people. She didn't like the feeling that she wasn't in control of who she was. She knew that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing that she got swept up in the moment, but she didn't like it.

"Had you not stepped in, I'm afraid what might have happened." Makoto said softly.

"You'd have dropped him on his ass." Akira commented rather frankly. She could see that he actually meant that too. "Between your Aikido and what we do as the PT on a regular basis, he didn't stand a chance."

Makoto nodded, grateful for Akira's faith in her. "That aside," She glanced around at the lights and the myriad of bottles filled with undoubtedly liquor all lined up behind the bar. "This place is…. Interesting. How did you ever find out about it? You know so much."

"When we were looking for intel on Kaneshiro." Akira shrugged his shoulders. "This is where I met Ohya properly. And I also work part time here."

Makoto shook her head, amazed at what lengths the leader of the Phantom Thieves went through. He kept them supplied on everything almost single handedly. She didn't want to think about how much her revolver cost him. Even though it was a model, it was still a high quality one.

"I imagine you've met a great many people here." Makoto said, admiring the younger teen for a moment. Despite everything Akira had been through, he was still coming out ahead in life, doing things others could only dream of. He had opportunities that would make most normal high school students jealous. She wondered if the cost was worth it. "Some of those people probably lead lives I could never dream of…" She closed her eyes, but she wasn't thinking about the bar's patrons.

Instead, she was thinking about her own life compared to Akira's. His was full of meaning. And while she recently had made great strides in having a full life, she couldn't help but feel like there was just something she was still missing.

She shifted in the seat a moment. "You know, spending time with you and getting to know Eiko has given me a great deal to think about." Makoto turned to look at Akira. "I've missed a lot by having my head buried in a book and I thought I knew how the world worked, but I've realized differently since I started to hang out with all of you."

"To be fair," Akira started. "Most people in their teenage years and early twenties think they know how the world works. Then we get kicked in our teeth." And Akira had been kicked quite heavily in the teeth by life.

Makoto nodded her head. "There are some things we need others to teach us." she admitted. And she was glad to have met the Phantom Thieves, it had broadened her horizons by quite a significant margin. "Eiko-san had said I would flunk a test on love…" Makoto shook her head and sighed a bit.

Perhaps she would. But then, she wondered if Eiko had really know what she was talking about herself. Certainly, to an extent love was supposed to make someone feel special. And if Tsukasa, even faking it, made Eiko feel special, there was a real chance that Eiko might have fallen in love with the Host.

Makoto grabbed at her pants a moment. But… She didn't think she'd flunk it. Because she knew the blossoming feelings in her heart. But was it really love? It was difficult to say for certain. She had seen real love, she had seen it tested time and again in Yu and Naoto. It was something that Makoto could say she selfishly wanted for herself.

She looked at Akira and stared into his dark eyes. She could see the focus and attention he had on her. No doubt he already knew what she was going to ask. "W-would you… be my study partner for that… subject?" She blushed brightly as she asked. "To be my b-boyfriend?" She couldn't believe the embarrassing way she had squeaked out the last word. But it was embarrassing.

But she wanted to start dating him. For real. Not on a faked date to try and make sure a friend was safe, but to actually be able to accompany him and enjoy his presence as her partner.

And despite being sure that he knew she was going to ask, Makoto saw the surprise pop up in his eyes. She could feel the heat burning up her cheeks as her blush threatened to overtake her usually paler skin. "That was… rather forward of me." She said. She put him on the spot like that and it wasn't fair.

"No," Akira said. "It's fine. Don't apologize." She could see the gears trying to work behind those dark eyes. That was one of the things she liked about Akira, he thought of things. "I'd… I would like that actually." he told her.

Makoto felt her heart beating faster as he said that. She… She hadn't expected him to actually agree to it. Then again, she hadn't expected to ask him. But she did. And he did.

"You kids done with your little heart to heart?" The almost sandpaper rough voice of the proprietor sounded as she, he?, came walking from the back.

"O-oh!" Makoto was surprised. "It must be incredibly rude of us to sit here so long after only ordering some tea. I'm so sorry." She apologized.

The woman waved it off. Makoto decided that if she wanted to wear a kimono like a woman, she was trying to be a woman. And it really begged the question as to what Akira was thinking, working there. But then she did remember the rather cruel prank that Yu had pulled on Akira and decided she really didn't want to know the answer to that question. "Just a little glimpse into your little drama is all the apologies I need." she said. "Ah, to be young and in love. It reminds me of when I was a young girl." She cupped her cheek.

"Yes, well, we should best be going." Makoto said. She stood up a little suddenly, blushing a bit as she looked at Akira. Her boyfriend.

Her heart gave a little flutter. She needed some time to compose herself.

 _Take Your Time_

Bang!

Yu bolted upright, breathing heavily. His sleep shirt was clinging to him, drenched with sweat. His brow was soaked with it and made his silver hair damp. His chest rose and fell rapidly and he brought his hands up to his face. He rubbed at his temples firmly before he got up and went to the bathroom.

Just as he had done so many months ago, he took a moment to wash his face and just stare at himself in the mirror. Nineteen years old. He'd be turning twenty in just a few short months, a legal adult in Japan. While he considered himself the adult of the group, he wasn't that much older than someone like Makoto or Haru.

But despite that, he had a lot on his plate. He had more to be concerned about than most adults did. And as much as he wanted to rant and rave about the unfairness of it, he had long since given up on the idea of things being fair.

If life was fair, Mayumi Yamano and Taro Namatame would have been happy together. She'd still be alive. Tohru Adachi wouldn't have been a murderer. Saki Konishi would have been alive to pester her younger brother. And Yu Narukami would have likely never made as good of friends as the ones he made in Inaba.

The TV world had forged them into more than a team, it had turned them into a family.

If life was fair, then he likely would have never met Naoto Shirogane. And since life wasn't fair, he had to take the good with the bad on that.

He grabbed a towel and began to dry his face off. He glanced at his watch. Naoto had assured him she could have done a digital watch if he had wanted, but personally Yu preferred an analog watch. There was just something soothing sometimes when he could hear the ever so subtle ticks of the second hand in the dead silence.

But the watch read just after two in the morning. He didn't really want to be up, but at the same time he didn't really want to try and go back to sleep.

"Senpai," He turned to the sleep deprived voice of his girlfriend. "Are you okay?" she asked. No doubt the rather violent way he had awoke had woken her.

He was tempted to lie to her. To say that he would be fine. It was a simple enough answer. It was an answer that guys would give over and over to hide what they were feeling. But Yu didn't like lying, not even to himself. And he knew that Naoto would see right through him. He sighed deeply. "No." he said. The fact of the matter was he wasn't okay.

Naoto stepped into the bathroom a bit more. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, looking up to him with a hint of concern on her face.

"Not really." Yu said honestly. He could see the frown on her lips slowly spreading. He wasn't all that surprised by it, but she had asked him. He wasn't okay, he didn't want to talk about it. It wasn't going to make it any easier. "I'm going to start a pot of coffee, I'd rather coffee when I tell you about it." Just because Yu didn't want to talk about it didn't mean he wasn't going to.

Naoto nodded her head and moved to the side when he went down towards the kitchen. Yu took his time, making sure to get the beans he had and grinding them fresh. While it wasn't going to be nearly as good as the coffee that they could get from Leblanc, Yu had taken to following his uncle's example. He took a bit of pride in actually making his coffee, just as he had pride in his cooking. It meant he wasn't ever going to just use instant grounds when he had fresh ground beans for his coffee.

He poured two mugs and prepared Naoto's first. Black, a touch of sugar. He loaded his down with lots of cream and sugar, even if it wasn't how he usually preferred it. He took the mugs into the living room, setting one down in front of Naoto before he sat down on the other side of the kotatsu. He could see Naoto pick hers up and take a sip.

He sat in the quiet, just staring at his coffee for a while. He really didn't want to talk about the conversation they were about to have. But he also knew that the reverse was true as well. "I still have nightmares." he said quietly. Just like Yosuke. Just like Naoto. They slept in the same futon enough that he could feel when she woke up. "Some of the Shadows we fought… they just stick with you. The deadly dice, hands, tables, I can handle those no problem." he said. "But some of the more human looking ones?" He grimaced. "The mutant plant children? And who could we honestly talk to about all this? To hell with doctor-patient confidentiality, I'd be lucky to not be locked up."

"I admit, it is a concerning issue." Naoto agreed quietly.

"Yosuke… What he did because of the Reflections," Yu shook his head. "Hell, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know." Like he said he had experienced her waking up in the middle of the night. Sometimes it was easy, others it was as violently as he was.

Sometimes he was having to wake her from the fits.

"I'm seeing a lot of the same with the Phantom Thieves. This… stuff we do, it wears on us, wears on the soul. Not just the fatigue of the Metaverse, but trying to do all of this while trying to live normal lives." Yu finally took a drink of his coffee. His mouth immediately protested. A little too hot still, too much sugar. It was almost like drinking hot syrup. "And when this madness finally comes to a close for us, we'll still have the nightmares." he said.

"Have you considered speaking with Doctor Takemi about this?" Naoto offered. "It was a recent thought of mine, since she is… vaguely aware of the existence of the Metaverse."

It was a thought. "I'll ask Akira what he thinks." Yu said. Akira was technically the one closest to her, so he might be able to ask a little easier. He inhaled a bit. "I still have dreams about Izanami." he admitted. "Only instead of them being memories of that horrible battle, its…" He shook his head. "I win… and I go to dig you guys out, only… none of you are breathing… Staring at me with vacant eyes." He shivered and it had nothing to do with the chil air.

"Senpai," Naoto said concerned.

"And you're the worst, you're the one that asks why I didn't save you." Yu admitted. He hated those nightmares. They had gotten few and far between, but they had still come up. "And then…. Then… You were hurt. The nightmares are coming back and I'm getting more and more." Yu said. "I can feel your blood seeping through my fingers, can see the light dying in your eyes, and I know there's nothing I can do about it." His fingers tightened into fists. "Or worse, I imagine that the Detective aimed higher." He grimaced at the thought.

"Senpai," Naoto began

"I know!" Yu said a little loudly, maybe a little more animatedly than he should have. He saw her jerk a bit in surprise. "I know." he said a little more evenly. "It's your job." he said. And he did get it. "But I'm still going to be concerned, I'm still going to be worried if someday, I'm going to get a call, saying that you got hurt, or worse, on a case. No matter what happens in the future, you're my friend Naoto." He looked to her blue eyes. He could see the thoughtful expression in them.

It wasn't that he didn't understand. It wasn't that he couldn't understand. It wasn't that he didn't want to understand. He was simply troubled by it. He was as any concerned significant other when their partner got hurt. Naoto was his friend, his lover. And when she got hurt, it had devastated him. He didn't know what to do. He still didn't know what to do.

And they planned to go into Mementos soon so that they could test the damage of what happened.

"This… isn't me hearing from some officer that you got hurt." That would be abd enough and would worry the hell out of him. "I was there Naoto, I watched the blood splatter on the wood, I watched it stain your school uniform. I had your blood seeping through my fingers and my shirt as I did my best to try and keep you alive, I didn't even think about Doctor Takemi being less than a block away. I'm just… It caused more than a few nightmares. Some are bad, some of horrible."

Naoto seemed to consider his words for a while. She took a drink from her coffee. "Thank you for telling me, Senpai." She said. "I can understand why you wouldn't want to talk about it. Not only does it bring up more bad memories, but others might consider it a sign of weakness. But being able to talk about these things is a strength, even if you don't want to talk about it."

Yu nodded softly and sipped his coffee. He had said his piece, it was time for Naoto to say hers.

"And I want to thank you for not attempting to talk me out of my chosen profession." At Yu's snort of amusement, he could see Naoto's lips quirk into a smile. "I'm glad you understand the effort in futility that would be. I can only promise to be as a safe as I can, but we are both aware that being a Special Investigator is a dangerous profession. I will however, be glad to be done with this business inside the Metaverse. You are quite correct, it has been rather taxing and stressful. And it adds a level of danger that, frankly, neither of us need in our lives."

Yu nodded his head softly. He sipped softly on his coffee. They sat together, just trying to forget about the dangerous lives they lived in the peace and quiet of the early morning. Both of them had school and work the next day, but neither could bring themselves to go back to sleep.

End Chapter

 **A/N: I'm really sorry about how this story has slowed down on the updates. I'm going to try and pick it back up in a bit, but I've been having issues with family and it's been sapping my inspiration to really write this story.**

 **But we're approaching the home stretch now, and yes, Akira has officially begun dating Makoto! Relationship woes aren't over yet though.**


	42. Chapter 41: The Last Ace of a Lost Hand

Chapter 41: The Last Ace of a Lost Hand

"Alright Naoto, hit us with it." Akira spoke from the couch, giving the sleuth his full attention.

It was November 16th, just days before the calling card for Sae Niijima was to go out. Just days before Goro Akechi was planning to spring his trap to either capture the Phantom Thieves or to at the very least capture Akira. And the Phantom Thieves, minus their leech, were once again sitting around Yu's living room, planning things out. It was their last chance to hash things out, ot plan and prepare as much as possible.

So much of the plan was riding on pure, unadulterated luck that it wasn't even funny. It was why they were trying so hard to nail down the peculiars. And there was one bit of information that, for a while, none of them would have been able to supply.

That was, until Naoto had gone back to work.

And though Yu knew his girlfriend was loath to do so, she would offer some insight to the workings of the police to make sure her friends were safe. Especially since they knew Akechi planned to have Akira meet a tragic fate that the media would call a 'murder-suicide'

"Akechi-san has been gathering a task force with the express purpose of going into the Metaverse." Naoto said. "How long he's been planning on doing this is difficult to tell, but he's even doing it under the nose of Sae-san. At present," Naoto gave a grimace. "Akechi-san has about eighty officers between plain clothes and uniforms." She said. There was a noticeable pause. "And three whole squads of SATs."

"Holy Shit…" Ryuji said, eyes wide. "How the fuck did he amass that many?" Yu ignored the rather crude language as he could understand the surprise.

"Despite the incident and the television interview that preceded it," Naoto tried to be tactful about it. "The fact of the matter is that Akechi-san has maintained a staunch stance of capturing the Phantom Thieves. And with the success of the Phantom Thieves coupled with the frustration of the Prefecture at the lack of headway made in the case, he had a lot of volunteers when he declared that he could lead the police to the Phantom Thieves. Further compounded by the fact that the Phantom Thieves are still being blamed for the Okumura incident, and the taskforce quickly got approved."

"Question!" Ann raised her hand. "For those of us that don't know, what are SATs?" she asked.

"Special Assault Teams." Yu replied. "Generally they act as counter terrorism units. Hostage situations, bomb threats, etcetera." He could see the focus on him. "SATs are equipped with body armor, assault weaponry, and armor piercing rounds if the situation calls for it. I wouldn't be too surprised if there was also going to be a sniper team in place. They were actually deemed as classified information up until 1996."

Akira's eyes were wide and he dropped his head into his hands. "Holy…" He exhaled deeply.

"Senpai, how do _you_ know about SATs?" Naoto asked. It was a fair question he supposed.

"Uncle Dojima is certified as an SAT, even if he's a Detective. He went through the training and everything, but with his wife and Nanako, he decided that being a Detective was better for the family than SAT. And with the incident of Aunt Chisato's death..." Yu shrugged his shoulders. Though, it was a slightly amusing thought, imagining Dojima armored up with an assault weapon in his hands.

'That's not the worst of it either." Naoto said. "I'm afraid that, while the priority is to capture you, the taskforce has been approved to respond with lethal force should you take any aggressive actions. Someone higher up must know what a danger you are within the Metaverse."

Akira inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled before sitting up. "Alright." He said. "I can manage that. If I come across some cops, run my ass off."

"You do know they could still open fire and take the chance of saying you were acting in an aggressive manner," Yu pointed out. Not that he thought they would. So long as Akira stuck to trying to get away, he'd still be acting within the MO of a thief. The cops should have good trigger discipline.

That wasn't to say Akira wouldn't get roughed up in the arrest process, but he'd live.

"Anyone else want to take the spot of Joker for this?" Akira asked in a flat tone. There was a brief pause before he shook his head. "As bad as that was, it was a joke, so please no one volunteer." he said.

"I have a good question," Makoto said. "Why do we have to split up when we escape?" She asked.

Yu thought it a good question. If they stuck together, there was a slightly better chance that they could get Akira out of there. But then, he already knew the answer before Akira even spoke it. Akira was trying to keep his friends safe.

"I'm Alpha Priority." Akira said bluntly. "They're going to come after me with everything they have. And I don't doubt Akechi has already told the police about what I look like in particular so that they will be able to single me out in the crowd." He shook his head. "If you guys went with me, that's it. It'll all be for nothing. You guys have to get out of there, even if it means I get caught." Yu had to admit, Akira was quite practical, if a bit sacrificial of himself.

Then again, if Yu was in his shoes, he'd likely do the same. Actually, he would do the same without question.

"This still feels as though we are putting entirely too much pressure on you." Yusuke said. "And that you are taking too much of a risk. Surely there is another way." He said. "One that relies on logic and not luck."

Akira inhaled a bit deeply. "Okay, let's go everything we know, maybe we can figure something else out."

"We know Goro Akechi is planning to lead a large force of officers into the Metaverse, into Sis' Palace specifically. I'd wager, he'll take them in before we even go in and hide them in the Police Station's parking Garage. This way they'll also have vehicles to work with." Makoto said. Yu couldn't help but wonder the thoughts that had to be running through Makoto's head. The situation was almost as bad as it got and it was all happening around her sister. Things had to be confusing for her. "Akechi-san wants to capture Akira-kun and then murder him while he's in lockup, making it look like a murder suicide." She said

"We know he plans to use the underground interrogation room as well." Futaba chimed in. "Thanks to the information we gleamed from Sae-san's laptop." She didn't say that it had been hacked, something Yu was sure Makoto was thankful for. He was still figuring out how Makoto was convinced to do that.

"We also know that Sae-san's goin' to be taken off the investigation." Ryuji chimed in. Thanks to overhearing the conversations that had been had on Akechi's phone thanks to Futaba's bug.

Makoto shook her head. "That won't stop Sis. She'll call in every favor she has just to do the interrogation."

"Which means Akira is on a time crunch." Yusuke said. "If he's captured, he will only have a little bit of time in order to convince her. We are going in circular logic."

Yu shook his head and finally spoke again. "It's fine, get it out. We might be overlooking a little detail that someone might have noticed."

"We'll be using a decoy case for the Treasure." Haru said, offering input. "But we won't actually steal the treasure. Akira-kun will keep Akechi-san out of the treasure chamber while Mako-chan goes in and does what's needed."

"I'll be using the Necronomicon to monitor things." Futaba said. "I'll probably pick up the police immediately, but I might not. I haven't tried looking for something that's not a Shadow or a Persona-user. From there, I'll keep everyone informed and try to offer the best routes for everyone to take. The Necronomicon will be taking me to a nearby rooftop after we get to an open area after fighting Sae-san's Shadow."

It made sense. Futaba didn't really have much in the way of offense or defense. A good versatile Persona, like Makoto's Johanna, could easily expedite her escape. The same with Yusuke's newly dubbed Kamu Susano-o. A barrier of ice down a choke point would keep the police at bay, for a time. Futaba didn't have much except by way of flight, and Yu personally didn't want to find out what a marksman SAT member could do with a rifle against a Persona.

"I'll try to get to the rooftops as well." Akira said. "Futaba, I'll trust you to guide me to a different way out if I can't get there."

"I would also account that Sae-san's Shadow will likely cheat as well." Yu chimed in. "Based on what you guys have said about your jaunt through on the way to the treasure. She'll turn it into a game and cheat to win."

"Hey, do we need to be careful of Sae-san's Shadow?" Morgana asked, suddenly more animated. "Do you think Akechi will try something to her like he did with Okumura?"

"No, I don't think that will be the case." Naoto said with a shake of her head. "Unlike before, the police will be in there. Which means even Akechi will have to watch his step. He might have informed the police what he looks like, he might not have in order to continue to try and fool everyone here. But regardless, if Akechi is witnessed murdering Sae-san's Shadow and she then has a lethal mental breakdown on the outside, the police will begin to dig into him. I don't know much about the investigation of my findings at the moment I'm afraid, but I'm almost certain that even Akechi will be found out soon enough."

"Well that's a relief." Makoto said with a sigh.

Yu frowned a moment and glanced over to Akira. "You summoned Yoshitsune right?" he asked.

Akira jerked, the sudden change of topic and focus not expected. Yu watched as he straightened up. "Yeah. I did." He said. "He didn't let me use his power until I proved myself, but.."

Yu nodded his head. He thrummed his fingers against the table. "I don't want you summoning the same Persona that I do." He said. "Or at least using most of the same that I used as my final team. We're meant to be more adaptive. That said, a Persona of mine made a point. If you can, I want you to summon Lucifer."

Akira frowned and tilted his head. "Isn't… Lucifer one of yours currently?" he asked.

"He is." Yu agreed. "However, I will be releasing him. I have plenty of other strong Persona that can take his spot. And if it means you can have a ringer to back up other weaker Persona so we can cover each other's weaknesses, I'll drop Lucifer."

Akira nodded his head. "Alright, I'll do it. Not sure if I'm strong enough yet, but that has to be coming to an end soon."

Yu nodded in agreement. "It is." He said. "And I'm honestly excited for it all." He admitted. "That all of you," He glanced about the Phantom Thieves, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "You have all grown strong. I like that my friends can take care of themselves."

Ann smiled a little bit. "Well, before we get into that, let's make sure we can take care of our fearless leader." She said.

Akira nodded. "Let's go over it again. Makoto?" he asked.

Yu wished he could go with them, but it would raise a few eyebrows from Akechi. And Yu wasn't certain he'd be able to control himself from attempting to cut the false Detective Prince down.

 _Take Your Time_

There was little time for thoughts, Akechi realized, as the Phantom Thieves ran. Akira almost abandoned all form of stealth, instead, going straight for the treasure as quickly as he could push the rest of his team. And once again, it was him and Akira up front with Makoto and Yusuke.

He quite liked the picks to be honest. There was something… ironic about Makoto Niijima fighting the Shadow of her sister Sae. And Yusuke Kitagawa was surprisingly cool and collected, even when they were in dangerous. It was not the more emotional Ann Takamaki or headstrong Ryuji Sakamoto. Nor was it Morgana's grating voice or Haru who seemed almost like she had Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Makoto and Yusuke who were calm, and in control of themselves.

Even the elevator was little time for pause. Akira popped the tab to a soda and quickly began to drink it down. Akechi followed suit. While he was a little more restrictive of himself when it came to Robin Hood's spells, he couldn't deny that they had made use of Megidolaon a few times already, blasting and scorching the casino in a few spots.

Akechi turned his thoughts briefly to the officers outside, waiting for his signal. As soon as he could break away from the Phantom Thieves, he would be giving a signal for them to storm the casino. A few of them might even lose their lives from the Shadows, but he didn't care. The operation was to capture Akira. And there was enough manpower that it would be possible.

Even he had not expected the two SAT teams, giving him twelve highly trained and highly dangerous men and women of Tokyo's finest. That said, he would gladly take them if it meant he truly got to show that Akira Kurusu was a nobody.

He was already aware that his father intended to get rid of him once the campaign was over, but Akechi wasn't planning on rolling over and letting it happen. His maneuvers had to be as careful as possible, including doing risky things. He hadn't told the cops that he was with the Phantom Thieves, just that he would be in a position to give the signal to start flooding the building. He left it up to the commanders to be able to funnel Akira.

In the eyes of the Police, Akechi was about to be golden.

They came out of the elevator and Akechi immediately blasted a patrolling Shadow with a Megidolaon. He was not surprised in the slightest when Akira had done the same. They weren't quite in the same sync that he was with some of the others, but Akechi was surprisingly compatible with Akira's flexibility. Together they began to rush for the bridge that led to the Manager's office.

When they burst into the office, Akechi flinched a moment as the floor began to rise up. "What the-?" he commented.

"It turns out that the Palace Rulers don't like giving up their Treasures." Akira said as he checked his gun. "So load up Crow, and buckle in. This fight will be unlike any other."

Akechi glanced towards the others and noticed that they were checking everything they had before getting loose. Akechi took the moment to tighten the gloves on his hands. He checked his phaser and the beam saber he selected. Both were still looking good.

Inside the Manager's office, they had to take an Elevator again, with Futaba declaring the Treasure was upwards. They came up to some sort of domed, circular platform with Sae on a set of Televisions before them.

Akechi readied himself. "So what sort of game will it be this time?" Akechi asked, almost taunting the Shadow. "Whatever it is, we _will_ emerge victorious."

" **Don't think me cornered. You'll make a grave mistake. I only brought you here to do battle to the fullest."** Sae's Shadow snapped her fingers. Sloped panels of the circular platform began to raise up as the elevator went back down. Akechi couldn't help turning to watch.

It was a giant roulette wheel.

" **A clash of brute strength is simply… barbaric and unsuited for this stage."** Sae's Shadow was just… there, standing on the other side of the platform.

"What's she planning now?" Akechi asked himself.

"Whatever it is, no more games." Yusuke said, getting into position.

Sae's Shadow waved her hand and the wheel began to spin, a large ball formed and began to spin around as well. Akechi didn't bother trying to track it, though he noted that Akira was looking around. The screen behind Sae flashed with the word 'Vitality'. " **Come now, make a prediction on where the ball will land."** She said confidently.

"We told you, no more games." Makoto said firmly, tightening her grip on her knuckles before rushing in.

" **Very well, such people will be punished appropriately."** Makoto's fist slammed into some form of barrier that sprung up around Sae's Shadow before the damage seemed to reflect judging by the way Makoto gagged and coughed, falling to her knees.

Akira took a few hesitating steps forward a moment, glancing to Shadow Sae as the ball spun around. Slowly he advanced to Makoto and picked her up. Akechi was careful to note that Shadow Sae made no moves of aggression against them as Akira moved them back.

" **Surely you know how this game is played."** the Shadow said. " **Or do you want me to pick a bet for you?"**

"Red." Akira said, going with a safe bet. Generally speaking, it would have a higher chance of landing in red or black versus trying to pick one of the numbers. It was a good safe bet to start with.

The ball finally went into the tracks and began to bounce around rather violently. Akechi tried to follow the ball with his eyes for a time before waiting for the wheel to slow. He spotted that it was about to fall into red when it seemed to bounce past and land in black.

All four of them fell to their knees. Akechi clenched his stomach as it felt like he had been stabbed through. Red energy seemed to seep from them and go into Sae's Shadow. What in the world had happened?

"Ugh… She had to have cheated somehow." Makoto said.

"Yes, but if we try to say anything, she will either ignore it or deny it." Yusuke said forcing himself back up to his feet. Akechi was quick to follow suit.

Akira swapped to a different Persona and quickly gave everyone a defensive boost. Makoto took to healing the damage. Akechi was grateful for it, he didn't feel like he had been stabbed anymore.

"Fox," Akira said. "Get up on the outer ring with your rifle and be ready." He said.

Yusuke looked surprised before he nodded his head. He then made quick work of getting up onto the outer edge of the roulette wheel.

"You figured out how she's cheating then?" Akechi asked.

"Yeah. And I plan to catch her in the act." Akira rolled his shoulder a bit.

The screen flashed again with the word 'Wealth' just before the roulette wheel started to spin again. Akechi noted how Akira glanced around, as though he was seeing something that the rest of them couldn't see.

"Oracle, tell Fox to be prepared to shoot twenty four." Akira said under his breath. Sae's Shadow didn't hear him or call him out, likely due to the loudness of the spinning roulette wheel.

" **Well, make your bet!"** Sae's Shadow declared. " **Hopefully it will be correct this time,"** The chuckle afterwards made Akechi know that she was cheating. But the question was how, what did Akira see that the rest of them didn't?

And why was Yusuke to shoot twenty four?

"Second twelve." Akira said calmly.

The wheel began to slow down with the ball bouncing against the sides. Yusuke shouldered his rifle a bit more and just as the ball was about to stop a loud, piercing rifle shot rang out followed by breaking glass. The metal ball settled into the pocket of twenty four. Sae's Shadow gave a cry before money seemed to fall out of her before she collapsed to a heap.

"There was nothing fair about that." Akira said as he approached Sae's Shadow.

" **Shut up.** " Sae's Shadow growled.

"What? Don't like being caught in your act? Or don't like being bested are your own game?" Akira taunted. Akechi glanced towards him, wondering what he was trying to do.

" **Shut up! Shutupshutupshutupshutup! SHUT UP!"** Sae's Shadow practically roared the words out. Black mist seemed to erupt from her, forcing everyone to get back before it settled to show a hulking armored figure with a giant greatsword in one hand and some sort of amalgamation between a minigun and a rocket launcher attached to the other arm. " **Cheating?!"** The voice sounded almost mechanized and coming from a faulty speaker. " **Nonsense! This is** _ **my**_ **world! I make the rules! But if it's a fair fight you want? Then to Hell with the game! I'll just crush you all by force!"**

Her arm rose, the minigun spinning up before she proceeded to try and mow them down with it. Akechi hit the deck, barely dodging as she swept across the battlefield with it. Bullets perforated the roulette wheel.

" **The House** _ **Always**_ **wins!"** Sae's Shadow was completely mad with her rage.

But Akechi was already on his feet, along with Akira. They moved in tandem, working to assault Sae's Shadow. Yusuke was moving along the outer ring, firing shots at her that seemed to almost harmlessly bounce against Sae's armored form.

They moved as a group in the fight. It was fierce and dangerous and Akira worked to keep them all safe. He barked orders over the loud cacophony of gunfire even while he dodged sword swings and swapped Persona frequently to continue to keep them healed and buffed. It didn't make them impervious to the attacks, but Akechi had noted a little less damage being taken when he got hit.

Akechi grunted as he impacted and hit the ground face down. The fight was starting to wind down, and he could see that the Phantom Thieves were about to win. He reached into his coat a moment, as though he was checking where he got hit to make sure he could stay in the fight. But he pressed the button to the short ranged transmitter to give the Police the go ahead to start mobilizing.

"Fox! Ice her feet!" Akira barked out as he began to move in. "Queen, behind me! Crow, go low!"

Akechi dashed in, drawing his beam saber. Akira said to go low, he'd go low. Ice spread across the ground at Sae's Shadow's feet. Akechi slashed one leg, moving past so he didn't stay within range of that sword. Akira blasted the other leg out with a gust of wind from a Persona before dropping.

Makoto leapt off his back and laid out the armored form of her sister's Shadow with a heavy haymaker. When it dropped, the shadows engulfing it disappeared.

" **So I've lost…"** Sae's Shadow breathed heavily, giving a few coughs even as she laid flat out on her back.

"I don't think it's wrong to bring light to the evils that can't be judged by the law." Makoto said as she approached her sister's Shadow. Akechi was somewhat confused. Why bother? It was just a Shadow? But Akira's hand stopped him from approaching to try and ask the question.

"Part of the process." Akira said and brought one finger to his lips to indicate quietness.

"Twisting the truth for your own personal gain?" Makoto asked. "Aggressive investigations to force confessions? What happened to you? Where's your justice? What about those feelings you first hand when you wanted to be a prosecutor?"

" **My… Justice…"** Sae's Shadow seemed to spark at those words. Akechi narrowed his eyes. He had never really attempted to talk to the Shadows before, but there seemed like there was something going on.

Makoto pushed herself to her feet. "I'm going to grab the treasure, Joker." she said before she started to walk away.

"Well, it seems that our cooperation will be over. And the suspicions on you will be lifted." Akechi said as Makoto got a distance away. "And to think, that I, an Ace Detective, got to work alongside the illustrious Phantom Thieves." He was amused by the irony.

"Yep. Back to work, huh?" Akira asked. The irony of that statement was even more amusing.

"Of course, and remember your end of the bargain." Akechi said calmly. Not that there would be anyone to really uphold that end of the bargain once Akira was dead, but it didn't matter.

"I got the treasure." Makoto said, coming back with a silver case in her hands.

"Guys!" Futaba's voice called out from all around them, likely hacking everything she could to speak through.. "Enemy readings amassing outside!" And there was the police, right on time.

"Oracle, give me the statistics." Akechi was surprised when the television that Sae's Shadow had first appeared on was hacked and displayed the numbers. It seemed even the Shadows were restless, but the police were making their way into the building.

There was even video feed, and it seemed like some of the officers were moving in with the SATs. They were securing points of escape. Good.

"A group as large as ours would be discovered immediately." Makoto said, stepping up beside Akira.

Akira turned and took the metal case from Makoto. He also passed over his knife and gun. "Here, take these." He said. "You'll need someone to act as a decoy. Oracle, give me a good route, I want lots of exposure, but give me the best chance possible to escape."

"On it!" Futaba's voice called. "Okay, I got it. Everyone, split up into groups of two, I'll try to provide overwatch and make sure everyone gets out safely. Joker, you're going to head to the railing and jump down, there's a platform you can land on, but it'll make the casino goers notice you." she said.

Which would in turn alert the Palace, pulling the Shadows away. Clever. Akechi watched as Akira didn't even hesitate and went for the railing, leaping over. While Akechi would have liked to get his hands on Sae's treasure, he felt it best to just let it go.

He turned and headed in a different direction from Akira and the rest. Now it was just a matter of getting out. And after what seemed like several kilometers of running, Thanks to his cycling, he was able to do the run with minimal issues, but it was still a workout.

He got to a rooftop, just in time to watch as Akira landed from jumping out a window, landing in front of the police. He didn't surrender, merely made his way for the fire escape, leaping up and starting to climb.

Akechi smirked as Akira was met with the stock of a rifle from a SAT member and dropped into a mob of officers.

Now all there was to do was to let the police out of the Palace. Akechi smiled and began to plan his next few steps.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira sputtered as he came to consciousness, gasping from having his head dunked into a bucket of ice water and then yanked out. He felt the hand in his black hair, grabbing at the tangled mass of curls. The bucket was then thrown on him, further dousing him and making him come to alertness.

"No dozing off." Akira spotted the detective that had spoke, before he began to look around a little more. He had been captured, and they had injected him with… something. He shook a bit, feeling the cuffs pulling his arms behind his back and digging into his wrists.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Akira coughed heavily as he was kicked in the stomach and forced to the ground, slamming into the concrete on his shoulder. He felt a twinge in his shoulder. It wasn't dislocated or broken. "Give it up!"

Akira chuckled, even as pained as it was. "You hit like a bitch." He grunted out. It got him a second kick to the ribs. He coughed but kept forcing the laughter, even as he had difficulty breathing, wheezing a bit.

The foot landed on his head and the heel ground into his temple, the sole of the shoe tugging at his hair. "Come on, cooperate. You want another shot?" The Detective asked.

Akira opened his eyes, but with the way his head was facing it made him look directly at the camera. The Detective in question spotted it and turned to look. He seemed amused by what Akira was looking at. "What about the camera?" he asked. 'You thinking it can be used as video evidence?" The Detective grabbed his hair and hauled him up to to a sitting position.

"No, just prefer looking at it than your ugly face." Akira was going full sass. He was in a bad predicament, and truthfully he was banking on luck to get out. It wasn't looking good and his attitude and sass was what came of it. It was a defense mechanism.

Unfortunately, it was defense mechanism that got him in trouble. Evident by when a solid punch slammed square into his jaw.

"Well, at least you're not dumb. We get to take as much time as we need." Another kick to his stomach, this time the soft part of his stomach had Akira wheezing again. Even with the armor under his school uniform that had been mistaken as some under shirt, the kick had hurt. The armor really didn't wore worth a damn in the real world.

The Detective turned and grabbed a clipboard from one of the others, giving Akira some much needed seconds to try and breathe and recover.

"Obstruction of Justice, Blackmail, Defamation… Hell, let's just tack on possession of illegal weapons too." The man turned to look at Akira. "Manslaughter too, yeah? Talk about the works. To think all these crimes were led by some punk ass kid."

Akira licked his teeth a moment. They had cut his cheek from the punch, but nothing was loose. "I didn't kill a damned person."

"You seemed to be enjoying every second of it." The Detective said as he approached. He didn't care what Akira said it seemed. "You should know your place."

The man jerked his head and one of the other Detectives came over and unlocked the handcuffs on Akira's wrists. Akira slowly sat up and rubbed his wrists.

The clipboard was shoved into his face. "Sign here. It's a confession under your name." Akira turned to look at the Detective blandly.

"Get that out of my face." Akira shoved the arm to the side.

"I see…" The Detective sighed like he hadn't expected it. Or wasn't enjoying what he was doing. "I need your hand to sign this but…" He stood up and stomped hard on Akira's knee, pinning it to the ground. Akira grit his teeth. He had faced worse. He had felt worse pain. But there was no Dia or Salvation at the end of this if he wasn't careful. "I don't care if you end up losing a leg." The Detective said.

The man stepped off and squatted down again, presenting the clipboard. Akira glared at the man, even as he took it. He could easily break it over the man's face. But he'd be dead before he could plan his next actions. And his mind was still a little hazy from the drugs. All he knew was that he had to survive.

They wouldn't kill him yet. They'd make him wish he was dead, but not kill him yet.

The Detective made a show of pulling a silver pen from his pocket and producing it for Akira. He then leaned in. "Don't expect to walk out of here in one piece. We are going to make you understand. One must take full responsibility for their actions."

Akira glared at the man as those words came back. They didn't know a damned thing about responsibility and yet they were looking to lecture him on it. He took the damned pen. He pulled the clipboard around and gave it a skim over. They were definitely tacking on weapon charges, and Okumura's death. Hell, it looked like they were trying to pin all the mental breakdowns on him.

Damn it. What about what Naoto said? There was enough here that even as a minor, Akira was facing the long drop if he got convicted. And that was if he survived the day. He still had something to do. He put the pen to the clipboard and scratched something in on the clipboard.

And judging by the hard punch to the face, the Detective hadn't liked that Akira had put 'Go fuck yourself' as his name. Juvenile as Hell, but he was trying to keep his name out of the records at the moment. If they caught onto his name, they'd know where he was staying.

And others would get in danger.

He could take a beating for that.

 _Take Your Time_

Sae strode down the concrete floors quickly. Her heels clacked down the hallway, alerting the two men at the interrogation room long before she began to approach. One turned to face her. "Excuse me Ma'am, but this area is off-"

"I'm Sae Niijima from the public prosecutor's office. I do believe that I get the chance to interrogate the suspect." She said before he could get going.

The Detective sighed. "I do believe that this is no longer your jurisdiction, Niijima-san, you were taken off the case." He said bored.

Sae was about to open her mouth when another, older voice spoke up. "Sae Niijima?" She turned to face a shorter, older Detective. "A call from your Director." He held out a phone. "Hurry it up, to be frank you're being an inconvenience."

Sae pursed her lips slightly as she took the phone. And these idiots didn't seem to value justice or truth anymore. "Niijima." She brought the phone to her ear.

Her director sighed. "I thought I ordered you on standby."

"I'm responsible for this case, and yet I'm being denied to perform an interrogation?" Sae asked. Her tone was just a little sharp. She definitely did not like the condescending way everyone involved was speaking to her. Did she deserve so little respect?

"I called because I knew you'd bring it up." The Director said.

"I will not be convinced until I confirm it for myself." Sae said. And while she knew other prosecutors were chomping at the bit to get the leader of the Phantom Thieves inside a courtroom, she had just enough clout that the ones better than her wouldn't take it if she wasn't allowed to confirm it. "This is _my_ case." Sae said.

The man sighed once more. "Good luck to you then. I won't be expecting much though."

Sae lowered the phone as the line went dead and she passed it back over to the older Detective.

"One other thing, Prosector. Since the perpetrators methods are still unknown, we're going to have to limit your time with him. We can't permit you to talk long. It's for your own sake, and we don't know if it's okay to simply talk to him." The man said. "You have twenty minutes."

Sae grit her teeth slightly. Twenty minutes wasn't an interrogation. It was a formality. She estimated that she'd need at least an hour, maybe two if he was being stubborn. "I understand." She said regardless. There was no use throwing a tantrum. It'd just blow her chance to speak with the Phantom Thief.

Sae watched as the uniform at the door swiped a keycard to open it and she stepped through. She watched the Phantom Thief raise his head to look at her, He definitely looked like he had been put through the ringer. She stepped forward and eased into the metal chair across from him as the door was closed.

"Blue… butterflies." The kid, for that was all he could be, said as he sat up a bit more.

Sae reached up to touch her earing. He had sharp eyesight to have noticed that. They were a trinket her father had bought for her when she had finished law school. She hadn't worn them in years. Sae really took a long look at the kid before recognition hit.

He was the kid staying at Leblanc. How many times had he served her coffee? "I didn't expect it'd be you." She said. She inhaled a bit and hardened herself. She had to forget ever knowing him. "You'll be answering my questions this time." she said. She turned her head and spotted a needle on the floor. "Those bastards." she said, gritting her teeth.

"Yeah… It was soothing to see Justice is still bullshit." The kid said, grunting as he tried to sit a little more comfortably. Sae didn't want to know the abuse he had endured.

"So you can hear me. That's good." Sae said. It seemed like he had been through a lot. "Almost anything can happen here and I can't stop them."

"Yeah, bet it was pretty surprising to find out you were stripped of leadership of the task force the morning I was captured." Sae narrowed her eyes at the Shujin student in front of her. How did he know that? What was going on?

"I don't have much time. I need you to answer me honestly." She said. "What was your objective? Why cause such a major incident? I didn't think it a prank from the get-go, but I couldn't assemble a case out of it for investigation. No one can figure out the method behind it."

The kid chuckled. "Of course not." He winced a bit and grabbed his ribs.

"There's no way I could be convinced of such a 'world' by reading reports. But some of the SATs had cameras with their equipment that caught pictures of what the Courthouse looked like." Sae still had difficulty believing such things existed, but there was little she could do about it. "But I'm glad you're coherent. When and where did you find out about that world?" She asked. "How is it even possible to steal another person's heart? I want to know your account for everything." Sae said.

These were the important questions she needed to know the answer to.

The kid nodded his head. "Alright, I'll answer your questions. But… we're short on time like you said. Don't ask questions until the end, don't interrupt me. And I'm going to be using the codenames for my team." He said. Why? Sae didn't understand it. He had been told he had been sold out. Why protect his team?

But Sae nodded her head. This was going to be her only chance at finding out the truth, and it demanded she actually listen. So she would, even if she wanted to ask questions.

And so the young man began his tale from the beginning. He left nothing but names out. And he said things that only the one perpetrating the crimes would know. The order of the victims, even the minor ones, the method. He laid it all bare. Sae had difficulty believing several parts of it, but bit her tongue to keep from calling him out on it.

A talking cat? Really?

But he seemed so convinced of all of it, including a talking cat that transformed into a bus, that Sae couldn't help but begin to believe his every word and hang onto it. He spoke about each of the calling cards, the hows, the whys. Everything. Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro, Medjed, Okumura, it was all interconnected. Even _she_ was interconnected.

All because one kid had been at the wrong place, at the wrong time, almost a year ago. For every answer she got, she had another question that was eventually answered. She had to give him credit, he spoke with everything that he had, with gusto and as time passed, he seemed to ache just a little less.

But their time was quickly coming to a close, just as he finished up with her 'Palace'. She had time for only a few questions. She leaned into him a little bit as he finished. "Care to strike a deal?" she asked. "If you cooperate with me, I'll be able to lighten your sentence." As it was, he was looking at Murder. Coupled with all the other crimes, he'd be dead before he hit twenty. She could get it lowered down to manslaughter. He'd face jail time, but not a hanging.

"A deal?" He shook his head. "Not happening."

"Your operation was leaked and you failed to change my heart." Sae said. "There's no need to be obstinate." She said. "I will solve this case, even if it means brokering a deal with you to win. You disrupted the order of this country, and almost brought an uprising against its very existence. Do you understand the severity of the charges levied against you? You will be given the death penalty if you don't accept my offer." Sae thought she was being generous to him. "I'll read a list of people off who are closest to you, tell me if they are involved with the Phantom Thieves." She glanced down at the list.

"I told you, I'm not telling you anyone's name." the young man said bitingly, forcing Sae to look up at him.

Sae inhaled. "So you won't sell out your friends. Then let me change the question." She exhaled. "I find it difficult to believe that high schoolers could pull of these crimes. Were there others outside your group that offered aid or encouraged you?" Anything she could use to save his life. Anything at all. "You had to have had people outside your group. Will you tell me about them?"

He shook his head. "There was no one." he said calmly.

Why? Why? Why would he throw his life away for these people? People he barely knew? It didn't make sense. To some extent, Sae could understand his team. They were people he was closer to. And she was grateful that he wasn't trying to sell out Makoto. Sae's heart had skipped a beat when she saw the name on the list originally. But why not give up the people on the outside? Didn't he understand he was facing death?

Sae sighed. "So you won't give up your team or your collaborators." she said. Damn it. "One last person then. Goro Akechi. There are reports he was working alongside the Phantom Thieves. Might he be part of your team too?" she asked.

"Not Akechi." The young man said.

"Very well." Sae frowned more. He had been cooperating up until that point, now he was going to take the fall for the others. "So be it, you have no intention of bargaining with me.' She said disappointed. "You still want to act as a hero of justice. Your teammates sacrificed you, yet you wish to defend them." She didn't understand it. "Why will you not discuss them?"

He looked her square in the eyes. "It goes against real justice."

Sae slammed her hands on the table. "Don't be ridiculous!" she said almost shouting.

"You call this justice?" He asked. He motioned to his form and then the needle on the floor. It was like a slap to the face for Sae. The dried blood and dirt, the bruising and swelling.

"Justice…" There was that word again. Just like with Makoto almost a month ago. "Then tell me, what is this justice you speak of?"

"Sticking to the right path to save others." He said and offered her a damnable smile, full of confidence.

Sae sat down and crossed her arms across her chest. "You continue to stand firm. Are you implying we have no evidence against you?" she asked. "You're right." She admitted. "And it doesn't help that your story sounds like a damned fairy tale. We need to learn the truth!" She winced. The truth huh? "I barely know what's true anymore because of your damned story."

"How about the true culprit?" He asked.

A pin could have dropped on the floor and been heard. Sae's heart pounded in her chest and she could hear her pulse in her ears. "After all this you still-?!" She was incredulous about it. How could he still believe she would believe him about some true culprit? "I won't be deceived by such a pitiful act," she said.

He tilted his head as though something was triggered. He reached up to touch his temples.

"Hey, can you hear me?" she asked. She saw him look to her. "It seems your mind is clearing up more. Unfortunately, it seems our time is up." She glanced at her watch. It was a shame, but she had a duty to perform. "Your story has been quite interesting, I will no longer be able to help you." She closed the folder.

"What? Giving up already?" The young man asked.

"What are you getting at?" Sae asked him. She shook his head. "No matter the results, I won't be receiving credit for this case." she said. "I even had to call in several large favors just to get this interrogation." She watched as he seemed to react again. But it didn't matter. She stood up. "Goodbye." she said.

"Why did you come here?"

"Why?" Sae turned. "This is my job. Don't ask such silly questions." she said. She took a step forward before she sighed. She did have one last question. She sat down again. "I have one last thing that's bothering me. You knew I was removed from the head of this investigation. Then, the same day, I was told you were captured in some bizarre phenomenon. You were told you were sold out. If that's true, do you have any idea who it could have been?" she asked.

She watched him as he shook his head, like he was trying to force the fuzziness out of his head. His lips moved, as though he was remembering a scene play out. Suddenly he looked to her, eyes sharp and piercing. Sae was just slightly taken aback by it. "I want to make a deal." He said.

Sae felt her heart pounding harder and harder in her chest. Yes, yes, yes. 'Yes. Very well, go on. I refuse to let things end like this." Sae said. She only had a brief bit of time to actually do it, but that he was willing to make a deal. "If you have anything to tell me." She could save his life.

Save his life? Yes… Yes, she was saving his life.

"The phone." He nodded his head towards it.

Confusion rang out in her brain. "You mean… this?" She glanced towards it. What did a smartphone have to do with anything? She felt like she was lacking some form of information. Was he giving her the run around? "I've been told the lock on it is quite complicated. It's only a matter of time before it's cracked though."

Was he perhaps going to tell her how to unlock it?

He seemed to wince a moment. "You need… to show it to the traitor." he said. "The true culprit."

Sae stood up. "Please, I need you to be clear. Who do I have to show this to?" she asked. She didn't understand, but his eyes… they were full of determination and something else.

"Not. A teammate." The young man said, his voice determined. Not a teammate?

Not a teammate? "Not a teammate?" She went through the conversation she had when realization struck her like lightning through her chest. He had specifically refused to talk about anyone close to him that could be mentioned as a teammate. But when asked about Goro Akechi he-

A heavy knock sounded on the interrogation room door. "Time's up Niijima-san." The uniform on the other side said.

"I can't even begin to fathom what you are plotting." Sae said. "But…" But over the course of their conversation, it had felt like she had gotten closer to the young man in front of her, understood him in ways few others would. "Heh." She couldn't help the chortle that escaped her lips. "I listened to your whole story, I may as well play along and see this through to the end." She said. "I wish I had that honest look in your eyes still…" She shook her head and grabbed the phone.

She went to the door and glanced behind her at the young man. "I'll place my bet on you." she said. But as she walked out, Sae couldn't help but wonder what good would it do.

She stepped out of the elevator on the next floor and looked surprised as she saw Akechi walking up. "Akechi-kun? Why are you here?" she asked. Had… Had she been right in her thoughts?

"Why do you seem so surprised?" He asked with a grin.

"I needed my director to step in to allow me access." She said. Why wouldn't she be surprised. "And I handled the case directly."

"For the same reason you did, I am heading the investigation team after all." He said. Sae's eyes widened with disbelief as she looked at him. She got replaced by Akechi?! "That was a joke of course." He said casually. "I'm here to assist with the public security interrogation. I am surprised it's this far underground though. There's no one else incarcerated here, yes?" And why did that matter?

Sae was getting a bad feeling in her gut. She couldn't help it.

' _I'm saying that either you are a fool that has been lured in and taken the bait, time and time again or that you are in collusion with the individual or individuals behind the mental breakdowns.'_ The words from Shirogane's interview rang in Sae's mind. ' _It's too damned_ convenient _'_ And this felt too convenient to Sae.

"Didn't you say there was another culprit besides the Phantom Thieves?" Sae asked the young detective.

"A lie I spread to set them up." Akechi said with a smile. "And it worked beautifully. Oh! My apologies, I forgot I had to deceive you too Sae-san!"

"So you're the one that sold out the Phantom Thieves." Sae said. It was all starting to crystalize for her. And she was starting to wonder more what the one in custody was thinking. What was he planning? Surely he knew that it had been Akechi.

"Is there a problem?" Akechi asked.

"Hmm. Akechi-kun, does this phone look familiar to you?" Sae asked as she showed off the smartphone she had been given.

"Hm? Excuse me?" he asked, glancing to it. "What is this phone?"

"It belonged to the Leader of the Phantom Thieves." Sae said. "I believe you'll need this for your investigation." She was wondering what had happened, why was the phone so important?

"Not personally. I was acting alongside the Phantom Thieves, remember?" Akechi said with a smile. "I know what there is to know."

"Good luck in there then." Sae said and walked past Akechi. She heard him begin to move towards the elevator again.

Sae glanced down to the phone as it buzzed in her hand. She frowned a moment as the text message popped up ' _Sae Niijima, J0k3R 1998.'_ She stared at the phone for a long time, frowning deeper. Everything had been confusing that day. But she went to unlock the phone and tried the statement sent to her.

She was surprised when the phone unlocked and she pressed herself up against a wall out of sight as the phone started to ring. She hit the answer button. " _Sae Niijima, this is the Phantom Thief Alibaba."_ Sae's heart pounded in her chest. She was speaking with a second Phantom Thief. Even though the voice was electronically distorted, she had to believe she was speaking with another one. " _In order to find the truth, you will have to act accordingly. Goro Akechi is not who he claims to be. There are audio files on this phone to prove his_ real _intentions."_

Sae swallowed a moment. "How did you know it was me?" she asked.

" _Irrelevant. What matters is the safety of the one we call Leader. Only you are capable of saving his life now._ " Well that wasn't all that ominous. Sae glanced to the phone a moment. " _I will contact you again once you have listened to the audio files."_

The line went dead and Sae looked at the phone a little bit longer before she began to look through it. No contacts, no apps, no information in the slightest. It was no better than a prepaid burner phone. But she found the files mentioned and soon pressed play on one.

' _It will be tragic. A murder-suicide while in police custody to end the charade of the Phantom Thieves.'_ There was no mistaking the voice of Goro Akechi. What she wasn't expecting was for it to be so cold and cruel sounding. ' _The guard will have to be one of ours unfortunately.'_

Sae didn't recognize the other voice, but she felt as though she had heard it before. And once she listened to the audio files, including how she had been played and let to have the interrogation as a formality sake, she made up her mind.

She answered the phone when Alibaba called again. "What do I need to do?"

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto sighed as she closed the door to Yu's place and took her boots off. "Senpai, I'm home." She called out. The whole police station was abuzz with excitement at Akira's 'death'. Thankfully, Sae had already gotten Akira out and Sojiro had already informed Futaba who informed everyone involved that Akira's death was fake.

"Welcome home." Yu called out from inside. She moved to follow that voice, pausing as she came across the sight of her boyfriend. He was carefully putting the finishing touches on mentaiko pasta.

Naoto felt her stomach suddenly make itself known.

She glanced down and touched it, a touch of embarrassment filling her as her stomach declared its approval of the dish. "Well," She started sheepishly. "I like the dinner choice already." She said, trying not to be too embarrassed by her stomach.

"Good," Yu offered her a smile. "Why don't you go get changed into more comfortable clothes? I also got the kotatsu out properly, it's starting to really get chilly."

Naoto couldn't help but narrow her eyes at Yu, wondering what he was up to. One of her favorite foods, with the warm, and cozy, kotatsu set up to sit at. She'd have to be a damned fool to not recognize something was up, and Naoto Shirogane was no fool.

But there was no point in trying to figure out Yu's motives at the moment. He was right, she wanted to get into more comfortable clothes. So she watched him a bit longer before she headed up the stairs to get changed.

She paused to look at herself in the mirror in her room. It was nothing big, she wasn't much of a vain person. But she got to take a look at herself in the girls' uniform for Shujin academy. She had taken to still wearing the binders for her chest, there was no point in showing off like that, so she looked to be one of the flattest girls in her year. She took her cap off and shook out her hair before grabbing a comb to run through her hair real quick.

She had followed a similar sense of fashion as Makoto. She wore a vest and leggings to go with the uniform. Though she did refuse to give up her boots, and now she included a pair of pants to wear whenever she was done with school in her pack. She was willing to yield on having to wear the girls' uniform during school, but she was not wearing a skirt to work around a bunch of men that were upset at her being a female.

If they could pretend she was still male, they would. Some of the more experienced and veteran Detectives treated her no differently, with no distaste or anything. It was generally those less looking for justice and more looking to make themselves look good. Those sort always bothered her and always hated her.

Naoto sighed as she pulled on a more comfortable bra. She paused to touch the two small scars on her left breast. She had been… entirely too lucky. She swallowed thickly as she pulled her shirt on and shook her head. She couldn't get too worked up about it. She had to be strong for herself and for Yu.

She had spoken with a man that she trusted who she had given all the evidence she had compiled to. He was currently going over it, but with the vast majority of it and the hubbub of the Phantom Thieves Leader being caught, it was getting pushed onto a back queue. But she had been promised that it would be looked at and investigated, thoroughly and quietly.

It was all the more important that it was done quietly when some of the people she was implicating were part of the District Attorney's office.

Even still, she still had nightmares about being shot. About Yu doing nothing for her as she fell. She shivered a little bit and it had nothing to do with the chill.

She pulled on some lounge pants to go with the shirt and she headed down to join Yu in the living room. She sat at the Kotatsu and shifted herself under the heavy blanket over the top. She sighed at the feeling of warmth moving through her legs and spreading to the rest of her body.

A bowl of the pasta was set in front of her, along with a cup of hot tea. She smiled a little bit at Yu's thoughtfulness. "Thank you." She said.

"Of course." He said. He then settled down to sit right next to her, scooting himself to be pressed in close to her.

Naoto's back went straight just a little bit, not expecting it. She blushed a bit but leaned into him. It felt just like that first New Years they had spent, A quiet afternoon in her apartment, talking to each other over coffee while sitting close under a kotatsu. "Not to complain or anything… But what's the occasion?" she asked.

Her favorite food? Her boyfriend sitting right beside her? The intimacy of the kotatsu? Naoto smelled that there was something in the air.

Yu smiled a bit. "I know we've been busy, and I wanted to do it two days ago, but we were all still pretty worried about Akira." He bent down and kissed her. "Happy Anniversary, Nao-chan." He said softly.

Their… anniversary? Naoto brought her watch up and stared. The twenty-first of November. Their second anniversary had been just two days ago. "I'm so sorry." She said. Had she really forgotten such an important date?

"Don't be." Yu held her just a little closer, leaning into her a bit before he shifted back to let her eat. "Let's just be a happy, normal couple for once. We'll go back to work tomorrow."

Naoto smiled a bit and nodded her head. "Tomorrow then… Yu-kun."

Chapter End

 **Bad End: Bad Judgement**

Yu looked to the various Phantom Thieves as they sat about the kotatsu. Even Naoto sat there, looking down at the wood of the table. The silence was deafening and damning. They had all heard the same news and knew what it meant without any other words to say otherwise.

Akira Kurusu… was dead.

He heaved a sigh before he went to a cabinet that he never had reason to actually open. From it, he pulled a bottle of his father's sake and glasses. He could see the look of surprise on everyone's face as he took to putting the glasses down in front of them. None of them were old enough to drink alcohol, even if a few of them had likely tried it at some point in time.

Slowly, Yu began to pour the bottle. He filled everyone's glasses with enough to be considered more than a mouthful. Even Morgana got some.

He stopped the bottle up and then went to put it back in the alcohol cabinet. When he returned, he sat down and inhaled deeply. He mustered what little strength he could as he grabbed the glass and raised it up. "To Akira Kurusu," He said forcing his voice to be even and strong. Just as he had when they had been about to throw Namatame in the TV.

"To Akira," Was the general chorus from everyone. Loud, clear but melancholy.

Yu then threw the drink back as quickly as he could. It was high quality stuff. There was some sputtering and some coughs from the strong sake, but everyone managed to drink most of their alcohol. Even Futaba but she then pushed the glass away from herself, shivering.

Surprisingly, Haru was the only other one to actually finish her drink.

Yu collected the glasses and took them into the kitchen. They had offered a drink in Akira's name, they didn't need to try and get drunk.

Ryuji punched the arm of the couch. "Damn it!" He shouted. "We shoulda been there."

"Oh yes, we should have been in the police station with him." Ann said a bit snappishly. "If we weren't killed, we'd be up on serious charges."

"Enough." Makoto said softly. "We knew this plan had a lot of luck involved in it…" She said. She closed her eyes, trying desperately to hide the tears.

"Sae-san was not swayed." Naoto summed up the issue completely and bluntly.

"What now?" Yusuke asked in an oddly subdued manner.

Morgana glanced around. "I'm going to need a new place to stay."

"Sorry buddy," Ryuji said with a grimace. "We're not allowed pets and Mom's allergic to them." he said.

'I can keep him." Futaba said, gathering Morgana in her arms to hug him a bit.

"Do we just try to act like nothing's different?" Haru asked, though the way her tone sounded, she sounded like just thinking of that was breaking her heart.

"No, no we don't." Yu said, shaking his head. For one, Akira would never have wanted them to act like something they were not.

"So the Phantom Thieves are done." Yusuke said, sounding a bit… dejected. 'I would have liked to see this through to the end. I feel as though a Masterpiece has been left unfinished."

Yu tapped his finger on the table a while.

Makoto shook her head. "There's nothing we can do about that." She said. "All we can do is take Akira's lessons to heart, and then continue on." She swallowed thickly. "But there are a few loose ends I don't like." she admitted.

"Akechi." Ryuji growled, slamming his hand into his palm. "I don't care if I do go to jail, I'mma pound that pancake lovin' bastard's face in."

"No, you're not." Yu said. Again, it wasn't what Akira would have wanted. He would have wanted everyone to be safe, and recklessly attacking Akechi would have been the exact opposite of safe.

"There's also the depths of Mementos for Mona-chan." Haru said softly.

Yu tapped his finger on the table more, debating on something. "I could do it." he said softly. "Not replace Akira, but… act in his stead." He offered.

"Senpai," Naoto said.

"Look, we know who caused all this. Naoto and I have been sitting on the information for a while, but it seems like as good a chance as any to act on it." Yu said. He saw everyone sitting up and looking at him. Some were looks of hurt, others mistrust, and some looked to be contemplating what he was saying. "We were going to wait until Akira was ready to ask for it, but…" But Akira was murdered. "We know who drummed him up on Assault Charges, we know he's likely the man pulling Akechi's strings. And, we should be able to get into the depths of Mementos based on the Phantom Thieves' notoriety, right? You guys need a Wild Card up front, someone flexible enough that they can adapt to any situation. I'm not looking to replace Akira, I'm not looking to take over leadership of the Phantom Thieves. But… if you all decide you want to keep going, I can act in Akira's stead."

Not replace, not take over. Yu would only be a stand in for Akira Kurusu.

Ryuji was the first one to raise his head. "I'm in." He said. "We steal the bastard's heart that started this, we dive into Mementos. We finish what our Leader started."

Ann nodded her head. "I'm in too. Akira-kun taught us all a lot, and he fought for us to the bitter end. We owe this to him."

Yusuke gave a soft sound. "Agreed. And I have already said I do not like the feeling of leaving this unfinished." He closed his eyes.

Makoto took a moment, her jaw clenched. She wiped at the moisture gathering at her eyes before she opened her eyes and gave a firm nod. No words were needed there.

Futaba nodded and squeezed Morgana a bit tighter, sniffling as she fought hard to keep the tears at bay.

Haru nodded her head swallowing thickly. "For Akira-kun."

"Morgana?" Yu asked the quiet cat.

Blue eyes looked up to him for a moment. "I have some pretty high expectations for the Leader of the Phantom Thieves." He said.

"Sorry buddy, I'm not going to be able to meet those expectations." Yu said. "But then, I'm not trying to lead you guys."

Morgana nodded his head. "Then I'm in."

Naoto glanced to him. "Then we will need to go after Masayoshi Shido, the man running for Prime Minister." She said firmly.

Yu wasn't looking to take over for Akira, but he would finish what the other Wild Card started and keep his friends safe. He just hoped his own Judgement remained favorable.

It was all he could do anymore.

End

 **A/N: So I know a lot of Sae's stuff was practically pulled from the game, but it was important exposition no matter how you twist and turn it and I didn't want to write everyone sitting around on pins and needles.**

 **But, we're done with Sae's Palace. We're on our way to the home stretch. And that includes the eventual confrontations with Akechi and Shido.**

 **Excited? I am.**


	43. Chapter 42: Dead Man Walking

Chapter 42: Dead Man Walking

"Look who's here!" Sojiro declared as the door swung open. Akira couldn't help but smile at the exuberance of the older man. The past two days had been a bit rough, with Akira drifting in and out of consciousness because of the drugs.

"Hey you big bastard." Ryuji said as the group came over towards him.

"How've you been?" Ann asked, relief flooding her tone.

"Ghostly." Akira said. He was pleased to hear Yu's snort of amusement. At least someone got his lame jokes.

"You must be fine if you're joking around like that." Ann said.

"It's a relief to see you." Makoto said, her eyes conveying all the things she wanted to say, but felt she couldn't with everyone around. Their relationship wasn't as known as Yu and Naoto's relationship.

"I bet that moron Akechi don't even know we tricked him yet," Ryuji said, grinning broadly and triumphantly.

"Still, how'd you pull this off?" Sojiro asked, moving to go behind the counter, scratching at his scalp. "Isn't he considered dead?"

"You weren't told anything?" Makoto asked. "I thought Sis brought him here."

"Yeah, she came over here in a taxi, dumped him off, and told me to keep him safe." Sojiro said. He shook his head as he pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. "Right after they announced he died too, almost gave me a heart attack."

"I… Didn't really have time to explain." Sae said, looking away with the faintest hint of a blush of embarrassment. Akira was glad to see that small hint of embarrassment ran in the family. Makoto did the same thing from time to time

"We should tell them what really happened." Ryuji said confidently.

Naoto sat down on the stool. "A coffee please, Sakura-san, this can take a bit. Black, hint of sugar." Akira watched as Sojiro went to work in producing the cup of coffee almost instinctively. "We have suspected that Goro Akechi wasn't on our side for quite some time now. Even before he approached the Phantom Thieves." She said. "So, Akira and the others put forth a plan to make Akechi think that Akira was dead by having him kill a copy of Akira within the Metaverse. He is in fact the culprit behind all the mental shutdowns, and was using the Phantom Thieves as a scapegoat."

"How did you know that Akechi was the traitor even before he set you up?" Sae asked.

"This guy right here." Futaba picked up Morgana and held him up.

"The...cat?" Sojiro asked, blinking as he looked at Morgana.

"We'll come back to that in just a second, but couldn't you have said from the beginning that Akechi was the real culprit?" Sae asked. Akira could see the way she was looking at Morgana. She was curious as to how Morgana meant they knew Akechi was the traitor. That was going to be a fun conversation.

"We couldn't have you suspect Akechi." Makoto said. "Besides, would you or the other investigators even taken the claim seriously?"

"The right ones would have." Naoto said calmly. "Unfortunately, they are too far and between and the situation had to be handled more delicately than simply telling someone."

"You're right." Sae admitted. "Though, I have a feeling the right ones do know." She glanced meaningfully towards Naoto.

"That's correct." The sleuth said and sipped her coffee. "Akechi's name is part of the packet I gave to the police regarding the mental shutdown crisis. I should have given it sooner, but I needed more concrete evidence."

"It was a bold move to leave him alone on purpose." Sae said, looking back to Akira.

"God, I can barely keep up with any of this stuff." Sojiro said, scratching the back of his neck.

Akira snorted. "Come on old man, you used to be a government liaison." He couldn't help being a bit of a smart ass.

"Once you have been deep enough into the Metaverse, you can hear Morgana speak like a person." Yu said bluntly. "Once outside the Metaverse, because you have heard him speak like a human, your cognition has shifted to continue understanding Morgana. It's why people such as yourself, and Niijima-san, can't understand Morgana. This is part of the Cognitive Psience that Wakaba Isshiki worked on. Back in June, during their initial meeting, Akechi made the comment he heard someone talking about cake."

"Except it was Morgana that had been talking about cake." Akira said. "Which made us justifiably suspicious of Akechi when the Cognitive version of Madarame had confirmed another, more violent Metaverse user."

"And then when we met up with Akechi before divin' into Niijima-san's Palace, he acted like he was surprised to hear Morgana talk." Ryuji said.

"It is possible that he followed you during the Kamoshida or Madarame incidents." Naoto said. "Enough to have heard Morgana talk as well." She postulated.

"Hadn't thought about that." Akira said as he leaned up against the counter. He bounced his heel against it slightly, thinking of the possibility that Akechi had been following them. Not exactly a great idea.

"His reaction to my pancake comment was an honest one, making his reaction to me talking seem even more odd." Morgana said.

"Did… did he just say something now?" Sojiro asked.

"Yeah, mentioned how the reaction to Morgana's comment regarding pancakes was an honest one." Akira summed up for the other two that couldn't in fact understand the cat. "Morgana, you best let us do the talking, if we forget something feel free to chime in, but since they can't understand you, I'd rather not be your mouthpiece."

"I got you leader."

Slowly they began to shift around, with Sae and Makoto sitting down on the stools around the bar, Yu moved to the door and leaned up against the wall. Haru shifted to the last booth and took a seat while Ryuji leaned against one of the counter booths.

"And that's when he asked me to wiretap Akechi's phone." Futaba jerked her chin at Akira. "And let me tell you, that was horrifyingly scary. I had to pretend to be interested in checking the phone out, but in all honesty I was quickly transferring my app." She shook her head. "Idiot. Sojiro gets me basically any tech I want, why would I want a different model of phone but not have it?"

"Even that so called ace detective could never have imagined such an invasive program being installed that quickly." Yusuke said. "Her quirky nature helped allow it quite significantly."

"I would have." Naoto said. "There's a chance he did as well, but simply forgot in the commotion of what followed."

'And that's why you're the Detective Prince." Haru said. "That's a scary thought, imagining him finding the bug before we could get anything."

"After a few days of listening, we got quite a bit of evidence." Akira said. "And we kept listening, even after we got the biggest one."

Futaba pushed a button on her laptop as she sat in one of the booths. ' _Then I'll guide the police into her Palace and have them catch the Phantom Thieves in the act. That would be the only way to arrest them, given their methods. After that, I'll deal with them in time. Let's see...We could say he violently stole the guard's gun and committed suicide rather than being tried. How about that? Public security questioning will occur on the first day. With that room, my task is simple. Yes, the guard will be one of ours, we'll have to get rid of him afterwards to make it look real.'_

Sae shook her head. "So they planned to get rid of that guard from the beginning. I'm glad I was able to save two lives then."

' _Well then, I will make the arrangements the day after the arrest. And thus, the dangerous criminal responsible for the mass mental shutdowns will end his own life. And when he does, you will become a great hero who saved Japan from evil. As will I, of course.'_

"To think he was this far gone," Sae shook her head.

"We've reason to believe he's been this far gone for about two years." Yu said.

Akira noticed the way Futaba's fingers curled into fists. He felt like he should talk to her about it soon. He knew she was coming to terms with it all over again. But he also noticed that Sojiro also spotted the action by his adoptive daughter.

"Are you saying he's the one responsible for Wakaba's death?" Sojiro asked, his voice tight.

"Evidence points to it." Naoto said. "Unless there's another person that can use the Metaverse in a similar manner, then there's more than a solid chance that Akechi killed Wakaba-san so that her research couldn't be made public. And then he began to do more work for his benefactor."

"He's no ace detective." Haru said. "He's the one behind all these mental shutdown crimes. He's hurt so many people."

"There was a train wreck the day we enrolled at Shujin." Akira reminded Sojiro. "How many people do you think got hurt? How many dead? All of them can be laid at the ground of Goro Akechi."

"Oh my God." Sae said, bringing her hand up to her mouth. "If this can be proven in court, the Minister of Justice isn't even going to hesitate to sign his order of Execution."

Akira didn't blame her for being shocked. The number of people that had been executed in Japan that were under the age of majority was slim. But it was a heinous enough act, a repeat offender over two years, that an order of execution might be signed right away. He didn't know the legal system enough to say.

But it was also as Sae said, if it could be proven in court.

"On top of that," Makoto said. "We needed to be mindful of the one commanding Akechi. He's got a lot of pull, enough that he can order an assassination to take place in the police station."

"So, we moved before they did." Akira said. "Naturally, it was a backup plan. It relied heavily on luck really, but…" It seemed Fortune was on his side. He'd have to send something nice to Chihaya.

"Didn't I tell you not to get involved if it was someone you couldn't go up against?" Sojiro asked, still just letting the unlit cigarette dangle from his lips.

"Couldn't help it." Akira said. He shrugged. "They took the first swing, we'll have to swing back or else they'll keep trying."

"Continue with the plan." Sae said, politely.

Makoto nodded. "Along with the bug that Futaba planted, she planted something that would allow her access to the MetaNav, an app on the phone that's showed up on all of our phones that we can't permanently delete. With that, we baited Akechi into Sis' Palace so that Akechi would kill the cognitive version of Akira rather than actually killing our leader. Hence, making them think Akira is dead."

"Why my Palace?"

"Sorry about that." Haru said with a slight wince. "Your Palace was perfect."

"You have an undistorted vision of people," Yu said, ticking them off his fingers. "Your Palace is localized to the courthouse, not the police department. You have knowledge of the Police Department, including the Interrogation room that Akira was going to be held in. Essentially, it was perfect. We just had to change your cognition of Akira."

"Hence the interrogation and me speaking at length." Akira said. "You would have a passable cognitive version of myself, in the Interrogation room, waiting for the next interrogation. So when Akechi came in to assassinate me, he assassinated the cognitive version of me in the cognitive interrogation room."

"But how do you keep him from finding out he was in my Palace?" Sae asked.

"Oh that?" Futaba shrugged her shoulders from her laptop. "I inserted a piece of programming that would redo the previous command after a set period of time. From there, we went into the Metaverse and mapped it out. The Elevator was perfect for estimating how much time we had." She said.

"Which is a lot more dangerous than it sounds." Naoto said. "The slightest bit of a miscalculation would have had the program going off too early or too late. And then Akechi would have known."

"And also, no one knows they're in the Metaverse until you're lookin' at the distortion. When we first went in," Ryuji motioned to Akira and himself. "We thought we were comin' in from the station. So your Palace was perfect in that we could get you and Akechi in, and then you both out with neither of you knowin'"

"The MetaNav allows to set a number of people to enter and leave the Metaverse." Futaba said. "On the first entry in, I had it set to two through Akira's phone." She tapped at her laptop. "Then comes the timed program to send only one out, that's you by the way Niijima-san. A second timed program sends Akechi out after he's done the deed. It's possible you were both in the Interrogation room at the same time."

"So that's why you had me take your phone." Sae said, as things began to clear up for her.

"Makoto was the one that brought this plan up." Yusuke said "She's usually so calm, but when she's set her mind to something, she's oddly impulsive." Akira barely hid his snort of amusement. They didn't know the half of it.

"I only joined the Phantom Thieves to heal Sis' heart." Makoto admitted. "At least, at first."

Sae glanced away, a distinct frown forming on her lips. "I was desperate to climb to the top. I wasn't myself at all. Just like…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"We heard from Mako-chan that you were going to do the interrogation personally, so it was fairly easy to get a cognitive version of Akira-kun in the interrogation cell." Haru said.

"And regarding its location, I take it you used the date from my laptop?" Sae asked a bit amused.

Makoto winced a bit. "Sorry,"

"Go on." Sae said simply.

"Everything went as planned up until we defeated your Shadow." Makoto informed her sister. "Then we were met with an ambush by the police and had no way to escape the Metaverse. But this was all an act, and I prepared an empty briefcase while I pretended to take the treasure."

"Again, all of this was a contingency plan." Yu said. "At least to get people off his back for a time. Then again, it might be better this way."

Akira glanced to the eldest teen among them a moment. He saw Naoto looking at him as well. "How so?" Akira asked. He certainly hadn't liked being roughed up, but took it as a necessary evil.

"Well, look at it like this." Yu motioned towards the various Phantom Thieves. "He knows who all of you are. Who he is working for won't be gunning down random teens in broad daylight. But if you managed to escape, Akechi might have been willing to push for police action against Akira. By tricking him as you have, you might have brought yourself precious time."

Yusuke gave a soft snort. "Akechi must have felt victorious after killing our leader's fake. I bet Akira found it hilarious while he waited idly." he said.

"Honestly, I was terrified. But when I saw Sae-san open the door, I couldn't help but smirk." Akira commented. He didn't know who the door was going to open and admit in to see him. That it was Sae was a breath of fresh air.

"So I have been into the Metaverse, albeit for a brief time." Sae mused.

"It is in our experience that when someone enters their own Palace for so short a time, there is no ill effects." Yusuke said.

"What's up Naoto?" Yu asked. Akira glanced towards the sleuth, Yu would know her tells better, but it did look like she was thinking on something.

"Merely curious as to what would have happened had Niijima-san confronted her Shadow. Would it come to be a Persona, similar to ours? Or because it is a difference access way to the Metaverse, would it be like the Phantom Thieves?" Naoto queried. Now there was an interesting concept. Sae Niijima having a Persona. And likely a powerful one given how powerful her Shadow had been.

"There's also a possibility it would just remain hostile or poof out like with Kubo." Yu pointed out.

"Astounding." Sae said, a slight smile on her lips. "Such a grand operation within me, and I hadn't the slightest idea."

"It all fell down to luck." Yu said a bit somberly. "Had Akira not swayed you, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"I'm a bit surprised you could convince me in such a short time." Sae said. "Were you confident that you could do it?"

Akira thought long and hard on the question a moment. In a way, when he had spotted the blue butterflies on Sae's earrings, he had thought it was the best chance he had so, yes, he had been confident. In another way, it could have meant nothing. But blue butterflies being scene with the person that represented his Judgement Arcana, he doubted that it had been a coincidence, and he would have to pull Yu aside later. "I was confident that you would be able to see the truth." Akira answered a touch vaguely.

"To think, they let me interrogate someone that was meant to die. It was all to avoid backlash." Sae shook her head. "Though, I have a few other questions, if you don't mind." she said.

"By all means." Akira said.

"How do _you_ _two_ fit into all this?" Sae motioned towards both Yu and Naoto. "I mean, Shirogane-san is a highly respected Special Investigator, even after the events that have happened."

"Well, as you can surmise, I'm the one that called you in regards to Makoto going to Inaba." Yu stepped forward. "This coming April will mark three years since the events where Naoto and I were drawn into this crazy mess, though she didn't join until near the end. Following a silly rumor in Inaba, a few friends and I were drawn into the Metaverse and began to look into a number of disappearances and three murders."

"You're talking about the case with that Detective, Tohru Adachi wasn't it?" Sae asked thoughtfully.

"That's correct." Naoto said. "He was killing people via the Metaverse as well. He would stick them in on the other side, and the denizens of that place would kill them." She finished her coffee, having been sipping it the entire time.

"But it was only the first two that he killed. Everyone else, it was Taro Namatame kidnapping and stuffing inside the Metaverse, thinking he was saving them. My friends and I formed a team that would save the victims, and we generally got a new teammate when we did." Yu said. "Well, after Inaba, I moved back home since my parents were back from overseas."

"And Senpai was dragged in because of the earlier carelessness of the Phantom Thieves." Naoto said. "He called me in because he needed a Special Investigator on his side. That we are dating is just extra."

"We actually use my house as a hideout." Yu said. "And a way to discreetly transfer into the Metaverse."

Sojiro spoke up after a bit. "Do you guys know who is behind all this?" he asked.

"Akechi let that slip actually." Futaba said. "After the attempted murder. He said 'Shido-san'."

"Shido… I feel as though I've heard that name before." Ryuji said.

"Masayoshi Shido." Naoto said. "DIET Building. A Ship." She held up her blue phone and it pulsed.

" _Match Found.'_ The MetaNav alerted them.

"What?" Makoto asked.

"The Hell?" Akira followed suit, staring and actually standing.

Yu chuckled a bit. "We were waiting a bit to drop this on you, and Naoto is a _very_ good Special Investigator. She got to take a peek at your criminal record and it does have to say who is pressing the charges, even if it doesn't get released to the media." He said.

Naoto nodded her head. "And, he would profit from the damage caused by the psychotic breakdowns." She said, turning around on the stool. "After that and checking if he was in the MetaNav, Senpai and I began to figure out where his Palace could be and what it could be. The where is simple. The DIET Building is the only place that makes sense for a man of his grandeur. And we've listened to his speeches enough and heard enough ship analogies to know what it would be."

"He's gained a lot of popularity recently." Sae said, leaning in a bit. "He's maintained a negative stance towards the Phantom Thieves. He'll likely become the next Prime Minister." she said.

"Has this…. All been for the election?" Yusuke asked, sounding close to being furious.

"That's bullshit!" Ryuji shouted.

"It would be in stark contrast to his public image." Sae said.

"Shido huh…" Sojiro said, shaking his head. "Damn."

"What?" Akira asked, glancing to the older man.

"I had a feeling he was wrapped up in all of this." He shook his head and finally lit his cigarette and taking a deep drag. "He's probably the one that crushed her research and confiscated Wakaba's materials as well. But there was nothing"

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Futaba asked accusingly.

"Because Shido tends to kill people that gets in his way." Sojiro said somewhat angrily. "And he'd do it to a bunch of kids without hesitation because they went after him. Or do you need a reminder as to what happened to Shirogane-san?" He asked. "I'm surprised he hasn't come back for her." He tapped the cigarette against his ashtray.

"He's right." Naoto said calmly. "But we now know, and I dropped a lot of evidence that implicates Shido and a number of his inner circle, if not all of them. Akira's feigned death opened a lot of opportunities." She said

"I was originally looking into the mental shutdowns." Sae said. "And I came across government research regarding the psychotic breakdowns. I tracked down the data and met with the associated parties. All of this being connected… The mental shutdowns, the psychotic breakdowns, Shido's popularity upswing, the Phantom Thieves…." She shook her head and pressed her fingertips together.

"Anyone against going after him?" Akira asked his friends.

"Hell no!" Ryuji said.

"Let's do it." Ann said

"He will be a worthy foe." Yusuke said with a slight smirk.

"Let's win together." Haru said with a nod.

"Let's do it as always." Morgana said, standing up.

"Time for some revenge." Futaba said.

"We can't let a man like him win." Makoto said with a nod of her head.

"His Palace has some pretty tough customers." Yu said, still by the door. Not that Akira blamed the older teen. Naoto had been shot in Leblanc.

"Yes, Senpai and I had to be careful." Naoto voiced.

"We'll meet at the DIET building tomorrow after school then." Makoto said.

"That reminds me, what're you doin' about school?" Ryuji looked to Akira. "Can't show up when you're supposed to be dead."

"Kawakami-sensei said he went home for 'family reasons'." Ann said.

"It's what I told the school." Sojiro said as he finished his cigarette and put it out.

"I might do that." Akira said after a moment. "Let Mom know the truth, if no one has any objections."

"Don't let 'em know you're alive, or else this would all be for nothin'." Ryuji said, knocking Akira on the shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Sojiro asked.

"Publicity." Akira said. "The Calling Cards are important." He explained. "By having me, who is presumed dead, come out of hiding to directly challenge Shido, we'll be making a bigger statement."

"Just leave the calling card to me." Futaba said, pushing her glasses up with a dangerous smirk.

"You thought through all of this too?" Sojiro asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"What frightening teenagers." Sae said, shaking her head.

"Yu, I'm going to need your help in the coming days then." Akira said, his expression becoming thoughtful. "And actually, I'd like to talk to you a second outside by ourselves." He maneuvered around Ryuji to head outside.

Once outside, Akira turned to face Yu a moment and he stepped in a little bit so they could speak in quieter, hushed tones. "So, as I thought, Sae-san ended up my Judgement Arcana." He said.

Yu nodded his head a bit. They had the discussion before, but they weren't certain how to take it. But by then, Akira knew who all of his Arcana were. And only a few were left to achieve a Blood Vow with. He had not expected the level of power that came with it, but as Igor said, the strength of his bonds was his greatest strength.

"But here's the thing… And I could just be seeing things and trying to make them fit but… Sae-san walked in with a pair of blue butterfly earrings on." Akira said.

Yu nodded his head again. "And because it was your Judgement Arcana, you think this might be you seeing the blue butterflies I told you to keep an eye out for."

"That's right." Akira said.

"Alright, I'll text you the information Igor told me later." Yu said. "As well as a few theories that Naoto and I had, bouncing ideas back and forth between each other. Good eye. It could be something, it could be nothing." Akira was just glad that Yu seemed to be taking it seriously.

"So Shido huh?" Akira ran a hand through his hair. "He's the guy? I mean, really?"

"Look him up on your phone and get a real good look at him."

Akira nodded his head. "Yeah, I probably should. Damn... " He shook his head, but he would be ready. He didn't like the feeling that he was a puppet on strings, being led towards this confrontation though.

 _Take Your Time_

It was an odd situation that Akira found himself in. He was generally a good student. He didn't skip class, he didn't blatantly goof off in class, he studied in his off hours… Hell, he was the top of his year for a reason. It was through hard work and a good work ethic.

So when he found himself with more free time than he knew what to do with, Akira really wasn't certain what to realistically do. He knew he had to keep his head down, at least for a little while. He was supposed to be dead. And while he hadn't given his name, his face was known and the situation wasn't completely calm yet.

And if the audio files Futaba had garnered from Akechi's conversations were true, his acceptance at Shujin had been to watch his movements after Shido had him arrested on assault charges. So that meant he wasn't able to go to school.

With a sigh, he got dressed in a pair of casual pants and a dress shirt. He then pulled a hoodie on while leaving his glasses off. Pulling the hood up would have made him look suspicious as hell, so he left it off, even as he approached where Morgana was sitting.

"Where do you think you're going?" Morgana asked, standing up.

Akira grabbed his bag and then the cat, slipping him inside. "I got a few hours to kill. Sojiro won't let me help out in Leblanc, I can't go to school, and I'm not one for idle hands. So we're going to be taking a brief trip to kill a couple hours. We'll be back in time for after school and the meeting to plan our next move."

"Man, Naoto was really on the ball, wasn't she?" Morgana asked. "She already knew that it was Shido that had set you up, long before the topic even came up."

"I'm honestly not terribly surprised by that." Akira said. "She's a smart girl. Wouldn't be much of an Ace Detective or being the original and genuine Detective Prince if she wasn't." He said as he walked down stairs.

Sojiro glanced up from his paper and took a puff of his cigarette. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"To see my mom." Akira said bluntly. "I didn't tell her about the Phantom Thief stuff back when we visited her, she deserves to know. And she deserves to know I'm alright. If the media posts my mugshot on the news, my movements will get more and more limited. I'm going to take the chance while I still have the time to."

Sojiro nodded his head and he took a moment to put the cigarette out. "Alright, just be careful. I'll do everything I can to help you out, but it's up to you to survive, you know?" He stated.

Akira nodded his head in return. "Thanks Sojiro." And he meant that. "Thankfully, I do know how to blend without getting busted by a truancy officer." He said. It meant not using his student pass to get around.

So, Akira headed out of Leblanc at about eight in the morning. He knew it'd take about two hours for the train to get him back around his hometown. Then it was about a ten minute walk to his place. He'd be back in time for school to let out and he could meet up with everyone to begin scoping out Shido's Palace.

At the train station, he unzipped the bag to let Morgana be seen a bit more. He could see the surprise in the cat's eyes a moment. But Akira paid for a ticket, as well as for an animal carry on. Thankfully, people were generally quiet on the train, not really interacting with others. And Akira wasn't drawing attention to himself by trying to hide or anything.

Just another guy riding the train.

He had to take a transfer, and he paid for Morgana a second time. But just after ten, he was back in his hometown. By ten thirty, he was scaling the stairs to the apartment he shared with his mom. He took a moment to steel himself, inhaling a bit deeply.

"You okay Akira?" Morgana asked.

"I'm concerned." He admitted. But eventually, he reached up and knocked.

The door swung open and there was surprise on the face of Ayako Kurusu once more. She gathered him into a tight hug and Akira leaned into his mom, squeezing her back. She then drew back, her happiness turning to quickly to confusion and suspicion. "Akira, why are you not in school?" she asked sharply.

Akira inhaled a bit. "That… is a long story." He said. "One I would rather have inside. But I promise, I'm not just skipping for the Hell of it."

"This is the thing you and your friends weren't talking about when you came to visit." Damn was his mom perceptive.

"Yeah Mom, it is." Akira said. He shifted her inside and he took his shoes off. They could have probably gotten away with a smaller apartment, but Akira knew his mom wanted him to have his own space.

He went to the small breakfast table in the kitchen and sat down. He then almost immediately stood up and gathered a thermos of coffee from his bag and started looking in the fridge. He found passable ingredients for curry and started to work.

"What are you doing?!" His mom asked him, half screeching as she came to the kitchen. And for good reason too. Akira had almost burned down the apartment once and had been forever banned from the kitchen. If it involved anything more complicated than making a sandwich or boiling water in a kettle, he wasn't supposed to be cooking.

But Akira had come a long way since then.

"Sojiro taught me how to make his curry." Akira said. "And truthfully, the coffee shouldn't just be warmed up. It deserves to be drank fresh, but I have some stuff planned and need to be back in Shibuya by three." He began work with the pot with a practiced ease.

"Oh my God, my son learned how to cook." She sat down in the chair he had just vacated.

Akira chuckled a bit. Honestly, he was nervous. He loved his mom more than anything, but he was worried she'd react badly to him being the leader of the Phantom Thieves. But Akira finished heating the coffee in the kettle and poured it into a mug. He added cream and sugar for his mom before he put the mug in front of her.

She took a slow sip. "Mm. This is Sojiro's house blend, isn't it?" she asked.

"That's right." Akira said. He poured himself a cup and moved to sit down across from her. "By the way, how do you know Sojiro?" he asked.

"Remember when I had to spend a month in Tokyo for work?" She asked.

Akira nodded his head a moment. It had certainly been interesting. A friend of his mom's had come to watch him. He was old enough by then to have managed on his own, and he had been out of school for summer so he didn't have to worry about that. "So you spent a bit of time at the cafe?" he asked.

"Oh almost every night. His curry is wonderful." His mom said. "So that you know how to make it," Her eyes lit up with delight as she trailed off.

Akira chuckled a bit and he looked to the coffee in his hands. "So… You're home…" he said.

"I switched to second shift while you're in Shibuya." She said, explaining why she was home at the time that she was. "I actually go to work in about three hours. Gives me all the time I could ask for to wake up and get ready. Now, you're avoiding the issue Akira."

He nodded his head. His mom knew him well enough to call him out on it. "Mom, I'm just going to say it bluntly." He said. He looked up to look into her eyes. "I'm the leader of the Phantom Thieves." He said with as much seriousness as he could muster.

Akira watched his mother process the information. Her eyes looking quizzical before going wide as though she was starting to understand. Then they went wider as she really started to understand. "But they- You- I mean- How-" Akira had never seen his mother so flustered, not even when he had called her from a police cell to get her to come down to the prefecture. "I have so many questions!" She hung her head in her hands. "Was it me?" She asked herself. "Was I a bad mother? Should I have been there more? How did this happen? But they announced you dead! Did you fall in with the wrong crowd? Don't tell me it's one of your friends, I liked them but so help me."

"MOM!" AKira shouted, having been trying to get his mother's attention throughout her numerous questions. "Will all respect intended as your only child and all the love I have for you, Shut. Up." He said. He could see her recoil and he could see the spark of anger starting. "Nope. Not listening!" Akira said, cutting her off. He could see her surprise. "You're starting to insult my friends by saying they were the ones that caused that. My very, very good friends who are like brothers and sisters I have never had." Akira reached over the table and grabbed his mother's hand. "Now, Mom, do you really want to know what happened? Do you want caught up on the madness that is my life now?" he asked.

Akira watched her for a while as she processed this. She inhaled and took a deep drink of her coffee. "Give me a second." She went and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen. She then sat down across from him. "Alright, tell me everything."

And so, for the third time that week, Akira began to explain everything. Except this one was more personal. It was his own mother that he explained things to. It was the woman that he looked up to and respected above all others. It was the woman that was usually in his corner without fail.

And Ayako listened to everything that he had to say, even as he got up to work on the curry. And when he finished, she took a bit of time to look at the pad of paper that she had been jotting notes and questions down on.

"Well that explains why you're not in school." She muttered. "Akira… This is all… Difficult for me to understand." His mom said. She tapped her pen against the table a little bit. "I can see why you did what you did." She said. "You've always been like that. If you felt strongly enough about something, you didn't back down and you always tried to do the right thing." She looked up. "And with what happened with Suzui-san and Kamoshida, I can see why you would take action. And everything else would begin to spiral out from there."

"But?" Akira asked.

His mom frowned. "I have one immediate question that I'm not certain you can answer." She said. She set her pen down. "This… Igor... " He could hear the skepticism in her voice, not that Akira blamed her. A strange man in a strange room that helped Akira out? He was lucky that his friends didn't think him mad. "And… Philemon… And Yaldabaoth," She double checked her notes. " _Why you_?" She emphasized the question.

It was a good question. Why had Akira been picked? Of all the people in Shujin Academy, in Shibuya, in Tokyo, why was it that Akira was picked? It made little sense. Why had Yu been picked?

Akira sighed as he prepared a bowl of curry for each of them, putting it over rice. He took it to his mother and sat down across from her with his own bowl. "Honestly Mom? I got nothing." He shook his head. "Why were Yu and I picked? I suppose Yu it was just bad timing. He got gifted the power much more directly. But me?" He shook his head. "That's the thirty million yen question."

His mother shook her head, clearly not enjoying the humor he found in the situation with the bounty. He had jokingly messed with Sojiro one night about it, mentioning the old man should turn him in and retire. Sojiro had laughed but admonished him for the poor joke.

"But… Shido…" His mother shook her head. "Damn. I had been planning to vote for him." She said. She finished her cup of coffee a moment and frowned. Akira could see the stress lines on his mother's face. She wasn't a young woman anymore, even if she tried to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Being a single mother was stressful enough.

"Akira." His mother said firmly. He looked to her as she focused on him. "I know what you're planning to do." she said. Akira didn't bother to deny it and nodded his head instead. "Promise me, you too Morgana," His mother looked at the cat that had been mostly silent. Akira glanced towards his furry companion. "And I know I can't hear you properly, but promise me anyways, you will be as safe as you can be. You won't do anything agregiously stupid."

Akira was thankful that his mom was smart. She knew he couldn't promise to be safe. He couldn't promise not to do anything stupid. She was just asking him to be as safe as he could be and not be ridiculously stupid with his plans. "I promise Mom." he said.

"I promise too." Morgana said from beside Akira.

"He just promised me, right?" His mother asked.

"He did Mom." Akira said, slightly amused that his mother had asked the cat to do something, despite knowing she couldn't understand him.

His mom shook her head and rested her head in one hand. She looked at him and after a moment, she smiled ever so slightly. "I'm proud of you Akira. You seem to have helped a lot of people. I won't take that away from you."

Despite himself, Akira felt a warmth of pride spread through him. And happiness. That his mother could still say she was proud of him, it was more than he could ask for. He smiled a bit. "I do come bearing some good news." he promised.

His mom sat up a bit and looked at him quizzically. "What's that?"

Akira couldn't help the excitement that bubbled up and out. "I got a girlfriend." he said. There was a bit of giddiness as well. Just like any teenager that was excited about having a girlfriend.

He saw his mom's eyes light up with happiness for him. "Makoto or Haru?" she asked.

Akira was taken aback by that. "But- Wha- How?" He asked.

"Akira. I'm your mother." Ayako said quite bluntly.

That was fair, he supposed. She had known he had been hiding things at the last visit he had made. He also saw Morgana looking at him intently, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He turned to look at the cat more. "Watch it." He said bluntly. "I control your source of food." He watched Morgana pause. "Do you want to eat dry cat food or warm food?"

"Touche Joker, touche." Morgana said in response. "I'll keep it zipped."

"I'm waiting Akira." His mother said amused.

Of course his mother would be amused. But Akira smiled regardless. "It was Makoto." He said. "Though, to be perfectly honest, it was a close thing." he said softly. It reminded him that he should hang out with Makoto, maybe go on a date after they scouted out Shido's Palace initially.

A bit of rest before the actual infiltration.

Akira's mother nodded her head. "Next time you come over, bring her by again as your girlfriend." She said amused.

Akira nodded his head. "It might be a while." He admitted. "We got this thing with Shido, and I don't doubt Yaldabaoth will make his move eventually." And that was not something Akira was looking forward to.

How did he face some god like entity?

 _Take Your Time_

Yu walked right alongside Naoto as they approached the DIET Building's fence. Already, he could see the Phantom Thieves there. But he and Naoto had taken a later train. Since their clothes didn't change within the Metaverse, Naoto had wanted to change into clothing she'd be more comfortable running around and fighting in.

And a skirt was certainly not something that Naoto was comfortable in.

Akira had a hoodie on and was hunched over slightly with the hood pulled up like he was a little cold. The November air was crisp enough that he could get away with it, especially since their breath was visible and they were all wearing coats.

Naoto even had her custom double breasted coat on, though she had taken her hat off to try and blend in a little bit better. She had even taken to spiking her hair a bit like he had done to her on their impromptu date.

"Everyone's here." Akira said. "Let's get started." He pulled his cell phone out and input the requirements.

The world distorted around them. It was particularly violent this time. They had learned during the operation to save Akira's life that the level of violence of the transition, that was to say how disorienting and nauseating it was, depended on how distorted the area they were going to was.

Mementos was, for understandable reasons, always extremely violent.

The smell of salt water hit Yu's nose and he knew that they had arrived. He drew his bag back around him and took his sword out. "Remember, we're just doing recon this time around." He said. "We're not actually doing the infiltration, and this is another instance where the infiltration has to be done in one go."

Akira shot him a smirk as he pushed his hood back. "Hey, I thought I was suppose to be leader." He said jokingly. But he walked forward and looked over the edge of the ship. "Man, you weren't kidding that this was going to be complicated though."

Yu walked over beside Akira and looked over the water. The boat didn't even pause as it slammed through the top of a smaller building. There wasn't even a shudder. How arrogant did Shido think he was, that he could crush the smaller businesses and not even be scratched by it?

Futaba joined them on the other side, her laptop in her hands and tapping the keys. "We're not recognized as threats by security yet." She said. "But this place…" She shook her head. "The collapse when we steal his treasure is going to be ugly." Futaba shivered slightly.

"Can't swim, can you?" Akira asked.

"Not really." She admitted. While swimming was emphasized in their physical education, there were times where a student just couldn't do it. And Yu was not all that surprised to hear that Futaba couldn't swim, given the situation she was in with schooling.

"If necessary, I can handle it." Yu told Futaba. "I'm pretty good at swimming." He wasn't exactly a trained rescue operative, but he could manage the forty kilogram girl.

They turned and went towards the front entrance. Akira drew his knife. "Stick together." He said. "I know we usually split up but I want us to stick together right now. At least until we know what we're getting ourselves into."

Yu balanced his sword on his shoulder as he walked up alongside Akira. He heard the sound of Naoto pulling her revolver from its holster. He and his girlfriend were still the Phantom Thieves' emergency exit strategy.

"Joker, look at the people." Yusuke commented.

"Yeah, I've noticed them too." Akira said.

The very first room the entered showed just how twisted Shido was. It seemed like it was a non-stop celebration for Shido to be at the helm of the country. Confetti rained endlessly from the ceiling, loud speakers blared Shido's ideals. And everyone was dressed in some of their finest clothes, stunning silken dresses and custom tailored suits that were probably worth more than even Yu's parents' rather substantial yearly salaries.

Combined.

But it was the masks that everyone wore that bothered Yu. And they likely bothered everyone else as well. They were all masks that were made to make the people look like they were smiling, friendly face. But it was abundantly clear that they were still wearing a mask.

"He doesn't trust anyone." Naoto said. "Everyone wears a mask because everyone is a liar to Shido." She summed it up.

"Ugh… I don't like this place." Ann said. "Reminds me too much of some of the agencies I've had scouting me." She said, sounding utterly reviled. And with good reason if that was her experience. "Thank goodness I'm under contract with my current agency."

"Don't mean to jinx it, but where are the Shadows?" Ryuji asked. Everyone paused to turn and look at him. "What? I get it's the biggest cliche, but I mean, c'mon. Look around."

"Skull's right." Morgana said. "I'm not picking up _any_ Shadows at the moment. But the treasure is dead ahead."

They continued on a little more cautiously, coming into a hallway with two pairs of double doors at the end. "I don't like this." Makoto said. "This has been too easy, and I'm starting to wonder where the Shadows are too."

"Right?" Ryuji asked from the back.

"Stay alert." Akira said. He pressed his ear to the wood of one of the double doors. "It sounds like…. Voting? I think I can hear Shido proclaiming something went through unanimously."

"Given how twisted this man is, no doubt it is his proposal." Haru said. "Get clear." She was already in the process of raising up her grenade launcher.

"Easy Noir, easy." Makoto said quickly. "I'm not sure if your launcher will even be enough to break down the doors. And it will definitely cause security to shoot through the roof."

"She's right." Akira said. "Let's save the ammo for if we need it." He glanced to it. "It seems like there's a few slots for something." He brushed his finger over the central column.

"Any ideas what they could be?" Ann asked, more the group than anyone.

When it was the general consensus that they didn't in fact know what it could be, Yu glanced around. "Alright then, let's put a bit of legwork in." He motioned to the crowd of 'people' that was around them. "Surely one of them knows something. Be discrete. Joker, you and I will find a safe room that we can compare notes in." He said.

The others began to disseminate themselves amongst the people there. Akira headed over to Yu and together, they made their way into some of the side hallways, checking things out. "Do you really think Shido's cognitive view of people will know anything?" he asked.

"If not, we could always try blasting the door down with three Megidolaons." Yu said. "But, it could be like a situation with Futaba's Palace where the doors won't budge, even with extreme force." Even though Yu was extremely tempted to try anyways.

"We're bound to experience security at some point, aren't we?" Akira asked after a moment. "Honestly, it worries me more than encountering them."

"I can't answer that." Yu said. "But I get what you're saying. This is disconcerting."

"Here." Akira rapped his knuckles on a door that shimmered. "You said you and Scientist encountered enemies, right?"

"Yeah, we did." Yu nodded as he thought back to the few times that he and his lover had explored the Palace. "Was locked down pretty tight."

"Hm… I wonder if it's because I was caught." Akira said. "We might not register as a threat to his cognition anymore."

"Somehow, I personally doubt that." Yu said. "But if it is the case, we definitely need to take advantage of it as much as we can."

"I agree." Akira said. "Might be a few more days before we can come back in, what with what we're working on."

Yu nodded his agreement. "Just don't wait too long, yeah? Shido might get paranoid enough security does start to come back."

Akira nodded. With the safe room secured, he went and began to gather up the rest of the Phantom Thieves, bringing them over towards the door while Yu kept guard to make sure that no Shadows would show up.

Only once everyone was inside did Yu step inside with them. He took a seat at the table and just leaned back. He hadn't been the one gathering information.

"Well, let's go over what we learned." Makoto said.

"It turns out that you need letters of recommendation in order to get into the assembly room." Naoto said. "Though, I did not get the chance to find out who has them."

"They would likely belong to VIPs that are a cut above the rest." Akira mentioned.

"I did hear about an influential politician that was mentioned." Makoto offered. "An Ooe."

Naoto nodded her head. "Yes, he's actually one of the people that have contributed from the incidents. He's had political opponents be removed, either psychotic breakdowns they themselves experienced, or they were… Killed by people experiencing such."

"Well he's at the restaurant on the ship." Makoto said, glad to have the confirmation she got something worth mentioning. "Often sits at a table with a window view."

"Oh, well, I heard about someone that's from a line of nobility." Ann said. "He tends to hang around the Pool apparently."

Naoto pulled her phone out. "Hmm, that narrows it down considerably, but without a name I'm not one hundred percent certain." She said as she checked the information she had on the various members that benefitted from Shido's operation.

"A television executive is also around. Apparently, he frequents the Gambling Hall's slots." Yusuke mentioned from his standing position.

"Likely the executive in charge of Akechi's interviews." Naoto said, moving through her information. Yu knew in moments, his girlfriend would have the list of people that were closest to Shido's operation.

"Aw man, I'm startin' to forget people." Ryuji said, grabbing his hair.

"I heard of one." Futaba said.

"Even you?!" Ryuji exclaimed, surprised at Futaba's admission.

"I eavesdropped." She said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Some IT company executive. Never leaves his room if he can help it, but enters through an exclusive hallway, top notch security detail apparently."

"And that leaves me." Morgana said with a hint of smugness. "I heard of a Cleaner. But it's also said that he's pretty cautious, so we should leave him for last."

"Cleaner," Haru said. "I wonder what they mean by that…"

Yu shared a look with Naoto that apparently didn't go unnoticed. "You guys seem to have an idea, care to share?" Akira asked.

"Well, Shido's a politician. I'm willing to bet he has a lot of skeletons in his closet. A Cleaner? A guy that disposes of incriminating information. I wouldn't be surprised if this 'Cleaner' is a ranking member of the Yakuza families." Naoto said.

"And I'd be willing to bet, if we cause a ruckus, he's going to be on our collective asses quickly." Yu said, finishing out their planning.

"Shido's going to be a tricky opponent." Morgana said. "A real tough nut to crack."

Akira nodded his head, seemingly in agreement. "Alright, let's head out of here." He said. "I got some things to take care of before I want to start the infiltration proper. And the closer we get to election date, I'm willing to bet Shido is going to get more and more paranoid."

"Alright Joker, we leave it to you to figure out the time to come back." Yu said. He inclined his head to Akira. There was some prep still needing done.

And once all the prep was done, they were going to stick it to Shido as hard as they could. No way were they letting a man like him become Prime Minister.

 _Take Your Time_

Makoto smoothed out her skirt after she finished up her duties as Student Council President. Despite everything that had happened, everything that was happening, she still had a responsibility. Her phone buzzed and she picked it up to look at it.

' _I'm here.'_

She smiled a little bit at the two word sentence. She tucked her phone into her bag and glanced around, satisfied after a moment that everything had been properly managed, sorted, and wouldn't need her attention anymore that day.

Only when she was fully satisfied did Makoto walk out of the Student Council Room. She pulled her coat on and shouldered her bag. She quickly took the stairs down to the first floor and walked out of Shujin's main entrance.

There, tucked in an alleyway, she spotted Akira, doing his damnedest to look inconspicuous.

Despite herself, Makoto couldn't help but feel a rush of giddiness race through her. Despite everything, she walked with a little bit more of a purpose to her stride as she moved to join Akira in the alleyway. Together, they cut through the alleys, making sure to get away from the school.

"You ready?" Akira asked as they began to make their way towards the train station.

"Yes." Makoto said with a smile and the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks. She couldn't help it. It was their first official date, even if Akira had to try and remain as incognito as possible. The sensations that ran through her, they were all so new and she had no idea what to really do with them.

Yet.

She hoped that Akira would be able to help her learn these new emotions and sensations while learning alongside her. She couldn't help the strong feelings she had towards him. And judging by the small glances he kept sneaking her way, Makoto had a good feeling that Akira felt the same way. Everything was all new for the both of them.

Their relationship was a close one, even if it was just for the moment.

"So where are we going to go today?" Makoto asked. She couldn't help it. Akira was helping to expand her horizons, and she still thought she had much to learn and Akira was a good teacher for it.

"I figure I'll show you to a place I learned about." Akira said. "A bit more your usual speed, but I think you'll like it."

Makoto looked to Akira with a bit of a quizzical look before she simply nodded. And Akira paid for both train tickets, taking them further than their student passes would allow. And when they got off the train station, Makoto couldn't help but begin to look around.

"Jinbocho?" Makoto asked. "I didn't think you'd much frequent this area Akira." Not that Makoto spent a whole lot of time there herself.

"Come on, I want to show you a bookstore I found." Akira said, leading the way. Makoto couldn't help but follow, glancing around. Akira was right, it was more her speed than anything else they had done, but it wasn't a bad thing either.

It just meant that she could enjoy it easier.

"I reconciled with Eiko." Makoto said as they walked.

"Yeah?" Akira turned a bit, seeming genuinely interested.

"Yes, and she's asking for some help so that she might be able to get into a decent college after some cram schooling." Makoto said. "I think we did good, helping her open her eyes."

"Maybe your hand did." Akira said in a joking manner.

But Makoto blushed regardless. She was still embarrassed about having smacked Eiko and she didn't know what to say to that.

"Oh!" A tall, dark haired girl in a very colorful dress paused, spotting Akira. She cut her eyes towards Makoto and Makoto tilted her head just slightly. "Goodbye." She said.

"Please, wait." Makoto was surprised she didn't recognize the other girl sooner. "Was there something you wanted to say to him?" she asked, trying to be polite, even if it was technically a date Akira was on with her.

"I was just surprised to see him here." Hifumi Togo said. She was more humble than Makoto had expected. "I didn't mean to intrude." She glanced away a little bit.

"Don't be so considerate," Makoto knew her eyes held a bit of a mischievous glint. She had seen it in Akira quite often. "He's just here to carry my books." She said.

"Hey, wait what?!" Akira asked surprised.

Makoto turned to look at Hifumi a bit more. "A pleasure to meet you." She bowed just a little. "I know the basics, but I would love to know what a professional such as yourself thinks, Togo-san." Makoto said politely. "I quite enjoyed watching your match the other day."

"You… watched that?" Hifumi seemed quite surprised about it. "I didn't think anyone would watch that. It was my first ranked match since I started to work back up the ranks."

"You recognized that the other player was trying to play as defensively as possible, baited her with a feint, and then speared through her defenses." Makoto said. "It was beautifully done, watching her defenses crumble before she could react showed that some of your previous title was because of your own merit as well."

Makoto could see a hint of tightness in Hifumi's shoulders. She wondered if she said something wrong. But Hifumi lifted her head up high and gave a genuine smile. "Thank you for that." she said.

Makoto glanced down to Hifumi's hand. "Is that a book on Shogi strategies?" she asked.

"Oh yes," Hifumi brought it up. "I come here quite often to buy old Shogi books. I want to prove to everyone I'm not the fraud I was made out to be, so I brush up twice as hard." she said.

"This might be a bit forward, but would you kindly consider teaching me a few strategies?" Makoto asked. They might help her when she was planning for the Phantom Thieves, and given who their opponent was, she would need every edge that she could get.

"Oh, well if it's Shogi," Hifumi said. Makoto was impressed with how approachable the former 'Shogi Idol' was. She was extremely down to earth and friendly, and as they talked more about Shogi, she could see the passion inside the other girl.

"I'm glad you two are getting along." Akira said.

Makoto jumped a bit at the same time Hifumi did. Makoto could see the way that the older girl smiled beautifully, looking over to Akira a moment. Makoto turned to her boyfriend. "I'm sorry, I got caught up in talking to her.' She said a bit sheepishly.

"I had best be going." Hifumi said. "I apologize.'' She offered a polite bow.

Makoto returned the bow. "Thank you for your time, Togo-san. And I apologize for taking your time."

Hifumi simply smiled. "Take care of him." She said before she turned to continue walking.

Makoto watched the other girl go, wondering how she knew that Akira was with her. She turned to face her boyfriend. "Well, where should we go?" she asked.

"This way," Akira said amused. "I'm just here to carry your books huh? I'll remember that."

"Then remember it." Makoto said jokingly. "I'm hoping to have plenty to remember."

And their date went splendidly. They didn't talk about the Metaverse, though Makoto had to stop herself from bringing it up a time or two. Akira simply showed her his favorite old book store, a place Makoto promised she would return to. They had also picked up a bit of food, since it had gotten late enough.

Akira even went with her to the apartment that she shared with her sister. One that Makoto was a bit embarrassed about given the size and location.

Her sister was a _very_ successful prosecutor.

Makoto took him inside and brought him to the balcony overlooking the cityscape before them. Akira leaned with her against the rail, the wind blowing a little bit. She glanced over to Akira and smiled. "Thank you." she said.

"For what?" He asked.

"For showing me everything. For taking the time to help me open my eyes." Makoto said. She looked over the city and smiled a bit more. "I plan to continue." She said. "To push myself, to study hard. I'm not looking to prove anything to anyone. I have a dream of one day being Police Commissioner, I need to study hard to obtain that dream." She reached up and held her hand out towards the setting sun, like it was a distant dream she could reach out to obtain.

"Why'd you pick that one?" AKira asked quietly. She had mentioned it to him before.

"It's head of Police Operations." Makoto said. "I need an extensive academic background, and more even. There are too many cases that slip through the cracks. Yours should have been thoroughly questioned. That Host…" Makoto shook her head. "There's just too much wrong. I want to change it."

"You have an admirable dream." Akira said.

Makoto shook her head. "Thank you. But I won't let it be just a dream." She said. Makoto couldn't help the small bit of laughter that escaped her. "Goodness, I found the meaning of my studies outside my studies, hanging out with a delinquent." She turned to face Akira, a small quirk of her lips on her face.

"We should head to the arcade some time." Akira said, smiling regardless of her sense of humor.

"Must have been difficult babysitting the uptight Miss President." She said.

Akira shook his head. "Of course not. I was hanging with Queen who is just awesome."

"Flatter." Makoto said. "But it's because I have you that I can see the world differently." She said.

Her eyes drifted closed and Makoto could hear the sounds of chains, the revving engine. She saw Johanna who had been with her through so much. For a brief second, she thought she saw a smile on the face of her motorcycle before a brilliant flash of light erupted around Johanna.

"Anat." Makoto whispered as she took in the almost robotic form of her new Persona. Arms and legs and a horned head. Her Persona gave her the barest of nods. "The power inside was born anew. I didn't realize I still had so much potential." Makoto said, finally opening her eyes.

She finally felt like the mask she had once worn was well and truly destroyed.

Makoto looked to Akira and smiled more. "By the way, feel free to rely on me for anything you need. We are equals." She still remembered the words that Akira had told her once.

"I will." Akira told her, promising it.

Makoto blushed and glanced away. "Akira-kun?" she asked.

"What is it?" He asked.

"W-would…" She paused a moment. Her face felt so hot. "I was thinking… maybe we could study some…." She hesitated and looked to him. "Things we don't have… much experience in." She tried not to sound like a major dork, but it was difficult. She had no experience with a boyfriend. "Would that be okay?"

Makoto turned and leaned up to Akira. He turned to her and Makoto slipped her arms against his shoulders to balance before she kissed him softly on the lips.

Makoto spent a long time alone with Akira.

Chapter End

 **A/N: So this was actually supposed to come out Friday, but I got busy.**

 **Nieces folks. They suck your soul out.**

 **That said, I am getting the oldest playing Persona 4. It's tough, but I'm working on it. She's not paying as much attention as she should.**


	44. Chapter 43: Phantom Pirates?

Chapter 43: Phantom Pirates?

They had all once again met up at Leblanc. Sojiro had closed up the shop early, allowing for the group to head up into Akira's room and hold a brief meeting. While they could use Yu's house again, Yongen-jaya was closer to the DIET building. And since that was their target, they were holding the meeting in Akira's bedroom.

"The Deadline is the 18th." Akira said as he looked over everyone. "It's now the 25th. We have been pretty lax before but does anyone know of anything pressing they have coming up that would hold the infiltration up in case we have to do something in the real world?" he asked.

It was a good question to ask. As it was, only he was able to move about freely. Everyone else still had public obligations that they had to meet.

When there was a general agreement that none of them had anything pressing that they absolutely had to take care of, Akira decided to continue. "Okay, Sojiro is downstairs right now, currently whipping up a batch of curry and coffee for us." He said. He saw the surprised looks, after all it was usually Akira that was the one whipping up the curry and coffee. "I want to do as much as possible in one go. We'll be moving at a brisk pace, we already discussed this. We're going to need supplies and I haven't been able to make as much curry and coffee as I'd like."

Naoto nodded her head after a moment. "A group as large as ours would stick out, especially as diverse as we are. Once or twice in front of the DIET building is an anomaly. We can't keep returning. The sooner this is done, the better."

"Not only that, but I'm hoping the Shadows aren't acting up yet." Akira said. "Shido's believed he's won, so maybe his security is lax. But that can change the longer we take and the closer it gets to election day, so it'd be better to get this done sooner rather than later."

"I do have one thing to bring up." Makoto said. Akira glanced over towards her. "The Director of the SIU… he died like Okumura-san." Damn, it meant Shido was tying up loose ends, especially if he thought the Director of the SIU was too dangerous to have around. Who else could be considered a loose end? DId they have to worry about Sae?

"Damn." Yu muttered. "How long ago?"

"It was the twentieth. It's been kept quiet, but Sis says the information is about to go public." Makoto glanced away, knowing she had held an important piece of information. But then, their date had just been yesterday and Akira could hardly blame her for wanting to keep quiet about that bit of information on a day when both of them had tried their best to not talk about their Phantom Thief activities.

"I'm going to need at least three days once we have the route." Futaba said, glancing up from her laptop. "I've been working on this nonstop for a while, and we're going to have to go into Mementos for the other part I need to do, but it's still going to take time. We want to get Shido's attention? This is it." She tapped her laptop's screen. "For the big bad, you need to go bigger and badder."

Akira nodded his head. "We'll get what you need." He assured the younger girl. "Naoto, what does the investigation look like?" He asked.

"They're starting to move a little bit more, finding some sympathetic ears that might be willing to sign off on a warrant for searches." Naoto said. "I'd expect Christmas time or later."

"A whole month?" Akira asked, slightly angry. Damn it, it really was up to them to stop Shido. "That's bullshit. How is that fucking Justice?" His experiences with the judicial system had left a bitter taste in his mouth that wasn't going to go away any time soon. Between being convicted in a trial that was only one in name, and then having to go through a beating and interrogation.

"I'm sorry." Naoto said firmly. "But the people I got involved are doing this by the books. They're doing it right. Unfortunately good people have to do things the longer, and harder, way." She wasn't budging. "They're not going to do something differently for anyone. Not me, not my grandfather, not Shido. They were presented with evidence of crimes, they will investigate it to the best of their ability."

"Akira," Morgana said from his spot at the table. His furry buddy sounded a little concerned

"I know. I know, just… Damn it. It always feels like we're trying to fix problems that no one else wants to acknowledge." Akira said. "Kamoshida, Madarame…" He knew the others would get his point. He was tired of it feeling like they were the only ones fixing everyone's problem. The Phantom Thieves couldn't be expected to fix everyone's problems.

"Sometimes the right people don't know their ass from their own elbow." Yu said. "All respect and love to Uncle Dojima, but the man had no clue what was happening in Inaba and his own partner was the one that instigated it. But they're good people, and the right people, because they do it the right way. Don't dismiss what they can do just yet." Yu said. Having met Dojima, Akira could understand where Yu was coming from. The man was a good man, a good detective.

But as Yu said, sometimes the right people didn't know their ass from their own elbow.

Akira clenched his jaw but nodded his head. "Alright." He said. He inhaled deeply and stood up. "Since Yu said Shido's Palace was dangerous, I figured I'd make us just as dangerous." Akira said. He went to grab the duffle bag under his bed. "I just finished this up while you guys were at school."

Consequently, he was also completely broke again. Not that he'd tell his team that, but even with his discount from Justine and Caroline, summoning that many Persona had still been expensive. He also had to summon others to fuse others and then summon another to fuse more. It had been expensive

He unzipped the bag. "Ann." He tossed the whip over as well as the new submachine gun.

The blonde fumbled, but managed to catch them a moment. "Is this real?" she asked with wide eyes as she looked it over.

"Ryuji." And like that, Akira began to pass everyone out new weapons. And when he got to the bottom of the duffle bag with everyone checking out their new weapons, he also began to pass out new armor that was a cut above everything else.

Makoto aimed down the sights of her new revolver before she snapped the cylinder out and spun it. "Akira, where did you get these?" she asked before she flicked her wrist to snap the cylinder back into place with a practiced ease that told Akira that they had been doing it entirely too long.

"I executed and itemized several of my Persona." Akira said. He saw the group pause to look at him. "Look, weird stuff happens in the Velvet Room. Ask Yu."

'He's not wrong." Yu said, nodding his head. "He had to execute Yoshitsune and resummon it for Yusuke's new sword." And that had not been a cheap process, but unfortunately Yoshitsune was just too good to not hold onto.

Yusuke lifted his sword and pulled the blade from the sheath a moment. "Then would that explain why these look and feel so real?" He tested his thumb against the edge, not quite cutting himself but definitely feeling the sharpness of the blade.

"It's a good chance." Naoto said. "When the Investigation Team beat the Reaper, we found a lot of our weapons. They were much higher quality than anything we had been using, so we went ahead and used items from the 'Reaper Chest' as we dubbed it."

"I know my knife is sharp as hell." Akira said. "And apparently my pistol was made through a similar process and that it's close enough to the real thing that at an initial glance, Iwai didn't know the difference between a model and a real gun."

Ryuji gave his new shotgun a once over, really looking at it. "I like it." he said, sounding excited to try it out.

Akira nodded his head. "I figured if we're in the home stretch, we need some serious firepower to make it through. If Yu and Naoto are calling the enemies tough customers, then we need to be equipped like they are. So I went ahead and took care of it. No more scrounging for weapons from the Palaces, no more waiting for Iwai to finish a custom order. I don't think we're getting better than these."

"Let's load up then." Morgana said after he had finished inspecting the saber and the slingshot that were laid out on the table.

As a group, they gathered their weapons up into their packs and slipped on some armor. They then headed down the stairs where Akira picked up the containers of curry and several thermos of coffee. Sojiro put his cigarette out as he watched them. "Be safe." He said. "All of you."

"We should probably take separate train cars. Try and not look like we're all together." Makoto suggested. "No more than two or three of us in a car."

Akira nodded his head. "She's right." He said. "Come on." He then walked out of Leblanc and began to lead the way out of Yongen-jaya. While he would have liked it if Makoto was with him, Futaba was the better pick as he had already before claimed her to be an adoptive sister.

If it worked once, it should work a second time.

Eventually they all got off the train and made their separate ways towards the DIET building. Akira pulled Futaba into an alleyway and sent a text off to the rest of the team, letting them know which alleyway they were in. Slowly, they began to converge on it. They wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb as much.

They certainly did stick out, but they were more likely to be passed over by being in the alleyway.

"Come on, we need to get in there quick." Akira said, already bringing his phone up. In moments, they were within Shido's Palace. Akira barely caught himself from being thrown off the side of the boat. They had landed a little closer towards the edge.

Futaba hunched down with her laptop. "I'm picking up more activity Joker." she said as she tapped at a few things. It caused everyone to pause as they were pulling their equipment out and setting it up to be better adjusted.

"How much more activity?" Akira asked. He needed to know so he could think about how he wanted to build his team.

"Enough to know we better go packing for a fight." Futaba said, snapping her laptop closed and soon pulling the armor on that Akira had gotten her. She shrugged it on.

Akira nodded his head and pulled his pistol out. "Skull, you're our pointman." He said. He knew Ryuji was itching for the chance to try out the new gun and Akira was going to give it to him.

"Roger that!" The blond boy said boisterously as he quickly got the shotgun ready.

"Fox, you're up with us. Long distance support." Akira said, turning to face the artist.

"I'll make sure they do not get to us." Yusuke said as he shouldered his rifle and checked his sword once more.

"Mona, we'll need a healer." Akira said.

"Count on me Joker." Morgana said, hefting his saber up onto his shoulder. Akira still wasn't sure how the cat managed with the weight. One of those things he thought it best not to bother questioning.

He turned to see Makoto raising an eyebrow at him. No doubt she was questioning if he thought she needed to stay in the back. He wondered if Yu ever had to deal with. "You'll get your turn. But Fox, myself, and Skull are better at breaking through bulwarks. You, Panther, and Noir are better for the technical."

"As long as you're not trying to keep me safe." Makoto said, a hint of that hardness in her voice. Makoto didn't need babysat. She didn't need to be protected and Akira knew that.

"If I need nuclear, I'll swap you out with Mona." Akira said. He knew that none of his teammates wanted to be thought of as useless, so he did his best to make sure to rotate them as needed. But at the same time, the guys were just better at breaking through. Morgana could slip around behind the enemies, Ryuji tended to act as a stopping point, Yusuke handled larger threats, and Akira was the one that slipped the knife in.

Together, Akira approached the entrance to the DIET building sitting on top of the cruise liner. His teammates went with him and Ryuji made his way to the door. He pressed himself against the side of the building, holding his shotgun down as he waited.

Akira glanced towards Ryuji's eyes a moment and inclined his head. He glanced back to see Yusuke raising the rifle up and aiming down the sights. If there were any immediate threats, they were about to be dispatched quickly.

Akira threw the door open. Ryuji burst through and raised the shotgun. Almost immediately, his clothes changed in a burst of flame. And Ryuji pulled the trigger and held it down, the shotgun bucking in his arms as he advanced. Yusuke took two shots and dispatched an advancing guard dog shadow.

Akira and Morgana moved inside. Akira's clothes changed and he drew his pistol putting down two Shadows that Ryuji had dropped but not finished off. Ryuji just advanced to get more targets in range.

And the damn people didn't even flinch in the slightest at the incursion. It was the weirdest part of it all, they commented like they were some great entertainment offered by Shido.

"Clear!" Ryuji shouted out.

Two more rifle rounds sang out from Yusuke's rifle as he entered and began to scan the upper balcony where he had the best suited range for. "Clear!" He called out.

"Then let's keep moving." Akira said. "We definitely got some attention, let's keep them flat footed by moving and striking."

And the four 'guys' of the Phantom Thieves moved up the stairs to begin to actually infiltrate the cruiser.

 _Take Your Time_

"I would have never imagined that their leader would commit suicide like that." The usually cheerful and exuberant TV host was a little more somber as he faced Akechi. "Akechi-kun, did you anticipate these curious turn of events?"

Yes, that was exactly what he deserved. Akechi forced himself to keep a calm demeanor when inside he was feeling the rush of the adoration of the masses. This was earned to him. Not Akira Kurusu or the rest of those Phantom Thieves, not Masayoshi Shido, but him! Goro Akechi!

"Oh, well certainly not to this extent." Akechi said, offering a polite smile, even while he lied through his teeth. He had the masses eating out of his hands. He was once more an Ace Detective, a star celebrity! Not even the likes of Naoto Shirogane could compete with him.

He was the one truly deserving of the title of Detective Prince. No, not a prince, a King, an Emperor.

He barely suppressed the shudder that threatened to steal down his spine. He still had a part to play. "It is important to note that he was the mastermind behind the recent commotion." As if. Akira Kurusu died like the lowly dog that he was. He should be glad to be even thought of as the mastermind. His name would never be released to the public and eventually he would be forgotten. Truly a fate fitting of Akira Kurusu, the nobody. "Getting captured likely wounded his pride irreparably. Such things often happen to insurgent leaders." Whereas his legacy had been cemented into the minds of the adoring public. He would be recognized as a hero that had saved Japan from a terrorist.

Yes, he would hype up the danger that was the Phantom Thieves so that his own reputation as the man that brought them low would shoot up as well. By calling them insurgents, he treated them like they were dangerous terrorists instead of the fools he had so casually outwitted.

"According to the police, the whereabouts of the remaining members is still currently unknown. Considering they no longer require testimony from the leader, the investigation will be hard to-" The woman spoke as though she knew how things worked. Akechi almost shook his head. The whereabouts of the remaining Phantom Thieves was unknown so long as he allowed it to be. After the election, he would make sure to take care of them.

That gave him an idea.

"May I butt in for a second?" Akechi asked. He had to come across as polite as he could, as unassuming as possible. He wanted them to think he was a polite, courteous young man that knew something they didn't and was there to enlighten him.

"Of course." The male host said cheerfully. After so many interviews, the man was all too eager to let Akechi speak.

"The Phantom Thieves have lain low since their Leader's suicide, but that does not mean they should be excused!" Akechi said, filling his tone with passion. It was going to make taking them down and cementing himself as a charismatic ace detective all the easier. "I don't care if they come after me! For the victims of their vile deeds and their families," Akechi rose to his feet. "I will capture the remaining Phantom Thieves, no matter what!" he declared. He could see the audience getting into his words.

"No wonder you're an Ace Detective!" The male host said in jubilation. "Such a passion for Justice!"

And it would put the other fools on notice. Akechi was no idiot. He knew that they would be careful to keep track of his movements since he had shown his true allegiance. But without Akira, the rest of them were weak. They were just drones, mindless sheep following the only wolf among them.

The wolf that Akechi had already put down.

"How about we use this opportunity to poll the audience?" The host said. "Those who believe the detective of Justice will annihilate the Phantom Thieves, press your button now."

Akechi humored the man as the digital counter began to spin beside him. He looked at it with the man before it flashed at fifty. Of course. There could have been no doubt. Akechi had already known everyone would agree with him and it was just going to make him look better and better, Of course, it was also carefully planned that way. The audience was full of people that would mostly agree with his opinion, carefully selected so that he could have a unanimous agreement. It would make the public watching more easily influenced and swayed by his decision.

"My, everyone in the audience agrees." The host said. "It looks like you can't back down now."

"I will do the best I can." Akechi turned up the charm a little bit. It made him seem more likeable to the audience, and they in turn would continue to be on his side. "Oh… but I do have to study for college entrance exams, it might not be a quick thing." Akechi said, laughing a little bit. Remind everyone he was just a high school student, making himself seem more and more impressive.

None of them knew that as a child, Akechi was unimpressive. None of them knew that he was an undesirable bastard of a child. It sickened him how impressionable these mindless sheep were. In some regards, he regretted having to kill Akira Kurusu. Despite being unimpressive himself, Akira never once treated Akechi as anything but a person, an equal even. None of them could understand what he had felt. How he had longed to be wanted. How he needed to be _needed._

They had no idea what it was like to strive to be an ace detective, to be the best at his studies. How many sleepless nights had he stayed up, wishing he could go to sleep while he read up on as much as he could? How many days had he spent drinking bitter coffee to stay awake for as long as he possibly could? He needed his peers to look up to him, to come to him for help. Even now, he strove to be the best in school. He was probably the top of his class by at least a margin of ten percent.

It was thanks to the Nav app and the Persona bestowed upon him by the Gods that he managed to rise up. And he disposed of anyone that got in his way, regardless of how long it took. All that remained was Shido...

Of course, his father's reputation had to be spotless. He had to come across as some saint rising up to be Prime Minister. Akechi couldn't help but wonder how many other bastards Shido had out in Japan. Akechi was the only one that had come to his father, come with gifts to aid his father. This way, Akechi would be closer to Shido so that when he felled the Prime Minister candidate, Akechi's strike would ring true.

"But still, wasn't it a let down to have the leader commit suicide like that?" The male host asked, breaking Akechi out of his reflections. "After you spent so much time chasing him and all. If it were me, I would have collapsed from the shock"

Not since Akechi was the one that put the gun to his head. "True…" Akechi said. "It did make me feel somewhat dizzy though." He said, crossing a leg over the other and leaning his elbow against his thigh as he put his chin in his hand. "Perhaps I was too worked up given the major task I underwent.

Someone's phone in the audience chirped,. "Hey, who is that?! If you don't turn that off, the Phantom Thieves might change your heart!" The male host said from on stage.

Akechi watched someone scramble to make sure their phone was off. Despite himself, he couldn't help but feel something tug at him. What was it about the phone that was reminding him or something? What was he forgetting?

And why was it important to the Phantom Thieves?

He watched as the woman next to the man whose phone it was snatch it away from him and turn it off before shoving it in her purse. Akechi's spine stiffened just slightly and he was thankful for his school's uniform coat.

He had forgotten about Futaba yanking his phone from his hands. With the almost immediate dive into Sae's Palace, along with Akira's thorough working him at the front, Akechi had been exhausted when he left the Metaverse and he had forgotten to check for any bugs.

No, no, no! No! It had been his shining moment of triumph, and there was just the slimmest possibility it had been for nothing!? His mind raged at the idea, even as he forced himself to stay composed on stage.

He managed to make it through the rest of the interview. But he begged off any greeting with the audience, explaining he had a lot of work that he had to do.

As soon as he was able to, he rushed away and pulled his phone out. He scanned the files on it, the apps, pictures even. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He checked the downloads and came across a bluetooth wireless transfer of a file from an unknown device. He clenched his teeth in rage as he stayed hidden, seeing that the transfer date was on the same day that Futaba had yanked his phone from his hands.

That little fucking bitch…

He seethed with anger, his mind racing. He was not an unintelligent swine. He did not rely on the Metaverse for his success, even if it had considerably helped. How much did they know? How much could they know? He thought of all the conversations he had. They likely had known he was going to bait Akira, get the cops to take him in.

And subsequently murder him in the Interrogation Room.

But how? He checked Akira's body. Blood pooled. Akira's brains had been shot out. There had been little time between Sae's Interrogation and his shooting the body.

Sae's… Interrogation…

Akechi forced himself to bury all that rage. Clever. Clever. Akira Kurusu was more of a worthy opponent than Akechi had dreamed of. Sae's Interrogation to change her cognition of Akira Kurusu, then dump him into Sae's Palace when she walked by with Akira's phone. Akechi thinks he killed Akira when he was in fact inside Sae's Palace, killing her cognitive view of Akira.

"You win that round Akira." Akechi muttered before he pulled up his contacts. He then punched in his direct line to Shido. Only a few people had that number. The line was picked up on the second ring and Akechi kept his voice even and spoke before Shido spoke. "We have a problem." He said bluntly. "The Phantom Thief leader is still alive."

" _What?!"_ Shido's angry voice cut over the line. " _Do you think this some kind of joke, brat?"_

"No, I think this is an emergency and I'm trying to do my job and change your cognition before the Phantom Thieves do it for you." Akechi said. Oh he felt angry, but he was going to bury it as deep as he could until there was a better place to vent it.

Such as on Akira's corpse.

" _And what do you think you're doing calling me with this information?! You should have already acted upon it, damnit!"_ Shido was understandably pissed off. " _We cannot afford a failure here, not when I am this close to victory, and you are telling me that the lynch pin to_ my _entire operation is still alive? What do I keep you around for boy?"_

"If you shut up for a moment, Sir, then you will understand. They have likely already infiltrated your Palace." Akechi said, his tone dripping with condescension. Shido thought that he knew everything about the Cognitive World because he had Wakaba's research. The man didn't know a damned thing. The slightest little thing with meaning could change a cognition. "Now, I'm about to go in and finish the job. A body won't even be found. But by telling you, I'm putting you on alert so that your Palace will have security again. I'll call you when I get out." Akechi hung up the phone. There was also going to be a number of deaths to associate with it, but maybe he could figure something out about how to expose them. The tricky part was that if they died in the Metaverse then they would be considered missing. No great loss, perhaps, but after the promises he had just made, it certainly would hurt _his_ reputation _._

Maybe he could kill Sae's Shadow and have Loki implant the suggestion for her to out herself as a Phantom Thief. It was a start, but he would still have to come up with a number of people that could and would be accused of being Phantom Thieves. If he could get Naoto Shirogane trapped inside the lie, even better.

Damn, he was already behind and he had to get all the way over to the DIET Building. He hefted his briefcase, thankful that he kept his tools in its hidden compartment. He made his way out of the TV studio to go over to the DIET Building, getting on the nearest train.

Thankfully, as an Ace Detective, he was often excused from his classes for a TV interview. The Phantom Thieves would wait until after school before acting. He likely called Shido just in time, but it would be a close thing.

And Akechi had no intention of failing a second time when it came to murdering Akira Kurusu.

It was a shame though, Akira through this act had proven himself to be a worthy foe. It would actually pain Akechi to see him die. Akira had become the closest thing to a friend that Akechi would allow himself to have. Akira didn't look up to him, but didn't look down upon him either. To Akira, he was an equal. Akechi was almost going to miss that He was going to miss the sense of camaraderie. He was relied upon not because of a unique merit or ability that was singular to him and him alone, Akira had called upon Akechi's abilities when they would shine the brightest they possibly could.

But Akechi's future hinged on this moment. If he wanted to be heralded as a Hero to Japan, he could not risk having Akira get to the point where he would send out a calling card against Shido. And he had a feeling that the Shadows within Shido's Palace were only going to be a holding pattern against Akira. In Sae's Palace, Akira had proven himself quite capable of handling himself and his team so that everyone got out alive.

The Police would try to suppress it, but if he was linked to the leader coming back out, of having been fooled…

It would end Akechi's hard work and that was something he could not tolerate.

 _Take Your Time_

"Nifelheim!" Yu declared as he crushed the Fool Tarot card in his hand and threw it out. Ice erupted on the upper balcony as Loki formed behind him and blasted the Shadows with ice, freezing them solid. "Scientist, you're up!" he called out and moved around as the petite sleuth ducked under his arm.

Naoto brought her revolver up and he felt her back press to his as they held the stairs. The retort of the powerful revolver sounded out with explosive force, blasting and shattering the Shadows that he had stunned. She then moved around under him once more, gun sweeping out. She took the head off a Shadow with another shot. "Myriad Arrows!" She struck her Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card

Yamoto Sumeragi appeared and with a wave of his rapier, a triple volley of arrows skewered another set of Shadows that were approaching.

The World tarot card appeared in Yu's hand and he crushed it. Blasts of lightning took care of the Shadows with extreme prejudice. This was why they were the backup. They worked well together, and even holding their ground, they were able to maneuver around one another to destroy the opposition.

AKira's plan to blitzkrieg the Shadows and push forward to their targets had been a good one. IF they could act fast enough, then security wouldn't be able to start to swarm them. Unfortunately, the first target had turned into a Shadow that was already fighting Akira and the other Phantom Thieves.

It left Yu and Naoto in a multi-leveled common bar outside the restaurant, dealing with a flood of Shadows that he and the sleuth were currently in the process of handling.

Speaking of… "Die for Me!" He watched Alice appear and summon her onslaught of teddy bears and spear wielding cards to skewer the opposition. Many of the advancing Shadows died under the curse.

"Mahamaon!" Naoto struck her card as well. The glyph of holy energy sprang up under the rest and took out more.

Yu dashed forward and used his sword to dispatch the rest. "How you holding up?" he asked.

"A little hurt." Naoto said. "The backlash of Myriad Arrows is never pleasant."

"Salvation." Yu walked over to his girlfriend as he summoned Ishtar and had healing energy wash over both of them. "How's your energy?"

"Good enough to continue." Naoto ejected the casings and fished out a fresh speed loader that she slotted into her revolver. "We have more incoming."

Yu turned to face the group and noticed that these were looking like even stronger Shadows. Now they looked like full tactical units, complete with the half bent knees walk that a soldier sweeping the area might have. It just looked odd on the Shadows.

' _Fool, scientist! We're moving forward!'_

"Roger that Oracle." Yu said. He glanced to Naoto and swiped to a different persona. "Go." He told her and watched her nod and take off down into the restaurant. A gunshot behind him told him that Naoto had encountered some opposition or something.

Yu turned to the advancing Shadows once more. The bullets pinged into his armor. They felt more like bee stings than anything, but it definitely wasn't a pleasant sensation. He crushed the card of the Star. "Morning Star." The Almighty Spell slammed into the Shadows, and splintered the wood and warped the metal railing. Glass bottles shattered from the force.

But even still, the patrons pretended to act like they were nothing more than high quality entertainment offered by Shido.

Yu ran past the Shadow tending to the guest list for the restaurant. He quickly came into the restaurant and saw Naoto waiting at an elevator. Together they took it in and headed up. There, they came face to face with the Phantom Thieves that were all aiming guns at the Elevator.

"Sorry," Akira said, lowering his pistol.

"No problem, everyone's jumpy right now." Yu said. He had almost thrown a second Morning Star out himself.

Yu and Naoto hung back a moment as the others began to move forward once more. Thankfully, he and Naoto didn't have to put up with the maze of doors that Akira and the others were dealing with. He and Naoto made their way through after Akira unlocked doors.

When they came to a safe room where the Phantom Thieves were at, Yu frowned a moment as he took his seat. "Did you guys… turn into… Mice?" he asked.

Akira groaned. "Please can we drop that?" he asked.

Yu nodded his head a moment as Akira began to pass out the warm curry and coffee for everyone. Yu only took the coffee, taking the moments to sip and restore some warmth to his body. "So it wasn't just us." He said after a moment.

Seeing a mouse version of Naoto with her hat on her head had been… odd to say the least.

"Oracle was not very fond of my puns." Yusuke said as he dug into the curry.

"Nobody is fond of puns." Futaba shot back as she continued tapping information in on her laptop. "We've made a lot of ruckus. We need to be careful continuing on."

"Oh yeah, I think we spotted that 'Cleaner' guy." Ann said, leaning in. "Definitely seems the dangerous type, came after us cause we had been making a mess of things."

Yu grimaced a bit. "Sorry. I might have dropped a Morning Star on some Shadows." he said. The others looked at him with a few askew looks. "Think a Megidolaon on Steroids." he said. At that, there were slow nods of understanding. The group had seen him drop plenty of Megidolaon spells.

"Who's next?" Ryuji asked before taking a deep gulp of coffee.

"We're near the pool, so I would assume this nobleman." Makoto offered. "Does anyone have any idea on how we can approach him and get a letter of recommendation _without_ a fight?"

"Well, my family can trace our lineage back to fairly influential samurai." Yu offered. "Maybe I can convince him I'm wanting to work as protection for Shido or something."

"That's actually pretty clever." Akira said.

"It's worth a shot at least." Makoto agreed. She took a sip of her coffee as she sought to regain her energy.

"Then I suppose it's almost time for the silver tongued devil to get to work." Yu said with a hint of amusement. Not that Akira was much far behind him in that regard, he just had a little bit more experience talking than the younger teen did.

Yu got up and stretched a moment. Despite Izanagi-no-Okami, despite the number of other powers that he had to heal himself, there was still a sort of fatigue that went with being inside the Metaverse. Stretching, food, the coffee or drinks, it all helped to alleviate that. He checked his watch a moment.

"What's the time?" Akira asked.

"Five." Time seemed to move slower within the Metaverse. It felt like they were fighting for hours, but only a short bit of time had passed.

Yu then headed for the door. "Well, I'm going to get to work. Who's coming to watch?" he asked.

Naoto finished her coffee, half throwing it back. "I'm coming with to back you up Senpai." she said and stood up.

The others quickly got up and followed Yu out. He headed down the stairs, noting the patrolling Shadows a moment before he headed towards the bar. He spotted a cognitive version of a person tending to it and walked up to him. "Excuse me a moment." Yu said.

The bartender paused and offered a genial smile. Yu noted he also wore a mask. "Yes Sir, how may I assist you?"

"That gentleman over there," Yu pointed over his shoulder to a man being tended to while lounging in a chair. "What is he drinking?" he asked.

The bartender glanced over and smiled genially. "He's drinking Longquan Daiginjo." The man said. It meant nothing to Yu. He had no doubt that it was an expensive bottle of sake however.

"I would like a bottle please to go introduce myself. And put it on the tab of room 305" Yu said, mustering his confidence. He acted like he belonged.

"Of course Sir." The bartender produced another bottle as well as a receipt. "Please sign here, authorizing the purchase." Yu's eyes raised a bit at the prize as he signed the receipt with a fake name he came up with real quick. A six hundred thousand yen bottle of sake was so far beyond him that he didn't even want to try it.

There were just some things he didn't need to do in life, and trying that expensive of a bottle of sake was one of them.

Yu accepted the bottle and turned away from the bartender. He looked over to the nobleman, for that was who it could only be. The man was the only one being tended to by one of the wait staff. Slowly, Yu straightened his posture up to head towards him. He squared his shoulders and raised his head up. All the lessons of grandparents came back to him. "Excuse me Sir." he said.

The nobleman glanced in Yu's direction and arched a brow. "Can I help you?" he asked. The voice was one of breeding and standing, posh and full of tradition.

"A gift, Sir." Yu said, presenting the bottle with a slight bow. "It is my understanding that you are a man of nobility and standing with Shido."

The man motioned for the waiter to move over and accept the bottle. "Ah, it's good to be appreciated." The man said, leaning back into the chair even more "I am impressed you could afford such a gift."

"I thought it appropriate to offer the best gift that I could afford for one in your standing." Yu said, keeping polite. "I was hoping that you might be able to get me a brief meeting with Shido-san." he explained. "I come from a distinguished line, though not as distinguished as yours, and wish to offer my support to his cause. I wish to honor my ancestors by offering my service as protection for the next Prime Minister."

"Ah!" The fat noble seemed to light up. "Then you can trace your lineage back to the Samurai of old!" he said.

"That's correct, Sir." Yu offered. "Perhaps you've heard of the Narukami family?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I have not, but you hold yourself with a bearing of honor and integrity that cannot be faked." The noble said. "Here, allow me to write a letter of recommendation for you. Lineage is everything! No matter how much effort a commoner exerts, it is a gap that cannot be filled." He turned and grabbed a pen and a pad of paper. He quickly jotted the letter down and signed it. He then tore the page off and offered it over to Yu.

Yu accepted it gratefully with a slight bow. "My deepest appreciation Sir." He said. He turned away and began to step away.

"Is that… Naoto Shirogane?" He heard the fat noble speak as he spotted Naoto. "Mm… After the trouble she has caused us, she deserves to be punished." The man's voice had taken a lecherous tone.

Yu inhaled deeply before he exhaled slowly. "Damn." He muttered. And here had been hoping to make it quick and easy so that he didn't have to make security higher than it was already.

Yu spun around, his sword in his grasp. "Megidolaon!" He crushed the World Tarot card once more and the fat noble was blasted with the forceful Almighty Spell. Despite himself, Yu could not help it whenever Naoto was involved. When his girlfriend was involved, he tended to overreact.

Yakushiji, Naoto's Reflection, Akechi's attack… Yu had a penchant for going overboard towards threats to his girlfriend.

"Senpai!" Naoto came running over, her revolver coming out and taking shots at the now flying Shadow that had once been the former noble as it emerged from the smoke and debris. "What in the world?!" she asked.

"Sorry, sorry!" Yu said, trying to sound contrite. "You know I overreact when it comes to you." he said. He moved in front of Naoto and took the brunt of an attack while his girlfriend took two more shots. Yu threw a Heat Riser on Naoto and turned throwing a few bolts of Ziodyne down.

"We have seriously got to talk about that!" Naoto said as she dodged backwards, falling backwards on purpose as she brought her revolver up. She hit the deck of the ship and pulled the trigger several times.

"Yeah, I know!" Yu said. He brought his arm up as the whale like Shadow breathed out a foul air that surrounded him. It then turned on Naoto and energy seemed to surround her for a moment and she began to shake her head, her eyes glazed slightly. "Amrita!" He dispelled whatever it was on her and watched her eyes focus back on the former noble.

"Ziodyne!" Naoto blasted it with lightning of her own, actually striking it and bringing it down. "Senpai!" she called out.

Yu was already charging up as she threw a Heat Riser on him. He then hammer the creature down with a Ziodyne from Izanagi, causing the Shadow to disperse and it to revert to the form of the fat former nobleman.

"We need to move!" Yu called out to the Phantom Thieves. He held up the letter as Akira came running up and he passed it off as Akira went past.

"Good work! Little sloppy at the end." Akira said as he ran away towards the next set of doors.

"Yeah, yeah!" Yu shook his head. Everyone seemed to want to be on his case, but he had technically succeeded. "I didn't like his tone at the end." And honestly, in Yu's opinion, he should be allowed to be a little protective of Naoto. Just a little bit.

Not that he blamed her for being upset with him either, it was just who she was.

The infiltration continued onwards. Another set of maze like passageways with puzzles involving them turning into mice and crawling through vents was a dizzying experience, even for a veteran like Yu. And while Akira and the others went up to get their fourth letter of recommendation from the IT president, Yu and Naoto stood down below on the deck, keeping watch.

"Hey." Yu said to get Naoto's attention.

"What?" she asked. She was still a little bit snappish from his earlier overreaction. Yu deserved that to some extent. He knew she wasn't helpless.

"We're technically pirates." he said with a bit of an amused sound.

"W-what?" Naoto actually turned to face him rom the direction she was facing.

"What's the textbook definition of piracy?" Yu asked. Seeing her blink slowly, Yu smiled a bit. "The practice of attacking or robbing ships at sea," he said. He saw Naoto get a look of understanding.

"Not… exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to be a pirate." Naoto said with a hint of a blush.

"We need to get you a more ostentatious hat… Captain Shirogane." Yu said amused.

Naoto snorted with amusement before she could stop herself. Yu knew she was trying to remain upset, and failing. He just knew the right buttons to press to get her to lighten up a little bit. "Somehow, I don't think the Phantom Pirates has the right ring to it." she said.

Yu chuckled a little bit. "You know I don't think you're incapable of handling yourself, right?" he asked.

"I know. But this is also not the place for this conversation." Naoto said.

"You're right." Yu said as he glanced up. "I can hear Joker and the others jumping back."

"We've certainly made a right mess of this place, haven't we?" Naoto asked. "The security has been on high alert since we began."

"It was bound to happen." Yu said with a shrug. "Joker's initial assault was a good idea. Of course, it would never have worked in the TV world, but then these Palaces are in a structured order of some kind."

"Not like the dungeons or Mementos." Naoto agreed. It was a nice break, being able to have an actual map of the area and what to expect.

Akira landed down on the deck and he stood up. "One more from the Cleaner." he said. "Anyone got any ideas where he's going to be at?"

"The last place we haven't been to." Naoto pointed over towards the vent that smog was chugging out of.

"Yeah… I thought that too." Akira said. "Alright, Skull, swap with Panther. Noir, swap out with Queen." Akira adjusted his team on just slightly before he headed for the vent. A harsh kick and it was cracked open.

Yu glanced towards Naoto a moment and he hefted his sword. "Want me to stand watch or do you want to?" he asked.

"I have the range." Naoto said as she reloaded her revolver.

Yu nodded and he waited for the Phantom Thieves to climb through before he managed to fit himself inside. It was a tighter fit and going around the corner was a bit difficult. "Joker." he grunted as he got to a vent. "Little help." He couldn't get around the second corner.

"Skull, can you bash this vent down?" Akira asked, glancing up.

"Stand back!" Ryuji called out as he aimed his shotgun up. Yu moved backwards as much as he could before the shotgun sounded twice and the grate fell.

Yu pulled himself through and landed in a roll. It was hardly dignified but he just didn't quite have the flexibility as most of the Phantom Thieves. He was a little taller and a little broader than the rest of them. Naoto however landed in a crouch, examining the area with an almost sense of grace.

"Show off." he told her.

"We'll try to keep the fighting to nice big open areas." Naoto patted him on the arm as she walked ahead, her revolver pointed down.

Yu shook his head and rolled his eyes. But he was glad she was in a better mood. He and Naoto hung back, keeping an eye on the Cleaner, even as Akira and the other maneuvered through the vents once more to come in from above the man.

And, in typical fashion, they had a brief showdown with the man. After which, the man proceeded to leave like nothing had happened

It seemed like it had been going so well too, what with Yusuke painting something to offer the man in way of placating him. But in the end, the man had to be put down as well and they received their fifth letter of recommendation. Akira and the others came out of the door.

"Well, let's find out how well these things work." Akira said as he approached Yu and Naoto.

"I agree." Yu nodded his head.

As a group, they headed up the stairs. It was as they passed under a walkway that Akira paused a moment and turned around, looking up. Yu watched as a figure in white dropped down from the walkway and landed with a slight crouch before raising up, a red mask with a long nose adorning his face.

"There's that sixth sense of yours Joker." Akechi began to move forward. He glanced over the group, pausing momentarily at the sight of Yu and Naoto. "Long time no see."

"Why's he here?" Futaba asked, backing up a bit and moving behind Yu a bit.

"I'm impressed you managed to deceive me." Akechi admitted. "I underestimated all of your abilities. Quiet, but possessing courage and determination to take action." Akechi was boring holes into Akira, staring long and hard. "Then again, I seem to have underestimated my predecessor as well…" He glanced to Naoto for a while before his attention went back to Akira. "You're the only interesting one of the bunch. Under different circumstances, we might have been great rivals, or even close friends."

"It's not too late." Akira offered calmly.

Akechi began to laugh, leaning back and placing his hand onto his forehead. "How wonderful!" he said with a laugh. "You don't allow yourself to be enslaved by human relations or past selves…" Akechi shook his head, smiling. Though, to Yu, it looked almost cruel. "As such, your heart is always free. The exact opposite of mine. I'm envious, truly. It is a shame we could not have met a few years earlier, Akira."

Akira bowed his head a moment, glancing down slightly.

"But it's no use talking in hypotheticals. It didn't happen." Akechi's tone hardened up significantly.

"Akechi, why are you cooperating with Shido?" Makoto asked. "Look around you-"

"Cooperating?" Akechi turned his gaze to Makoto and the intensity of his look actually made her take a step back. "I don't give a damn about Shido, or this country. All I want is for Masayoshi Shido, my father, acknowledge me. Then, I will exact my revenge upon him."

Well there was a bombshell, Shido being Akechi's father.

"Shido's… your father?" Yusuke asked stunned.

"I remember that conversation." Akira said softly. "What you said…"

"My very existence is a political scandal." Akechi said. "I was born a cursed child, and then my mother died. By then, he was already a high ranking official with enough clout to suppress anything I said." Akechi put a hand on his hip. "But that's when I learned about the cognitive world!" Akechi threw his hands to the side and looked up. "Someone, be it God or Demon, gave me a chance! I couldn't contain my laughter!" Akechi began to laugh again. "I removed people's evil from this world! They would have done the same in this eat or be eaten world! How am I any different than the Phantom Thieves?!"

"We're not murderers!" Ann decried his relation to them vehemently.

But they could have been. Yu's inhaled deeply and took a step forward towards Akira.

"Shido is finally within my grasp." Akechi said, not realizing Yu was moving forward. "I will let him get to the apex of power, make him acknowledge me, and then I will whisper in his ear who I really am! I will rule over him, I will prevail!" Akechi declared. "In just a few weeks, my plan would have come to fruition! But you had to interfere!" Akechi's eyes bore into Akira, not realizing the danger that Yu represented.

Akechi took a deep breath to calm himself, just a touch. "Leave. And never return to the Metaverse. This is your only chance to save yourself from me. Go into hiding and I will not pursue."

"I won't do that. You know I won't do that." Akira said, taking a half step forward and reaching for his knife.

"Then you will die!" Akechi said maniacally.

"He sure talks tough, but he's nothing but a child throwing a temper tantrum!" Morgana said, moving to take his place beside Akira, saber at the ready. Yu was surprised at how similar it sounded to when Yukiko had torn into Adachi about how he had lived his life.

Akira was about to move forward to do battle with Akechi when Yu stuck his arm out and planted a hand on Akira's chest, pushing him back just a little bit. He could see the motion got Akechi's attention and Akira was looking at him. "Leave this one to me." Yu said.

"But-" Akira said.

"Joker." Yu said, his tone tight and angry. "He has no intention of repenting for his crimes. He has no intention of letting this go without a fight. He. Hurt. Naoto." Yu said, his teeth grit. "I will give you Shido in that regard. You have a higher claim to him than I could claim." Shido might have ordered the hit on Naoto, but he had destroyed Akira's life. "Give. Me. Akechi."

Akechi had been the one to pull the proverbial trigger.

Akira looked long and hard at Yu a moment before he nodded his head. He let go of his knife and nodded again. "Fine. He's all yours." Akira said. "But… Don't kill him." Yu looked at Akira sharply. He knew he was treading a dangerous line there. "Look, I think… I think I'm starting to understand Akechi. He's my Justice Arcana." Akira said softly. "And most importantly, how can I let my friend become a murderer?"

Yu grit his teeth and shook his head. But he inhaled. "FIne." he said. "Fine. I won't kill him if I can't help it." He said.

"Senpai." Naoto said, her tone one that Yu wasn't sure he had heard before. He glanced towards her and saw her lips set in a firm line.

"Naoto." Yu said. "Will you let me have this?" he asked her. He saw her stiffen up and her posture was turning to one of anger. "I'm just so damned angry." He admitted. "I want to do this for me. Because he hurt you. I want to do this because I'm selfish. It's not that I think you can't handle him. I know you can take him with an arm tied behind your back. But I want to beat this smug prick because he hurt you." And that was not something Yu could tolerate.

Naoto watched him, clearly regarding his words before nodding her head. 'Then he is all yours, Senpai." She said. Her tone was almost encouraging, though as neutral as she could manage at the same time.

It was just her demeanor. Worry and fear came with injuries. Yu nodded his head in return and inhaled. He knew his proud girlfriend would hate it, possibly him, for thinking she couldn't take care of herself. He knew he had to tell her that this was for him. It was for him. It was because he was furious with Akechi. It was because he was on the verge of losing self control.

Had Akira managed to talk him down, Yu might have tried letting it go. But Akira didn't, and so Akechi wanted a fight.

Yu took a few steps forward and balanced his sword on his shoulder a moment as Akechi focused on him, sneering a moment. "If you want Joker and the rest, you'll have to go through me. But you'll find that's no easy task." he said.

"Fine, you'll be a nice warm up. And they can enjoy the despair that will come with knowing my powers." Shadows appeared behind Akechi, one of a lion and the other of a spear wielding man. "Kill him!" Akechi said. "Call of Chaos!"

The Shadows went to a very dark red, looking very similar to how Magatsu Izanagi looked. The lion leaped at Yu while the spear wielding Shadow came charging in. Yu lowered his sword down to his usual stance and moved forward. At the last moment, he dodged to the side and slashed outwards, slicing through the lion and causing it to fall apart into ash. The spear wielder spun the spear around before coming down into a sharp jab.

Yu brought his sword down low as he finished the initial swing and put his left hand on bottom of the tsuka of his blade. He turned to the right just a little bit to dodge the spear before he thrust his sword forward with both hands, driving it up into the throat of the Shadow, severing its head.

Yu then stood up and looked at Akechi who was looking at him with furious disbelief. "Give. Me. Your. Worst." Yu said. "And don't lie to me."He reached out and shifted his Persona.

Akechi sneered, clearly not taking Yu seriously in his madness. In his state, he only saw Akira as the real threat. He didn't understand the danger that Yu represented. Akechi moved forward, his saber coming out for a thrust.

Strike One.

Yu dodged to the side and brought his sword down so the edge was against Akechi's sword wielding hand. He then kicked the other teen hard in the stomach forcing him back and dropping the handle to his sword as the sword cut through Akechi's hand deeply.

Yu stepped forward and kicked the handle to the side, sending it somewhere below the grate, bouncing around one or twice before clattering elsewhere. "I'm about to be a Second Dan in Kendo in a few weeks. You're an amateur with a sword. Try again. Try harder."

Akechi moved to pull his gun. Yu was faster. "Ziodyne!" The bolt of lightning destroyed the toy. He had dealt with far too many Shadows wielding guns, and Adachi for that matter, for a draw to take him off guard.

Strike two.

Akechi had a dangerous look in his eyes now, fury building with condescension. He believed himself to be Yu's better. "Robin Hood! Kougaon!"

Yu inhaled as he moved out of the way of the Holy Attack. Akechi was still lying to him, still giving him less than his absolute worst.

Strike Three.

"Many Myriad's True Words!" Izanagi-no-Okami rose up as his card was crushed and he proceeded to blast Akechi with the strongest attack in Yu's arsenal. He heard a few gasps. While the others had in fact seen Izanagi-no-Okami a time or two, they had never actually seen the Many Myriad's True Words with the exception of Akira.

Blood splattered as Akechi dropped to the floor. Blood stained the white coat he wore as he lay there, unmoving.

Yu swapped to a different Persona. "Samarecarm." Yu crushed Ishtar's card and watched his Persona go over to Akechi and touch upon his shoulder briefly. Akechi coughed up blood, his body jerking back to life as he came to. "Now that you know what will happen if you lie to me again," Yu said. "Give. Me. Your. Worst. Do I make myself understood?"

Akechi wiped the blood off his mouth. "Transparently." His tone was tight, furious, but focused. He finally understood how dangerous Yu was.

Good, it would mean kicking his ass would be that much sweeter.

Chapter End

 **A/N: So, yeah, Akechi underestimated Yu. Which is a bad idea. A very, very, very bad idea.**

 **Anyways, enjoy!**


	45. Chapter 44: The Setup

Chapter 44: The Setup

"Then you will die!" Akechi prepared himself for the coming fight, inhaling deeply and his hand reaching for the handle of his beam saber. He mentally prepared himself to summon some Shadows to harass the Phantom Thieves while he went after Akira personally.

"He sure talks tough, but he's nothing but a child throwing a temper tantrum!" The cat's words served to further infuriate Akechi. He had offered Akira an out and his generous offer had been spat on. He would not be making a second offer. He just wanted Akira to take that step forward, to prove he was committed to the fight at hand.

The silver haired teen held his hand out and put it to Akira's chest pushing him back slightly. Akechi's mind snapped to the action. He barely recognized the person. Some… Samurai wanna be dressed in a pair of slacks and a professional looking dress shirt. He wore a white duster with his sword held in one hand. "Leave this one to me." He said.

Akechi's fury further incensed. He thought himself capable of handling him? Some… fool that couldn't even summon a Persona? Someone that was even more of a no name than Akira was? He likely had been riding the coattails of Akira and the other Phantom Thieves.

"But-" Akira turned to face the other teen. Yes, come… come. Akira was the only one he wanted to fight.

"Joker." The older teen's voice held barely restrained fury. "He has no intention of repenting for his crimes. He has no intention of letting this go without a fight. He. Hurt. Naoto." And so her boyfriend was coming in to play white knight. It made Akechi wonder what the useless woman was doing with the group then. "I will give you Shido in that regard. You have a higher claim to him than I could claim. Give. Me. Akechi."

Like Akechi was a second place prize to be had versus Shido. He grit his teeth, hand clenching the handle of his beam saber a little tighter.

Akira tucked his knife away after a long moment. "Fine. He's all yours." Akechi would insure that he destroyed Akira for this insult. He would kill the Phantom Thieves. Then he would destroy Sojiro Sakura's life, Sae Niijima's life, even go to Akira's hometown to go after his mother. "But… Don't kill him." The sharp look the older teen gave Akira matched Akechi's fury. But what Akira said next, Akechi couldn't catch. It was spoke low and turned halfway to the older teen to hide his mouth more.

"FIne." The older teen said after a moment of hesitation. "Fine. I won't kill him if I can't help it." As though Akechi wasn't a threat to him. Akechi wanted to just assault them all, make them come after him in force to prove his superiority. But if Akira wanted to send one of his friends in to die first, then Akechi would oblige it.

"Senpai." Naoto spoke up loud enough that Akechi had heard.

"Naoto, will you let me have this?" The older teen asked. Like he needed permission to go play white knight. Like the useless woman's opinion mattered. They just heaped insult upon insult onto Akechi. His hand trembled with his rage. "I'm just so damned angry. I want to do this for me. Because he hurt you. I want to do this because I'm selfish. It's not that I think you can't handle him. I know you can take him with an arm tied behind your back. BUt I want to beat this smug prick because he hurt you."

Her? Take him? It was a laughable concept. He could shoot her before she got a draw on him, or he could use his Persona to cut her down before she could react. While the shock factor would have long since worn off, she didn't have a Persona of her own to protect herself with. He seethed at the insult.

"Then he is all yours." Naoto Shirogane seemingly dismissed Akechi as a threat.

Why? Why?! What was so great about this wannabe samurai that everyone was disregarding him as a threat? He would kill him, decapitate him. A little messier than he liked, but it would get everyone's attention and prove himself the better.

The older teen stepped forward and balanced his sword on his shoulder. "If you want Joker and the rest, you'll have to go through me. But you'll find that's no easy task."

Akechi inhaled and summoned the Shadow he expected. "Fine. You'll be a nice warm up. And they can enjoy the despair that will come with knowing my power!" The lion and spear wielding Shadow formed. "Kill him!" Akechi roared out as he tapped into the power that both Robin and Loki had. "Call of Chaos!"

It was a bit of a double edged sword. It made the Persona stronger, but made them more susceptible to damage.

The Shadows turned that deep blood red color before the lion leaped in a mindless rage. The Spear wielder charged forward. The silver haired teen lowered the sword into a preferred stance and dashed forward. At the last second, he dodged to the side and slashed outwards, letting the lion's moment cut it through and causing it to fall apart. The spear wielder spun the spear before it came down with a sharp jab.

The older teen slid his left foot back, turning to the left side. The spear struck the ground and the wannabe Samurai drove his katana up, and through the throat, severing the head. He then stood up casually. "Give. Me. Your. Worst." He said. "And Don't lie to me." His right hand flicked out and Akechi watched some form of blue card shift through the air and fade.

His worst? No. Loki was deserved only by one. Akechi moved forward with his sword. He moved in for a sharp and swift thrust. But the older teen dodged to the side, using the barest of movements. He then put the edge of his katana against Akechi's gloved hand and delivered a hard kick to Akechi's stomach.

Akechi hissed as he moved backwards, staring at the blood welling up from the cut. It was a minor injury, and he had the medicine to cover it in his briefcase. But it had forced him to drop his beam saber. The older teen stepped forward and kicked the handle to the side.

Akechi heard it bounce twice before settling with a clatter. "I'm about to be a Second Dan in Kendo in a few weeks. You're an amateur with a sword. Try again. Try harder."

His fury threatened to spill over him as he was insulted like that. Akechi shook and trembled with anger. So the wannabe actually did know how to use a sword. There was a good three meters between them now, and Akechi didn't need to use his sword. Akechi was curious how much he'd run his mouth with a hole in his chest.

He went for his gun. He had it drawn and brought up, just about aimed. "Ziodyne!" The bolt of lightning shattered the toy gun. Akechi noticed the fading blue card once more and he narrowed his eyes. A Persona then. So the older teen hadn't been as useless as Akechi had first surmised. And it meant that he had range as well.

But it didn't matter. Akechi's fury would see him through, he had been insulted too many times. He was on the cusp of victory. And Loki was solely reserved for Akira. "Robin Hood!" Akechi yanked the mask from his face. "Kougaon!"

The older teen bent his legs and inhaled before dodging at the last second as the holy energy spiked through the metal grating like it was barely there.

The blue card came up, a dismissive look on his foe's face. "Many Myriad's True Words!" He crushed the card in his hands. Akechi braced himself as his Persona rose up. It wore a white suit under a long white duster. A long blade held in its hand, truly a reflection of its user. The energy built along the circular guard of the blade before lashing out.

Akechi had no time to dodge. It just… hit him. Pain like nothing else ripped through him and he collapsed to the ground. Warmth spread across the front of his body. Pain. He was in so much pain. And in the fading light, he could see the red staining the white of his uniform. Blood? He… was… bleeding?

No… He wasn't bleeding. He was… dying. The light continued fading from his visions. How? How could he die here? He didn't want to die when he was so close to accomplishing his goal.

Suddenly the light came back and air came back to his lungs. He coughed blood up, his body jerking his eyes opening and looking up at the other Persona user who still held a passive look on his face. "Now that you know what will happen if you lie to me again, GIve. Me. Your. Worst. Do I make myself understood?"

Akechi wiped the blood from his mouth that he coughed up. "Transparently." Akechi said. He could recognize that feeling, deep in the pit of his stomach. Fear, fear for the worst. Fear for his life. Akechi brought one foot up and dragged himself up.

He flexed both hands. They were fine. Better than fine even. It was like the damage to them had never happened.

Akechi turned to face the other Persona user again. His eyes cut to the passive looking form of Naoto Shirogane. No doubt, then, that she could also command one. It had to have something to do with the cards that Akechi had seen fade from existence.

He clenched his hand, feeling the tremble in them. It had been a while since he remembered fear. Since he thought of it. Since he felt it. And yet, in one fell swoop, this no named individual had made him feel that icy grip upon his heart once more. The last time he had felt it, he had been sucked into Mementos for the first time and about to be attacked by Shadows. He had summoned Loki then.

Now it was time to summon Loki once more.

He wasn't afraid of Akira. He wasn't afraid of Shido. But the man in front of him, Akechi could legitimately say he was afraid of. Never before had he been so completely outmaneuvered, out played. Never before had he been so thoroughly toyed with.

If he was honest, he wasn't even certain if Loki could stand up to the might of that white garbed Persona.

But with fear came clarity. Clarity came with resolve. Resolve brought strength.

Akechi reached up for his mask. "You want my worst?" He asked. The white coat was stained with his blood, seeped with it even. "Then you will have it." He tore at the red mask and his outfit turned completely black. The closed faced mask formed around his face, the visor letting him see through to the older teen. "Rise, Loki!" Akechi held his arms out and let his Persona come up in front of him.

Seeing the horned Persona with its flaming blade and covered in a black and white striped suit brought a sense of readiness to Akechi. It brought him strength. He could still win this fight, and once he had, once he had shown that this opponent in front of him was no match for his cunning, then he could say fully that he was victorious.

And it would make beating Akira easier. No doubt the silver haired teen was the superior of the two. Why he deferred to Akira, Akechi couldn't say. But it would demoralize Akira to know that this fool would fall against Akechi.

Eyes narrowed at Akechi. Despite himself, Akechi braced, ready for the same attack to come once more. "That's it?" Anger ignited once more in the young Detective at the tone being used, as though Loki was no great threat. "That… is your best?" The older teen shook his head. "How… disappointing. If you're going to summon a Persona, make sure your opponent doesn't have it too." His hand came up and Akechi watched as it changed. He barely made out the tarot card being that of the Fool. "Loki." The card was crushed.

Akechi was taken aback by the sight of the Persona that rose up. Large bat like wings and long blonde hair with dark blue skin. It offered a cruel smirk, as though revelling in Akechi's surprise. How? It made no sense! It was illogical.

And then the other 'Loki' swooped in.

Loki rushed its counterpart with its blade, swinging it furiously. But the other Loki dodged out of the way and snapped its fingers, ice blasting at Akechi's Loki. He grunted as pain filled his body from his Loki being hit. It was certainly a new experience, to feel the Persona being damaged.

And then the silver haired teen was coming in. He had apparently forgone his sword, and Akechi was struck with a harsh punch to the stomach. He stumbled back a moment before he moved to fight back. He had to win, he had to fight. This wasn't something that he could ignore, not something he could sit back and let Loki take over.

No, this was a fight for his very life and as it turned into a drawn out drag down, brawl, Akechi realized he was outmatched. He was a cyclist in his free time. His body was lean, built more for long distances quickly. This other Persona User in front of him, he had admitted to practicing Kendo. His arms were more built, his strikes hit harder. Even if he wasn't as skilled in hand to hand fighting, he still had that additional strength over Akechi.

Akechi saw the look on Akira's face as he managed to disengage for a brief moment. He looked at the look on the silver haired teen's face. "Why… Are you looking at me like that?" He snarled before rushing back in. "I've succeeded all on my own! Teammates are bullshit! There's nothing righteous or just in this world!" He ducked under a swing and slammed his fist into the other teen's stomach. He got a hammer like blow to his sternum for his trouble. "What makes you so damned special!? Why are you so powerful?!"

He kept trying to fight, but he was up against a foe he wasn't ready for. A quick flick of his hand and the other Loki changed into a samurai with two swords. Akechi then had his jaw rattled as a knee was brought up as his head forced down to meet it. And as he reeled from it, a strong uppercut laid him out.

And as he laid there, breathing hard and heavy, Akechi could only stare up at the ceiling.

"Hey, you done?" Ryuji actually sounded upset.

"I know.' Akechi's body ached from all the heavy hits. "I've had enough." He breathed hard as he tried to force himself up to his knees. His pride would not allow him to lay there like that. "You're lucky… to have teammates who acknowledge you." He spoke bitterly, even as he stood up onto his feet. He glared at Akira, hating him even then. "And once Shido confesses his crimes, you'll be heroes."

And Akechi would be thrown away like yesterday's trash at best. At worst, Shido was going to drag all of them down with him.

In the end… Goro Akechi would be no one special.

He spotted as the others took a surprised step back and he turned to look over his shoulder. Akechi's eyes went wide as he watched a cognitive version of himself walking up. That surprise turned to understanding as a gun was pulled. "I will deal with the rest of you later." The cognitive version said before turning to look at Akechi. "Captain Shido's orders. He has no need for losers. Then again, it only moves the plan up a little bit. He was going to get rid of you after the election."

That bastard… somehow Akechi had known that Shido was going to do that. He didn't move, mind racing as he thought about what he could do. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at a control panel. He could rush the cognitive version. He'd probably get shot in the process, then he'd shoot the control panel, enacting an emergency shut down.

And letting Akira and the others escape. It would likely mean his death, but Shido would fall as well. His legs tensed, ready to move at the right moment.

"I mean, did you really think you'd be spared after all the murders you committed? But of course, you were feeling good about having someone rely on you for once." The cognitive version said. "The Captain says this is retribution for the mental shutdowns."

"The Hell!?" Ryuji shouted. "That bastard's the one that put him up to it!"

Akechi chuckled as he stood a little straighter. He'd have to be ready for the pain of the bullet. "I was wondering how he was going to stop me from running rampant through his Palace. So he sends a puppet to kill me, it definitely fits his MO."

"That's right." The Cognition said. "I'll do anything. But of course, you're nothing but a puppet. You wanted to be acknowledged, loved."

"This is how Shido views Akechi?" Makoto asked. "It's horrible."

"It's not too late." Haru's voice cut across in a bit of a surprise. She was the one that had been hurt by Akechi the most. "We can still change his heart together, even if… No, _because_ he's your father."

"What's all this nagging about?" Akechi's cognitive copy said. "You want I should start with you?" Four Shadows appeared from the ground.

And the silver haired swordsman took a half step back, assessing the situation. He was past the door that would close. It was now or never for Akechi.

A booming retort sounded out and Akechi flinched, expecting to have just been shot before he could put his plan into motion. The gun being held pointed at him blasted away, ruining the hand holding it in a shower of blood and gore.

Measured footsteps sounded on the grate as a second shot rang out, taking the cognitive version in the knee. A third shot took him in the other knee. Akechi could only stare, eyes wide as Naoto Shirogane marched up, firing the revolver with almost marksman precision.

One of the Shadows lunged for her and she smashed a tarot card that suddenly appeared in her hands. A massive glyph appeared on the ground and glowing white light erupted before the four Shadows were destroyed instantly.

Naoto then put her revolver to the cognitive copy of him, and blew its head off with a steady pull of the trigger. She then turned, holding the revolver up, aimed at his head coldly.

"Scientist?" Akira asked hesitantly, it was the only time he had seen Akira pause.

"You disgust me." Naoto said. "That we are anything alike… it baffles the mind. I cannot understand you in any fathomable manner, Goro Akechi. That our Persona are alike as well, your Robin Hood and my Yamato-Sumeragi…" She shook her head minutely, never taking her eyes off of Akechi. "You obtained a powerful ability, and you used it for selfish desires instead of actually seeking your own justice, your own truth. You sought to make a name for yourself. You _obsessed_ over it like a child." Her words sounded bitter and like ash, and Akechi couldn't help but feel the stinging retort of what she said. "They, they are fools." She motioned to the Phantom Thieves.

"Dude… What?" Ryuji asked.

And out of the corner of his eye, Akechi could see many of them looking at Naoto like she was a stranger in their midst.

"They seek to give you redemption. But you, you have no desire for it. You seek to carve out your own rules to live by, not the rules of others." Naoto said.

"Then do what they don't have the spine to do." Akechi said. "You know I will continue to go after them, that I will do everything in my power to continue seeking them."

"No." Naoto said bluntly. "I could do as you say. There's still a round left in the cylinder, and no one will trace your disappearance back to me. But you serve us better alive. Senpai if you'd please?"

Akechi felt something hit him in the back of the neck and darkness rose to greet him as he fell flat on his face.

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto holstered her revolver as she looked at the fallen form of Goro Akechi. She could see the others staring at her and Yu, looking between them like they had never seen them before. Yu swapped from Yoshitsune to Ishtar to use a quick healing on both himself and Akechi.

"What just happened?" Makoto asked, concerned and almost looking ready for a fight.

Yu grabbed Akechi and hauled him up onto his shoulders, carrying him like a large sack of rice. "You guys finish the infiltration, Scientist and I are going to carry this guy out." Yu said.

"I am so confused!" Akira actually shouted. "The fuck is going on with you two?" he asked. "You beat his ass bare knuckled, she marches forward, blasting the cognitive version and nuking the Shadows, points her gun at Akechi, and then you knock his ass out?! What the Hell?"

Akira seemed to have finally snapped. Naoto inhaled a moment and walked up towards him. She could see the others tense. She supposed that her actions had been suspect. She reached up and open handed smacked Akira. "Snap it together, Joker." She said.

"Huh?" Akira managed out intelligently.

"Do you honestly think that Shido's backers, Shido's followers, Shido's partners, are going to simply let him confess?" Naoto asked.

"Are you saying that this would be for nothing?" Yusuke asked.

"I'm saying there would be a massive cover up." Naoto said. "The police, police that can be trusted to do the right thing, have evidence against Shido and a number of other people. But Goro Akechi's testimony can also be used in this situation as further proof. He'll know the people that weren't so obvious in Shido's pocket."

She could see the gears in Akira's head moving through his dark eyes. "Do you really think he'd testify?"

"Even if he doesn't, the police will have his phone. Phone records, text messages, browsing history, pictures, memos to himself, the police will have everything." Naoto watched as Akira began to start to really get it. Without Akechi, all of what they were doing would be for nothing.

"So that's why you had me scrub certain pieces of information." Futaba said, bringing her hands up to her mouth.

Naoto nodded her head. "Yosuke once told Adachi to 'Live and face your punishment, because that's how it works in our world.' That's all I'm planning here." She said, glancing to the form of Akechi on Yu's shoulders. "I'll call the right people, make sure his arrest is done quietly."

"Sis is going to have to recuse herself." Makoto said. "They worked too closely for her to adequately prosecute him, but I'll let her know as soon as we're out so that she can find someone trustworthy too."

"No need, I'll make the call myself." Naoto said. "After all, I have Sae-san's number as well."

"I'm sure you would find that option preferable as well." Yu said, clearly looking at Akira. "Maybe not the best option, but… he lives. He doesn't just vanish with no body for someone to mourn over."

"It doesn't feel right." Akira said, clenching his hands into a fist.

"No, it doesn't." Yu said. "I remember hauling Adachi on my shoulder like this, beaten half black and blue. He was quiet. Too quiet for the usual almost comedic Adachi. I hated how it turned out, as I'm sure you hate how this turned out."

Akira glanced away. "Damn it, how many lives must Shido ruin?" He asked.

Naoto sighed softly. "I'll call in a personal favor and have Akechi carefully put into protective custody as well." She said. Dojima had been the one to do it for Adachi, she can do it for Akechi for Akira's sake. "Now go, we still have work to do."

"You're right." Akira said and turned. "Queen, Fox, Noir, with me!" he said before he took off into a run. Naoto watched as the others hesitated a moment before they began to follow after Akira, some of them glanced towards Akechi, clearly wondering what it was that they had planned.

"Senpai," Naoto began, turning to look at Yu. "Are we doing the right thing with this?" she asked.

"Right is… subjective." Yu admitted. "We could argue and say we're saving his life with this all we want, but you and I both know that if the justice system finds him guilty, he's not going to have a future. There's also the possibility that the justice system lets him off. This," He took his hand off of Akechi's belt to motion around them. "Is so screwy that I'm having flashbacks to some of the worst of the TV world. I don't like it."

Naoto nodded her head. She didn't like it either. "At the very least, we can say that he will be tried accordingly." Naoto said. "That is more than he had given his other victims." She turned and emptied her revolver. She slotted another speed loader in and took point while Yu carried their captive for the time being.

AS they got to the entrance of the cruiser, Naoto turned to watch as Yu came out, still carrying Akechi on his shoulders. They had encountered minimal resistance on the way out,with Akira and the others seemingly raising more problems for the rest of the Palace.

It was something Naoto was grateful for. It made the next step easier.

"I'll go out and make the call." Naoto said. "Wait five minutes before coming out with me, and find his phone before we get out, I don't want Akechi waking up and breaking it before we can turn it into the Police. Also, you'll be making an anonymous call to the police with Akechi's location."

Yu nodded his head. "Be safe." He told her. His concern was touching, and Naoto knew she had a risky job. Even still, she was confident they could pull it off.

She pulled her phone out and left the Palace, glancing around the area a moment before she ducked into the alleyway a little more, tucking her gear away into her small pack. She then pulled her phone out and started with calling Sae.

" _Niijima here."_ Sae answered on the second ring.

"Niijima-san, it's Shirogane." Naoto said. "We have Akechi, and we need a trustworthy prosecutor. We want to do this by the books."

" _And I'll have to recuse myself from the trial. Alright Shirogane-san, let me take a few moments to do some research, I'll call you back. Is this number acceptable?"_ Sae's voice sounded focused and ready to bring the full weight of the law down on Akechi.

"Yes, this number works. I have another phone call to make as well." Naoto then hung up, leaving Sae to go about her research into who they could get to take the case.

After all, if they got some sympathizer with Shido, then there was a good chance that they would drag or mismanage the prosecution. And a solid defense attorney would be more than readily available to Akechi.

She quickly pulled out her work phone and punched a number in quickly. She leaned her back against the wall, glancing about a little bit more. It was answered on the fourth ring. " _Ah, shit!"_ Despite herself, Naoto's lips quirked into a bit of a smirk. The Detective in question was a klutz. ' _Detective Fujimura speaking."_

"Fujimura-san, it's Shirogane. You spilled coffee on yourself again, didn't you?" Naoto asked, her voice rife with amusement. She dipped her tone to a low whisper, turning serious. "How goes the investigation?"

" _Ah… geez. Look, Shirogane-san, I want to be able to tell you more, but you know I can't. Honestly, we're getting a bit stonewalled by brass, making us drag our feet."_ Fujimura lowered his voice considerably.

"You're about to receive an anonymous tip regarding the psychotic breakdowns." Naoto said quietly. "The suspect in question I want taken into protective custody and under suicide watch. We got Akechi."

" _Wait, what?!"_ Fujimura's voice dipped back down. " _You're telling me,"_

" _I'm_ telling you nothing." Naoto said firmly. "Nothing you don't already know if you've already thoroughly looked through the packet I sent you, and we both know you already have." Silence on the other end told Naoto all she needed to know.

" _What happened?"_ The sort of lackadaisical, laid back demeanor was changed to much sharper, much more focused clarity.

"I can't tell you that either Fujimura-san." Naoto said.

" _You know, you make it damned difficult to work with you from time to time."_ Fujimura said.

"You're not the first person to tell me that." Naoto said, a bit more admittingly than she liked. But it wasn't like she could honestly tell him that she had been working with the Phantom Thieves for a time, and that she had used that connection to help capture Akechi.

Having a tin ear certainly didn't help either.

" _Alright, I'll see what I can do."_ Fujimura said. " _Make it quick Shirogane."_ He said just as the line went dead.

Naoto sighed and lowered the phone away from her ear. She watched as Yu seemed to just appear with Akechi on his shoulder. Yu held his hand out, holding out Akechi's phone. "It isn't even locked, and it appears that either he recorded meetings with Shido, or Futaba put the recordings onto his phone."

'Possibly as a means of blackmailing Shido once Shido had got to the height of his power." Naoto said as she carefully took the phone from her boyfriend. "You're going to call a Detective Tomokazu Fujimura." She passed over her phone to Yu. "I have his number already in my phone. Anonymously tell him where Akechi will be."

Yu nodded his head and set to work, calling the person in question. He kept his statement brief, simply a location and where the perpetrator of the mental shutdowns was going to be at. And that an ambulance would be needed. From there, they used Akechi's belt to tie his hands up and leave him where would be picked up by the ambulance, moving Akechi away from the spot the Phantom Thieves would come out.

And to be even more damning, Naoto set the recordings up on Akechi's phone to play out, letting his words ring out where he couldn't get to it. Particularly, he talked about 'killing' the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

Naoto brushed her hands off and looked at everything. "You made sure to wipe things down the way I told you to, right?" she asked. Yu nodded his head.

Together, the couple left, heading for the train station so that they could go home together. Everything else was in the hands of the officers in charge. It might seem cruel what they did, but they had to think of a way to bring down Shido and his conspirators.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira sighed a bit as he thought about the current situation. Akechi had been picked up and was in custody, protective custody, to keep him from being killed or from committing suicide. He was apparently not cooperating with the police in the slightest, despite an overwhelming amount of evidence against him.

Akira didn't know what the former Ace Detective was playing at or planning, and honestly he didn't want to know. Maybe it was a ploy to wait for freedom, maybe it was a ploy to actually get at Shido. Akira wasn't certain, and unfortunately he had to keep looking forward to the future.

They were so close. Shido… Akira clenched his fist tight as he thought about the man. What he had done, what he was doing, it was ruining so many people. Akira couldn't let that continue. He was a victim as much as other people, but for Akira he had no intention of rolling over and staying a victim.

It was as Yu had told him once, he wouldn't know how far he could go unless he got back up and climbed again.

Now, now Akira felt like he was getting close to catching up to the Fool of the World. Arsene had even said it was soon time. Time for what though? What did his Persona know? Akira sighed a bit and held his hand up as he looked at the stars above, as though he could reach out to some unknown force that would have all the answers. His hand cradled the moon in his palm…

"Bad time?" Akira was jolted up from his musing. Speaking of the Moon, he saw Yuki Mishima walking up and sitting on the railing near Akira.

"Not at all Mishima. What's up?" Akira placed his arms on his thighs and sat forward, watching the other boy.

"I've just been thinking. Coming to this park helps, ya know?" Mishima said, glancing in Akira's direction. "Lotta trails to walk, peaceful. Helps get me inspired for the book."

Yeah, Mishima's book about the Phantom Thieves. Honestly, Akira wished him the best of luck in writing it. He just didn't want any connection to it.

Mishima looked out towards the trees. "And I've been thinking about what Akiyama-kun said. How I've changed…" He leaned forward a bit. "I can't explain it. I couldn't run away when I saved him. It was like my feet were made of lead. Honestly, I was terrified standing up to those guys. So, I've been thinking about why that may have been…"

"DId you find your answer then?" Akira asked as he shifted on the railing he was sitting on to better look at Mishima.

"Honestly, I was pretty desperate then." Mishima shook his head. "I can't remember much. It was all a blur, my heart was racing pretty hard. But I think… somewhere in the back of my head, I was thinking about you. What would you do in that situation?" Mishima looked up at the moon overhead a bit. "I mean, you put your life on the line to stop Kamoshida and probably other villains too. I was so sure that there was something that I could do."

"Congratulations, you figured out what courage was." Akira said.

"Ha, I was only acting out of fear you know." Mishima turned to look to Akira, scratching the back of his head with a bit of a sheepish grin.

"Courage isn't about not having fear, but instead being able to act despite those fears." Akira said. He inhaled a little bit. "I'm always afraid I'll make a bad decision, you know?" He opened up to Mishima. "That one of my friends will get hurt. That my teammates won't come back from a job and it'll be my fault. But I have to swallow that fear and keep going."

And now, just recently, despite what Akechi had done, he was essentially not going to be coming back. And it was Akira's fault. Akechi had descended into madness, and indeed had seemed like he had no issues with being in that state, but Akira felt it was somewhat his fault. That if he maybe tried harder, done something that just maybe…

He didn't excuse what Akechi had done. But it still hurt to see someone that he was that close to go down that path. No doubt it was very similar to what Yu had dealt with and come to terms with in regards to Adachi.

It didn't make it right. It just made it what it was.

Mishima stood up and tucked his hands into his pockets. "You know, I always wanted to change." he said and Akira turned to give him his full attention once more. "I wanted to go from a dull nobody everyone messes with to a world-renowned hero." Mishima said, looking up at the moon again. "But you helped me realize something important," Mishima turned to look at Akira. "Heroes aren't heroes 'cause they're famous, it's cause they fight for other people." Akira nodded his head as Mishima turned slightly. "Looking back on it, what I really wanted to change was the weak me. The me on the volleyball team that would let wrongdoings go unpunished, even though I knew it was unjust. The cowardly me that would look the other way when I knew people needed help."

Mishima was quiet a while and he sat down on the railing again, placing his forearms on his legs and leaning forward a bit. "Tell me the truth." He said, finally looking to Akira. "I only changed because you stole my heart, didn't you?" There was no real heat in the accusation, just a simple curious question asked.

Akira looked back on that moment. Where he and the others had gone into Mementos and he had ended up listening to the woes of Mishima's Shadow alone. Did he really perform a change of heart on Mishima? "You know what my earliest memory of you is Mishima?" Akira asked.

"No, not really." Mishima looked surprised at the question.

"It was of you getting beamed in the face with a volleyball by Kamoshida." Akira said bluntly. He saw Mishima wince at that.

"Not my greatest moment." He groused under his breath.

"No, it wasn't." Akira agreed readily. "But you've also had worse moments, some of which I was there to witness." He shook his head. "I never really did apologize, to anyone, for waiting so long on Kamoshida like that. We were so worried that what we were going to do could kill him. But… after Shiho-san… our minds were made up and we resolved ourselves to doing what needed done." He and Ryuji and Morgana could have done more. Maybe they would have been successful, maybe not, but they could have done more.

Akira looked to Mishima a moment. "The point is, that you have changed a lot from that day." He said. "I've noticed it, Ryuji's noticed it, Ann's noticed it, even Sensei has noticed it. You don't need to think about what I would do in any given situation Mishima, you already know what to do. You know to do the right thing. Yeah, you're going to take a couple licks from time to time from bullies with nothing better to do. Between you and I, I almost died doing this whole… business. Twice." Probably more than that, but Akira figured counting what happened in Futaba's Palace and then Akechi's planned assassination would be enough.

There wasn't also counting Ryuji's near death experience at the hands of the Reaper, or the numerous Reflections they had faced.

"We didn't change you, Mishima. You changed on your own." Akira said, proud in a way of the other teenager. He had changed and without the need of a Persona to guide his path. "You though, even when the Phantom Thieves had a knock in popularity, you stuck with us, believed in us."

Mishima looked surprised, eyes wide and blinking a few times. "You mean the Phantom Thieves didn't change my heart?" he asked "Really? Huh… But you know what, you still are the one responsible for my change. All this time, I've been looking up to the Phantom Thieves, pretending to be a collaborator, and now I'm finally able to stop pretending." Mishima looked up to the sky again. "Truth be told, I had given up. I accepted that I was going to be zero, no matter what I did, that my existence was meaningless. I mean, look at how well I did at volleyball." Mishima gave a wry grin and shook his head. "But I've learned that i may not be able to change the world, but I can at least change myself. Whether I sulk about my inability to do anything or hold my head up high and look to the future, My perception is what shapes the boundaries of my world, it all comes down to what's inside my heart." Mishima pointed at his chest with his thumb. "I might mess up every so often, but so long as you're here, I can stand back up again. I may not be the best person around, but feel free to rely on me at least some of the times." Mishima grinned a bit. "No matter what the world says, I'll be rooting for you."

Mishima stood up and turned to face Akira. He held his hand out. Akira looked at it for a moment before standing up. He could feel that light bloom in his chest a bit as he reached out and shook Mishima's hand. Akira smiled just a little bit more as he felt the firmness of the handshake, like Mishima was making a silent resolve or testing himself.

Akira smiled a little bit more as he looked at Mishima. "Don't compare yourself to me." He said. "Don't always think about what I would do in a situation, Mishima." He could see the surprise of the other teen. "It's nice that you look up to me and all, but the fact of the matter is, we're two totally different people. It's okay to wonder what I would do in a situation, but at the same time, you need to think on what Yuki Mishima would do in that situation. Give yourself a chance. Like I said Mishima, you've changed a lot. Probably more than you think. And I'd rather see who you will become, rather than see you try to emulate me."

Mishima stepped back a moment. "What I would do huh?" he asked, looking to his hands a bit. "Well, I can't do much at the moment. But how about making a stop to eat on the way home?" he asked with a grin. "My treat."

Akira shook his head. "I'll pass this time. I should probably be getting home soon. We've got something big coming up."

Mishima's eyes went wide before his grin spread more. "I gotcha. I look forward to the calling card."

Akira nodded his head. So did he.

He parted ways with Mishima and headed back towards Central Street. He had a bit of time before his train would arrive back to Yongen-Jaya, so he headed up towards the Velvet Room. Unexpectedly, he had gained the final piece.

Stepping inside, he approached the twins that turned to look at him at the exact same time. "I got something big to fuse." He told them.

"Then let's get started." Justine said.

 _Take Your Time_

"It's finally comin' down to this! So, how we gonna send the callin' card?" Ryuji asked, sounding excited as bounced on the stool a little bit, excitement all bundled into one.

"Well, there is that thing that Futaba was working on." Makoto said. "As well as that video we did when we were in Mementos." She said.

Futaba's fingers clacked against the keys of her keyboard, eyes focused and face full of determination. She was almost at the end of her self imposed deadline, with Akira having called for the meeting to discuss sending the calling card.

"Ooh! Are we gonna send the video to Shido directly?" Ryuji asked.

"That would certainly be an audacious task." Yusuke said. He nodded his head. "And it is elegant and stylish."

"But would it get swept under the rug?" Haru asked, sitting across from Futaba.

"Probably." Makoto said, brushing some of her bangs back. "With as much power as Shido and his block holds at the moment, there's no way it won't get swept under the rug if we just sent it to him. He might not even take us as a threat."

"Which means his Treasure won't appear." Morgana said.

"I wonder…" Akira said, glancing towards Futaba.

"Heheh. All done." Futaba grinned a bit as she tapped the last button quite harshly. "My Futaba Canon is fully charged! Locked, cocked, and ready to fire!" She grinned more as she saw the attention turning towards her. "Nao-kun, you might want to step outside so you don't be privy to what I'm going to do. Akira, I need an extra large helping of my usual curry, Ryuji, I need you to run to the nearest Triple 7 and get me an extra large soda. Sojiro, I need my second laptop from my room!" She declared.

There was some pauses, people looking at her blinkingly. "Move it!" she snapped. "You're all thinking so small scale! This is my limit breaker people and I need fuel!"

"Alright, alright, don't blow a gasket." Sojiro shook his head and began to head for the door.

Naoto shook her head. "You're going to do something illegal, aren't you?"

"Oh big time, make sure to have the news up on your phone." Futaba said with a grin.

"The news?" Makoto asked.

"Oh! Oh…" Yu sounded surprised. "Come on Naoto, let's make sure you're not going to know about this." He turned the sleuth to head outside.

Akira moved to the small kitchen of Leblanc and got started on the curry. "Feel like filling the rest of us?" He asked. "You know, those of us not privy to what your limit breaker is?"

Futaba's grin threatened to split her face as she turned her laptop. "This." She said. She showed off the various news and media outlets that were brought up. She had absolute control through the backdoor she had just wedged open into their systems.

"Holy Shit…" Ryuji's eyes bugged.

"Drink! Need fuel!" Futaba snapped.

"Right!" Ryuji took off running, going to go get her the requested drink.

"That's going to get a lot of attention." Makoto said. "But… won't they be able to-?"

"Not a chance." Futaba said, raising her hands over her head and cracking her knuckles. She rotated her stiff neck, feeling it pop a bit as she moved to sit crouched on the bench. "I'm going to be bouncing this sucker off of eight different locations, only two of which are in the greater Tokyo area. I even have an IP trace leading to Hong Kong."

"You're talking about showing this…" Haru stared.

"On every TV station on every television in Japan." Futaba said. "Even the live feeds on the phones will be taken over. Masayoshi Shido will be revealed for everyone to be the Final Boss that he is."

Sojiro finally came back, holding out the other laptop that Futaba didn't use as much. It was solely for her less than… legal cyber activities. She took it and flipped it open, booting it up. "Okay, it's almost show time." she said as she began to enter the information that she needed.

Ryuji eventually came back, sweating slightly as Akira managed to finish the curry she had requested. "Sorry! Didn't know what you wanted, went with lotta caffeine."

"It'll work." Futaba said and took the drink. She popped the cap and took a big swig before she set to work eating the curry. She didn't have time for manners and actually enjoying her food. She then pulled her headphones on over her ears and began to bob her head, tapping her foot.

"One… Two… One, two ready and… Show time!" Futaba hijacked the signals and began to upload the video of the Phantom Thieves. In moments, it was playing on every station that she could readily get into. There might be a few smaller stations that were still more analog than digital in some of the rural regions, but Futaba had complete control.

She'd apologize to Marie another time for hijacking her weather report.

"Yo! What is up everybody?!" The highly synthesized voice of Ryuji came across, even in Leblanc's TV.

"We are the ones you all know as the Phantom Thieves." There was Haru's line. Ryuji, being the most outspoken of the group, had enjoyed doing the video the most but Futaba had made sure everyone got a chance to talk.

"And all of us are alive and kickin'!" Ryuji declared on the video. It was sweet music to Futaba's ears.

"Ooh, someone's already trying to trace me down. Let's see here… Let's flood their systems with about thirty hours of kitty cat GIFs of about ten seconds each all playing at once." Futaba reached around to the other computer and began to type things in.

"Thirty… Hours?!" Ann asked.

It wasn't like she was sending thirty hours of hentai. "But those shitty guys in power? They've been manipulatin' information to try and hide the truth."

"So, before we appropriate our next target… we would like to first borrow your time!" Ann's cheerful synthesized voice came out.

"The recent scandals of public figures, the accidents caused by psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns were not caused by unknown reasons." Here was Makoto, Futaba had enjoyed making her sound more like a guy, just to throw things off.

"One man is behind every single instance." Yusuke said, both on the TV and outloud. "Simply to satiate his own greed."

Futaba continued working at the keys, making sure everything was going smoothly. There were a few stations that just tried to pull the plug, only for her to turn it back on. Shame on them.

"That man was afraid his crimes would be exposed and shifted the blame on us." Morgana spoke. "He even manipulated the police for that." Futaba wondered if they had made it abundantly clear who was speaking at what time, would the general populace be able to hear Morgana. That'd be kinda cool.

"We only steal the hearts of criminals, but this asshole tried to dump what he did on us!" Ryuji's indignation was abundantly clear through the video. "That just shows he doesn't care about his victims at all."

"The identity of that cowardly man is-" Futaba was surprised when the video feeds in general got cut off while she was speaking.

"Well that was rude." She shifted the video a bit. "Police reacted much faster than I thought… But… Tooo baaad!" she said cheerfully as she began to type other things in, flooding the police systems with alerts and signals. Street lights going haywire, emergency responders being dispatched to false alarms. She didn't like doing it, but it was necessary. "I win."

"The man behind it all is a current cabinet member of all things." Makoto's voice played once more. "The Minister of State for Special Missions, Masayoshi Shido!"

"Everything that man says is a lie!" Ann declared. "To prove that," Futaba stared at the screen as the entire Phantom Thieves showed, backlit by a floodlight.

Naoto and Yu had been great at filming and doing the posing. Especially since Joker, their leader, was just a little ahead of everyone else and given an imposing figure.

"Look! As you can see, all of us are alive and kickin'!" Ann continued.

"Ooh… Someone's getting nasty." Futaba said. "Getting really aggressive and trying to delete the video. Can't let that happen. Let's see here…" She bobbed her head in time to the music playing in her ears, even as she typed. "Mhmmhmmhm…"

"I'm sure the people investigating us can tell if this is a lie or not." Ann said.

"Shido himself will soon confess all the crimes that he has committed." Haru spoke. Futaba thought they looked amazing in their Phantom Thief attire, standing poised. "Please look forward to it."

"We're not gonna sit back and let some crook ruin this country 'cause of his damned ego." Ryuji said. "Ain't that right Joker?"

Akira stepped forward on the screen, showing off the domino mask and those sharp eyes. Futaba grinned a bit as she sent over more cat GIFs to the group trying to delete the video. Everyone needed to see and hear Akira who had thus far not spoken.

"We'll take this country if it is what it takes." Akira said. Futaba had seriously considered doing minimal editing to Akira's voice, before going the full works as she had done with the others. "Masayoshi Shido will not go unpunished, and he will repent for the crimes that he has performed. Can you see us coming now?"

The video feed cut off and Futaba smirked a little bit as she continued working. "Alright, now I need to make sure they can't find me." She said. Her fingers moved over one keyboard before one hand moved over to the next. She had long since figured out how to type with one hand. "Let's see here…" She paused long enough to take another big gulp of the soda that Ryuji had brought for her.

"Holy shit that looked awesome." Ryuji said, turning to stare at Futaba. "You're freakin' amazing!"

"Language." Sojiro said as he brought a cigarette to his lips and lit it. "Geez, you kids are really stepping in it now." He said.

"I'm sorry Boss." Makoto said. "While I don't think any of us knew how big Futaba-chan was willing to go, I don't think any of us are going to deny the results of what she just did."

Naoto and Yu came back in at that moment. The sleuth smiled a little bit. "That was simply sublime." She admitted. "But I'm going to also pretend that it didn't happen."

"They're corrupting your sense of justice Naoto." Yu said as he leaned against the counter a little bit.

"Yes, yes they are." Naoto admitted. "But you cannot deny that it isn't for a good cause. Masayoshi Shido is guilty of a fair number of crimes, with murder being on that list several times."

"So glad tomorrow is Sunday." Akira said, shaking his head a little bit. It meant they could go after Shido a lot easier than if it had been a school day. "Everyone, be here nice and early. We do this tomorrow. Good job Futaba."

Futaba grinned a bit, even as she continued working. "I mean, if you're going to have a limit break, it needs to be awesome. You kick his ass, I'm just going to sit back being awesome."

"Futaba," Sojiro said, admonishing her about her use of language.

But she didn't care. She was on too big of a high at the moment. Nothing was going to tear her down from her throne.

She truly showed that Alibaba of the Phantom Thieves, Oracle, was as dangerous as the rest of them.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Bluh… This chapter was tricky. But between Futaba's work with the 'calling card' and something else, I wanted to split this chapter off from the actually battle against Shido.**


	46. Chapter 45: Setting Sun

Chapter 45: Setting Sun

Ryuji went low and slammed his form into the legs of the Shadow, forcing it up and over his back into a fall. He turned and with his bat, he brought it down as hard as he could, crushing the Shadow's head. He then grabbed Morgana by the scarf and raised the cat up, turning as Morgana fired with his slingshot.

It was him, Ann, Morgana, and Akira in the front. Just like the beginning.

Ryuji hefted his shotgun and fired off two rounds, slamming them into the Shadows. They weren't perfect. They were still people, and for Ryuji, that made them perfect for the job. None of them claimed to be anything they weren't. He had long since abandoned the notion of being a Phantom Thief for fame.

He saw how stupid that was. How quickly the people turned on them.

Of course, Shido was throwing everything at them since their declaration the day before. Shadow upon Shadow coming after them. And for Ryuji, it was just another day on the job. A very enjoyable job, but still just another day on the job.

Akira stepped up, pistol drawn and taking potshots. Ryuji pat Akira wordlessly on the back, surging the power of Zaiten to power up Akira. He didn't know how it worked. He didn't have the ability to speculate on it like Makoto or Naoto might have. Even Yususke and Akira would have speculated on it probably.

Ryuji was just glad it worked.

He came up to another Shadow and he tightened his grip on his bat. "Batter's up! Panther!" Ryuji stepped into the swing and followed through with it, driving his bat into the Shadow. It was sent over the railing.

Ann looked over the rail and used Hecate to ignite it into a fiery explosion.

They then began to head towards the elevator to head up into the assembly hall. There, they saw Shido's Shadow standing at the podium, half lording over the hall. Ryuji ran up first. "Shido!" he said loudly.

" **Hmph.** " Shido looked over the group, even as the others began approaching. " **Where did you lowlifes obtain your power? Not that it matters. If you have a complaint, I'm willing to listen."**

"We're here to stop your twisted and selfish games." Morgana said, drawing back on his slingshot.

Shido scoffed and shook his head. " **Sacrifices are inevitable in the path of reform. I only require that the foolish entrust themselves to their superiors. I shall guide them.** " Shido's Shadow looked up.

"The hell makes you think you're so much better than everyone else?" Ryuji asked. He prepped for the fight as best as he could.

"You would have never made it this far without Akechi's help." Ann readied her submachine gun, bending forward slightly in preparation.

" **He only appeared because of God's expectations of** _ **me.**_ **Moreover, it was because of** _ **me**_ **that Akechi was able to properly use his power to begin with.** " Shido said " **The changing of hearts you've been doing has been doing nothing but provoking the public.** "

"I see where Akechi got his childish act from. You're no more than a child acting like he's been chosen by some higher power." Morgana said.

" **The life of a nation as opposed to those of a few sacrifices….** " Shido smirked. " **There is no comparison. The ignorant masses only care about their own personal happiness. I'm merely granting it to them. That is the social reform that only** _ **I**_ **, as the one chosen by God, can enact!** "

"I will never accept a leader who used a teenager to murder people!" Ann said. "You say it's for the country, but it's just your own selfish gains and nobody wants that!"

" **Nobody?** " Shido turned his back to them and held his arms out. " **Then why are they surrendering the seat of Prime Minister to me? Everyone denies the value of hard work these days and instead seek to effortlessly gain wealth. That is why I must reestablish this mighty country, one that does not waver, one that others bow to.** "

"Mighty my ass!" Ryuji shouted. "That's just a country run by a crook!"

" **Hmph. Those who disobey me must be eliminated.** " The Shadow spread his arms out and leaned forward on the podium. " **However, considering the loss of Akechi, it would be a waste to kill those actually capable. I give you the chance to choose between Life and Death one last time. Join me, use your powers for my cause, and I will give you anything you desire, be it wealth or social status.** "

"There's no way we'd follow you." Morgana said.

Shido shook his head. " **It would seem the ignorant masses are doomed to remain as such. I had hoped you would be smarter than that. This is unfortunate. I have to eliminate you all, what a waste. But a small leak will sink a great ship and even the mightiest of nations have fallen to such lenience. I will not make such incautious mistakes.** "

Suddenly, applause erupted around them and they glanced around. "What the hell?" Ryuji asked. The once empty seats were now full of people applauding Shido.

"Morning Star!" The sudden attack caught them all off guard as Akira blasted Shido's Sadow with little mercy, sending it flying back towards the deck of the ship. "Skull, could you keep the others back?" Akira asked quietly. Ryuji glanced at their leader a while, his brow furrowing a moment. His mouth set into a tight line.

Ryuji didn't like it. But he nodded. "Yeah. You go take care of business Joker." Ryuji then planted his feet and turned to look at the others while he heard Akira go forward.

"Skull, what are you doing?!" Morgana asked, coming up. But Ryuji didn't budge. He planted his bat on the ground and set his hands on top of the handle. "Joker-"

"Doesn't need our help." Ryuji said firmly.

"You moron!" Ann said. "How do you expect us to simply stand back and watch?" She moved to go past.

Ryuji reached out and caught the blonde girl around her waist, lightly pushing her back. He lowered his gaze to look at the deck at his feet, even as he returned his hands to the bat.

"What's going on?" Makoto asked as she came up with the others.

"Skull's not going to help Joker." Morgana said.

"And isn't letting us go help either." Ann's hurt tone actually did hurt Ryuji a bit. They had gotten close and he was seriously considering asking her out after all this Phantom Thief business. So hearing that tone of hurt, anger, it cut him deeply.

"Skull, is that true?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah." Ryuji didn't bother trying to deny it. "Joker asked me to keep all of you back. He doesn't need us for this fight."

"He shouldn't have to try and do all of this by himself." Makoto argued.

"Surely even you see the folly in this, Skull." Yusuke said, looking past Ryuji.

Ryuji glanced over his shoulder. He watched as Akira dodged under a hard swing from Shido and sliced into the Shadow's midsection. He then looked forward. "Look, I'm not sayin' I like it." he said.

"Then I'm going." Makoto said, stepping up towards Ryuji, as though to move past him.

Ryuji lifted his head and met Makoto's gaze. Whatever was in his eyes actually caused her to take a half-step back. "Damn it, think for a second!" he shouted. "I ain't the smartest among us but even I get this." He motioned to the fight back behind him. "All of us, we all got to put some of our demons to rest. I'm not sayin' we can't help him if it really looks like it, but Shido fucked Joker's life up in one fell swoop."

"What are you saying Skull?" Haru asked.

"All of us, Joker's been there to help us as we handled the cause of our demons, things that plagued us. Kamoshida for me and Panther, Madarame for Fox, Oracle's own cognition, Noir's Dad, Queen's Sis." Each and every one of them had been able to put things to rest. Hell, Panther had literally held Kamoshida's life in her hands." Ryuji shot a look at Ann, trying to make his point. "He even fuckin' died. You said it yourself Queen, his heart stopped. I ain't saying none of us didn't have our own share of problems, but Joker's life was fucked. Criminal record, expelled from his school, friends abandonin' him, and he has to live away from his mom for a year. He's not gettin' accepted into a good college with that black spot on his record. And now, now the man that did it is right in front of him, and you all want to try and charge in to help when he doesn't need it, doesn't want it. Call it a stupid ass guy thing, but if Joker wants to handle his business alone, I'm lettin' him handle it alone. And since he asked me to keep you guys out of it, as his friend and his partner, I damned sure will."

Ryuji didn't like it, but he owed Akira this. He owned it to him to let him vent some frustration on the guy that was right in front of him. Ryuji had done it. Yu had done it. Ryuji had taken that swing at Kamoshida the year prior. Yu had beaten Akechi's ass.

Yu met eyes with Ryuji and stepped forward. Ryuji tensed just a little bit. His Persona still wasn't going to be kicking Yu's ass. Ryuji might get a number of good licks in, but Yu just flat out had Ryuji's number hands down.

With two different Persona.

"You really think so?" Yu asked, looking to Ryuji's eyes.

"Yeah." Ryuji said resolutely. He wasn't going to budge.

Yu stepped to Ryuji's side. The blond prepped to try and stop the older teen when he planted his sword, tip down in the floor, and mirrored Ryuji's pose to stare out over the fight. "Okay then. I'll watch."

"This is stupid!" Ann said, sounding frustrated.

"Ain't that the truth." Ryuji said. He turned his back to the others. "But we owe it to our Leader. So zip it and watch. Berate us both later."

Ryuji clenched his bat tightly as he watched. Akira moved around Shido, dipping and dodging the swung fists. Shido seemed to be trained in something, as he wasn't swinging wildly. Nor was the Shadow considered weak, as every time Akira cut into the outfit, it seemed like some resistance equipment of some kind was on underneath the suit.

Akira took a hard blow, but he planted his feet and came back, actually head butting Shido to stagger the older man. It was reckless, even by Ryuji's standards, but it worked as Akira put his knife to work again. He ducked under a heavy haymaker that would have likely taken his head off before coming up and plunging the dagger into Shido's stomach. Akira yanked it out and pulled the pistol, dodging back from another attack and emptying the clip into Shido.

Ryuji knew the sort of rage and frustration his friend had. He had felt similar because of Kamoshida. And as Akira continued to give everything back to Shido, using his knife or his gun with a certain level of viciousness that he had never seen before, Ryuji could hardly blame him.

But every time that Shido landed a blow, each as heavy as the last, Ryuji couldn't help but be worried about Akira. Especially when Shido's Shadow's skin turned a bright angry red and the muscles bulged to the point the equipment destroyed itself. The tables seemed to turn for a bit as Shido grabbed Akira by the hair before driving his knee into Akira's forehead, rattling their Leader and sending him reeling. Shido then grabbed Akira by the face and stepped forward, slamming Akira into the ground without mercy.

"Skull!" Futaba shouted at him.

"Not yet." Ryuji said with gritted teeth. "He's taken worse knocks than that."

Shido's Shadow moved to kick Akira in the side, but Akira blocked the kick and scrambled to his feet. He was breathing hard and definitely looked a bit bloodied just from the rougher hits that Shido gave. But Shido was cut up pretty badly and scorched from Akira's opening move.

And the two continued, both giving as much as they could. And every time one of their friends yelled at him, Ryuji continued to tell them to stay back. This was Akira's fight, through and through. Ryuji wanted to jump in, he wanted to help out, he wanted to crack Shido's skull open like an egg for everything he had done to Akira, but Ryuji didn't budge.

Because Akira asked him to. Because he was Akira's friend.

And when Akira finally laid Shido out, pulling his gun, Ryuji moved forward as the dark haired teen breathed heavily, almost threatening to hyperventilate from the fight and the anger still coursing through him. Ryuji knew Akira was on an edge, an abyss that was staring back. The gun was even shaking from how hard Akira was gripping it.

Ryuji reached out and put his hand on the top of the gun when he got to their leader. "Yo… It's over." He said. "Let it go."

Akira cut those dark eyes at Ryuji and the pair watched each other for a while before Ryuji tried taking the gun. Thankfully, Akira let the gun go without a fight and Ryuji simply pointed it down.

"You morons!" Ann said as she came up.

"You had us worried!" Makoto said accusingly. "What was the point?!"

"Thank Goodness you're okay." Haru said as she came up, relief on her face, but mixed with a hint of disappointment.

"Let it go." Yu said as he began to walk over. "Joker's been under a lot of stress, and the source of it all was right in front of him." He stepped up to Akira and clearly healed him. "We're only human." Though whether it was telling the girls that or Akira was difficult to say.

"Let's get the treasure." Akira said, glancing to the fallen Shido. "He's lost."

Ryuj looked over to Morgana who was looking up. Following the feline's gaze, Ryuji spotted the treasure coming down and he reached out to grab it. It was small, whatever it was. He supposed it must have been valuable but he had no idea.

The ship violently shuddered and an explosion went off somewhere. Ryuji almost fell to the ground, eyes wide. "The hell?" He called out. It had never been that bad, even with Okumura's self-destructing factory.

"The Palace is collapsing!" Futaba cried out. "Violently too! Something must have happened on the outside!"

"Let's go!" Akira shouted and headed for the nearest exit.

It was a mad dash, with Ryuji's knee throbbing with every step he took. While it had certainly gotten better and the past year had been good for it, it still acted up from time to time when it got cold, and with the water around the ship, it caused his knee to ache more.

"We're sinking!" Ann shouted.

"We're not dying like this!" Morgana cried out.

They came to a balcony overlooking the area, with a fair bit of the ship already half in the water. It definitely didn't look good

"Oh God! We're gonna die! I can't swim!" Futaba cried out, grabbing at her hair.

"Calm down!" Yu said. "Panicking isn't going to help anyone."

"There!" Makoto called out, pointing. "A lifeboat."

"Good eye, let's move!" Akira said, running for the entrance of the building.

When they got there, Ryuji immediately saw the problem. The lifeboat was too far away and there was a good gap of water in their way that was rapidly expanding. "It's too far." Makoto whispered. "Now what?" An explosion rocked the ship.

Ryuji pulled the skull mask down tighter. "I got it." he said. "Less than a hundred meters? No problem." He climbed up onto the stonework and pulled off the bandolier of shotgun shells and the shotgun. He dropped his gear down.

"What?" Ann asked, as though not comprehending.

Ryuji jumped down towards the downward slope and landed. He used his landing to move into a sprinter's starting pose and raised his head up. His eyes zeroed in on the handle that would release the lifeboat. Time seemed to slow down and his pulse pounded in his ears. His legs already ached from the run there, his lungs burned a bit. But he was in better condition than he had been when he ran for track.

He kicked off with his right foot and was off.

The leathers were harder to run in. His boots were heavier than the running shoes he had run in. But he still propelled himself downwards. The wind blew past his face, the mist of the water splashed at his body. In the distance, he thought he heard Ann shouting for him to go. This was what Ryuji was born to do.

More than being a Phantom Thief, more than anything else, he was born to just run.

He grit his teeth as he prepared to jump. If his knee gave out with the landing, they were fucked. ' _Don't give out. Hold up, hold up, just this once'_ He told himself as he came to the spot and he sprang off on his left leg. "Rahh!"

He pumped his legs and his arms, trying to get as much distance as he could. He brought his right leg forward and felt his boot scraping along the wood of the deck a bit as the tread of his boot caught and he was able to bring his left leg forward.

The slope wasn't so bad that he wasn't able to climb it, but he kept his eyes focused ahead, running as fast as he could.. His entire body screamed, coming to life with his favorite pastime once more. He came to the mechanism holding the lifeboat and leapt with all his might, grabbing the handle and yanking.

He felt it slide to the side and he grabbed the handle with both hands while the lifeboat lowered down. He breathed heavily, dangling from his position, feeling a sense of satisfaction. Amazing… He had done it. And he probably beat his old time for similar distances.

Ryuji watched as the others moved into the boat. Naoto started it up and settled in to drive it surprisingly. Ryuji felt his grip slipping and grunted as he tried to keep a better grip. At least until they got over towards him so he could drop into the water by the boat.

"Skull! Jump!" Yu shouted out.

However, as they were starting to come towards him to pick him up, a massive explosion rocked the boat and Ryuji felt his grip slip as the flames scorched him. He plunged into the water, and flailed as he fought to figure out which way was up.

He gasped as he landed and his ankle twisted on a soft patch of grass, sending him to the ground.

"Ryuji!" he heard called out for him and he grunted a moment, trying to sit up. He could see the others, probably some ten meters away. He just happened to have landed in a dark spot while they were under a street light.

"Come on dammit." He said as he forced himself to get up to his feet. He went over to the group, limping slightly, heaving a sigh. "Maaan, that was entirely too close…" he said. He closed his eyes and leaned against the light pole. "For real though, why do Palaces gotta explode so much? Can't they just disappear normally?" He opened his eyes to see the group looking at him with surprise. "What?"

The others began to surround him, looking at him. "Didn't you… die?" Haru asked.

"WHAT?!" Ryuji asked incredulously. He patted himself down, just making sure. "Nah, got blasted by the explosions, landed lyin' on some grass not that far away." He pointed over towards where he landed. "Oh yeah, this is the treasure." He tossed Akira the gold enamel pin which was deftly caught. He glanced to Ann and grinned a bit. "What's this? Your cryin' face is so not cute." He was hoping to alleviate the tension.

"It's your damn fault!" Ann smacked him hard enough to make his bell ring and send him slumping to the ground. With the just general exhaustion from the run, hitting the water, then hitting the ground, that single hit put him out of it.

He vaguely made out Yusuke commenting on being hungry, with Haru making the suggestion to getting something to eat before they went home.

"Yu? Naoto?" Akira asked the pair as Ryuji was starting to get clarity back.

"Go on ahead, we'll make sure Ryuji gets home alright." Yu said.

Ann sighed and bent down, grabbing Ryuji's belt and hauling him up so she was under his arm. "I got him." She said, shaking her head a bit. "The big jerk."

Akira waved the group off before heading away with the others.

Yu and Naoto looked to Ryuji and aAnn a moment. "You did good Ryuji." Yu said. "Don't let the pain in your jaw distract you from that."

Ryuji grinned a little bit at that. He supposed he did.

Naoto nodded her head. "It really is a shame you're not interested in returning to track." Naoto said. "With your drive and ability, you could easily be spotted by college recruiters and offered a scholarship." Ryuji paused a little bit at that. He had never really considered it.

"Oh yeah, you could totally do that." Ann said as she began to walk with him back towards the train station. "But, your knee..." She looked down. She had been at Shujin when Kamoshida had broke it after all.

Ryuji shook his head a bit. "It throbs, but I'm alright." He said. He moved away from Ann, just a little bit. He rubbed his knee and looked to the blonde girl. "Not like you don't have your own aches and pains Takamaki." he said. He straightened up and looked towards Naoto a moment. Naoto was one of the smartest people he knew, and if she thought he could get into college on running…

It was something to consider, wasn't it?

 _Take Your Time_

Akira breathed as he lifted himself up, exhaling slowly as he lowered himself back down. It was a process that he had been repeating for a while, not bothering to keep track of anything but the up and down. The additional weight of Morgana sitting on calves helped. Especially since, as his mom had said, Morgana was a fat cat.

He raised himself up until the rafters hit his shoulders and he held the position with a grunt before he slowly lowered himself back down. Every since Morgana had made the suggestion, he had taken it to heart and worked out as often as he could.

But with having to be in hiding meant that Akira was stuck on the ground a little bit more and had a bit more free time.

"Knock knock! Coming up!" Akira glanced as footsteps began to come up the stairs. He was surprised, slightly, to see Yu coming up, especially without Naoto. But then again, while they enjoyed doing things together, they weren't glued to each other at the hip.

Akira glanced back. "Morgana." He said with a slight grunt. The cat jumped off his bent legs and it let Akira swing them out to stretch out his knees before he dropped down to his feet. He breathed a bit heavier as he grabbed a protein drink and quickly downed it. "Yu." he said as he grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off with.

"This what you do all day?" The silver haired teen asked as he glanced to the rafters that Akira had just dropped down from.

"Not always. Ann makes sure I have the homework I'm missing so that I can go ahead and get it done. Kawakami-sensei would have my hide if I didn't keep up." Akira a bit amused. Once he was done wiping the sweat off with the towel, he grabbed a shirt and pulled it on. "Didn't really work out too much, you know? Before the whole Phantom Thief stuff."

Yu shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, I might be the wrong person to talk to about that. I was a sports kid. Basketball, Kendo, basically anything to keep me out of the house and active."

Akira shook his head a little bit and took the seat he used to get up to the rafters and dragged it back to its spot before he flopped to sit on the bed. "What's up?" he asked.

"You alright?" Yu asked quietly as he moved over to the desk and leaned against it.

Akira thought briefly about asking what Yu was talking about, feigning it for a bit. But the older teen would see through it immediately. He inhaled a moment and looked up at Yu for awhile, meeting those eyes. "Were you alright after taking down Namatame or Adachi?" he asked quietly.

It just wasn't sitting right with Akira. Not Akechi being taken into custody, not the fight with Shido, none of it was adding up in a way that he thought was a good thing. Could he honestly call it a victory? That someone he had such a tight bond to, regardless of the things Akechi had done, was behind bars bothered Akira. He had tried to reach a hand out in friendship, only to have it swatted away and then for the action to be spat on by the man controlling the situation.

And then Shido… Akira could still feel the aches and pains of that fight. Even blow had hit like a hammer, but anger and adrenaline had kept him going. It was the first time in a while that he had used his knife on such a human looking and feeling opponent, and felt the blade of the knife slicing through flesh to spill blood.

He probably didn't do himself any favors by asking the others to stay back either.

But what ate at him most was that apparently Sojiro and Sae had been taken by Shido's men and kept detained. Yes, Sojiro and Sae had made it out fine, but the fact of the matter was it could have very quickly escalated into something worse. Sojiro and Sae could have been killed, or worse in Sae's instance.

Yu inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly. "That's… tricky." He admitted. "And circumstances were… different than what you're going through." He said.

"Lay it on me anyways." Akira said. "I want to hear it regardless."

Yu nodded his head. "Alright. After Namatame, I was too panicked to do anything more than worry about Nanako-chan. And the second she flatlined, panic turned to seething hot anger like what you fought with Shido with. Why did she deserve to die? Why? Why, out of everyone that was picked, was she the one that was dead? Don't get me wrong, I love my friends, they are my family, and I'd be just as pissed. But Nanako-chan had nothing to do with that world."

Yu turned, glancing at some of the items that Akira had on his desk. Things he had won in a claw game, things he got from hanging out with his friends. "With Adachi…" Yu shook his head. "That was a clusterfuck." He said rather bluntly and surprisingly to the younger teen who leaned in slightly. "So many conflicting emotions, his taunts ringing in my ears. Had all the times we hung out meant so little?" Yu shook his head. "I had even considered, briefly, burning the evidence against him."

The older teen flopped down onto the couch. Akira stared at him, wondering what was going through his brain. He had just admitted to considering helping a criminal get away. Would he have let Akechi go if he had the chance to? Would he have just… brushed all the people he killed and hurt to the side because of their bond? It was a somewhat scary thought to consider. And Adachi had been responsible for the death of two people.

And had manipulated another into taking the fall for him.

"We," Yu motioned between himself and Akira. "Are just normal people." He said. "Don't assume otherwise. Don't let anything we do or can do make you think otherwise. We're entitled to less than noble thoughts, we're entitled to ideas and things we want to do for whatever reasons might be that are less than morally good. I swore that if Naoto had died, I was going to kill everyone that had been involved. I was ready for it, I was trying to figure out the best methods to do so. We all had thoughts about killing Mooroka back in Inaba. But none of us acted on it. If you think any of the others don't have such thoughts, you're wrong."

"And when Adachi was taken into custody? What did you feel then?" Akira asked.

"I felt hurt. I felt betrayed." Yu said. "I felt like an idiot. And I felt relief. I was glad that the real murderer was behind bars. And I felt worse for feeling that relief. I know you have a bunch of conflicting emotions right now Akira, I know better than anyone. I'm sorry about Akechi, I really am."

Akira nodded his head softly, letting it bob twice as he thought about what Yu was saying. "Yeah. Me too." He said and sighed. "Fucking hell…" He said as he ran a hand through his hair. "Worst part is, this shit isn't over."

"What?" Morgana asked from the bed, sounding surprised.

"We probably kept Shido from getting elected but…" Yu shook his head. "You're right. We still have one more enemy out there."

Akira nodded slowly. "And I have no idea how to begin with that one."

'What are you two talking about?" Morgana asked.

"An entity was leading Akira down a path of destruction and ruination." Yu said. "We encountered him when we went into the Velvet Room together and I proceed to blast him with Izanagi-no-Okami. I'm sure you remember what happened with Akechi. Well, he's still out there."

"And you're not worried?!" Morgana asked distressed.

"We are." Akira said, glancing back to the cat. He reached over and pet on Morgana's head. "But at the moment, there's nothing we can do." he said. "Yaldabaoth is also the reason we've been dealing with these Reflections."

"That's not entirely true." Yu said. "There is something we can do." Akira looked over and met the other Wild Card's eyes. "He said he awaits in the Depths."

Akira's mind drifted back to the event that happened so long ago. Early May, it had seemed so long ago but it had such a profound effect. The thing had said that it waits. "There's only one Depths I can think of." Akira said. "Are we ready?"

"Mementos.' Morgana whispered softly.

"That's right." Yu said. "Can you keep this from the others Morgana? We'll tell them soon, but I think we'll all be stressing about this Shido situation until it resolves. No need to make it worse."

Morgana nodded his head. "They won't hear it from me." he said.

"Thanks buddy." Akira said and scratched behind Morgana's ears. He looked over to Yu. "I don't like this anyways." he said softly.

'Neither do I." Yu said

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto sighed as she turned and locked the door behind her. She tossed her keys into the bowl where Yu's keys were at already. She bent down and unlaced her boots to take them off. She then began to walk into Yu's home proper, her eyes closed as she reached up and pulled her hat off her head.

The whole situation was a mess from what she was able to gleam. She wasn't getting told a whole lot, but it seemed like a lot of people were in trouble at the police station regarding the disappearance of Akira's 'corpse.' And of course, there were still issues regarding Akechi. He was… not as cooperative as they might have hoped, but he wasn't being antagonistic either.

Just staying quiet and refusing to talk.

But several of her coworkers were still talking about voting for Shido if they hadn't done so already. Many of them were calling the Phantom Thieves criminals and terrorists and believing in Shido's ideology. When she was asked a few times who she would vote for if she could, she had stated it was merely a mute point and that she wasn't going to waste her time on it.

A bit standoffish, but she was at the Police Prefecture to see justice done, not speculate on useless topics.

She glanced to where Yu was at the kotatsu, college work spread out as he worked diligently at it, a cup of coffee within hand's reach. He sometimes sipped at it, absorbed into the work he was doing.

"Good evening Senpai." Naoto said. She hadn't quite made the transition from her more serious and professional persona to her more private persona. There were even nights where she didn't make that transition in the slightest.

"Evening." Yu said, glancing up towards her a moment. "Rough day?"

"No, actually. I should be satisfied." She said. She moved to sit across from him. "I managed to close a case that has been particularly trying. But unfortunately, this situation with Shido's popularity and the Phantom Thieves is… spilling over."

Yu nodded his head as he set his pen down. "I know." He said. "I hear it all the time on the train. It's been making me considering riding my motorcycle to school, but well, the train is cheaper." he said.

Naoto shook her head and smiled ever so slightly. "My boyfriend, ever the pragmatist." she said.

Yu stretched himself out slowly. "Seriously though," He said. "It almost feels like the acceptance of the fog back in Inaba." he said. "I don't like it."

That got Naoto's attention and she nodded her head after a moment. He was right, it was actually feeling like the acceptance that had come from the people in Inaba after a while. "What do we do?" Naoto asked a little more focused on the issue at hand. "If the people don't see Shido for what he is…"

"Yeah, I didn't want to bring it up with Akira." Yu said. "I don't want him going off the deep end and doing something even more rash. I think he's willing to at least wait until the elections are through for the time being."

Naoto nodded her head. She thought Akira was perfectly rational for the most part. But when he had gone off and fought Shido by himself, Naoto still thought that had been one of his dumbest moves that he could possibly do. Not that she or Yu or any of the Phantom Thieves really had any right to complain about Akira's actions, not when all of them had done something similar in the past.

"Senpai, a question." Naoto said with a slight frown.

"He needed the closure and he asked it of Ryuji. Ryuji already got put into a tough position that was unfair, I wasn't going to put even more unnecessary pressure on him. By taking up my position beside Ryuji, I wordlessly offered my support to his decision to listen to Akira. I offered my support to let Akira vent." Yu said.

Naoto blinked a bit. "How did you know what I was going to ask?"

"Akira was an idiot for doing it. Ryuji was an idiot for letting it happen. I was an idiot for letting Ryuji let it happen." Yu said. "It'd seem out of character for me from your perspective, so I knew you'd be curious about it. And you haven't asked me why I did it yet."

Naoto shook her head slightly. It amazed her how much she and Yu were on similar wavelengths. He knew what she was going to ask even before she had bothered to ask. She looked to him a bit. "And have you ever done anything similarly stupid?" she asked

"Got into a fight with Yosuke down by the Samegawa." Yu said as he picked up his mug. "He's surprisingly quick on his feet, hard to hit. He's got more rhythm than I do." He went to the kitchen and began to refill his mug. "Both of us ended up flat on our backs."

Naoto shook her head a bit. "That was stupid." She said bluntly to her boyfriend.

Yu returned with more coffee and sat down. He set it in the right spot and began to continue working on his homework.

Naoto closed her eyes a moment. Shido… "What can we do about Shido?" she asked after a moment of waiting. She didn't like it. It felt like they were on the back steps of things again. Yes, a number of his supporters would likely get arrested, but there might be a number of issues that would come up that could make the trials drag.

She didn't expect there to be immediate results, but they had to know she survived and were planning something. Honestly, her stomach twisted into knots, thinking about what could happen. She didn't know if another attack might occur, another attack that might this time get Yu shot and killed instead.

And if something happened to Yu because of a lack of judgement on her part, she didn't know how she would ever forgive herself.

"We'll handle the Shido issue soon enough." he said softly. He glanced up to meet Naoto's gaze. "We've handled everything that has come our way. This is no different. It's still dangerous. But all we can do is be ready." He took a drink of his coffee and slid it over, letting her take a sip as well. "We'll probably be heading into the depths of Mementos. We'll probably find our answers there, if not…" Yu sighed. "I don't know. For better or for worse, it's looking like Shido's going to win and become Prime Minister. His crimes are being covered, I don't know if we _can_ change the public opinion about him."

"It's my turn to cook tonight, isn't it?" Naoto asked after another long period of silence. She got up from the kotatsu to go into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator to look inside and see what all she could cook. "Is there anything you're particularly interested in tonight?"

"How about some tonkatsu? Do we have the ingredients for it?" Yu asked.

Naoto glanced a bit more. "I think we do." She said. She moved to grab one of the cook books. She flipped through until she found the recipe she was looking for and began to gather the ingredients. After determining that, yes, they did in fact have all the ingredients, Naoto got started on the dish.

"Christmas is coming up." Yu said from in the living room.

"Yes, yes it is." Naoto smiled slightly, memories of that first Christmas together coming back to her. She had already picked out Yu's gift. No doubt she would be pleased by his gift to her as well. He always did seem to know what to get her. "Are we buying a cake or making one?" she asked.

"I think we'll make one." Yu said. "If we have time, I don't know when we're going into Mementos. For all I know, we could be ending up in there on Christmas." He wasn't wrong, there was a distinct possibility of that happening. She'd just have to keep an open mind.

And as Naoto began preparing the tonkatsu, she glanced towards where Yu was hard at work. There was still so much work to be done. They didn't get the luxury of being like most people their age, of being normal and being allowed to worry about normal things. It just got added to the plate. And because of it, they had to grow up and do things, learn things at a faster pace than their peers.

"Senpai?" Naoto asked after a bit

"Mm?"

"Would… you like to go on a trip somewhere during Golden Week?" Naoto asked. It was still a ways away, but would give them both plenty of time to have everything settled enough. Hopefully the Phantom Thieves business would be concluded as well.

Yu turned to look at her for a moment. "Where do you have in mind?" he asked.

"I don't know yet." Naoto admitted. "But, we're both in dire need of a chance to relax. Somewhere quiet, where I don't have to keep my cellphone on or worry about someone falling into the TV." She wanted as far away from the Metaverse for a while as she could possibly get.

She wouldn't shy away from what needed to be done, but even she was growing weary of the constant battles they seemed to be under.

"I think I'd like that." Yu said, nodding his head. "We'll definitely see what we can do." But for now, it was just a pin in the calendar. Something to save money for.

Regardless, Naoto was pleased Yu agreed and so she just continued cooking dinner. Everything would come in time, all they could do was wait and prepare to be as ready for it as they possibly could be. And if she knew Yu, he was already coming up with plans that could be put into place.

She just hoped it was enough.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira arrived in Akihabara and glanced around. He then began to walk towards the arcade where he'd usually meet up with Shinya. He spotted the younger boy already playing the game of choice, both hands holding the gun in an almost professional manner while he fired the plastic gun at the screen.

And when the victory screen popped up, Akira stepped up and swiped his card for the arcade and drew the plastic gun on his side. "Nice shooting there." Akira told the younger boy before he paid for Shinya's booth as well.

Shinya smirked a bit. "You think you can keep up with the King?" he asked a bit in a joking manner. When it came time to play, Shinya was competitive and full of bravado.

"I'll manage." Akira said as he soon set to work with the gun, his screen moving in sync with Shinya's.

"Uh not like that." Shinya said as he continued to work, a sharp focused eye as he continued shooting. "It's not bad though, you got a better grasp for the mechanics than when you first started. Aim for the arm that's holding the gun."

"Yeah, yeah." Except most Shadows didn't carry guns, so it wasn't something that Akira was able to practice all that often.

"Man, look at them go, they're completely in sync." One of the bystanders spoke up.

"The King is in top form today, but whoever the frizzy haired guy is, he's matching him shot for shot." Another said.

Akira drowned it out as he continued taking shots. And eventually they won, taking a top score for the map. Akira briefly noted that he had outscored Shinya while he input A. Kurusu in for the record placement. He took first while Shinya's 'The King' flashed at second.

Shinya turned to him as the crowd began to disperse, leaving the two alone. Shinya shoved his hands into his pockets and gave a slight smile. "Well I'll be, I've got nothing left to teach you. You're an elite player on your own accord Akira-san."

"It's thanks to my teacher." Akira chuckled a bit. "Come on," He motioned away from the cabinet. "I'll buy you a drink while we talk." Together the pair headed for the vending machines. Akira paid for two drinks, letting Shinya pick what he wanted while he chose a tea for himself.

Shinya took a drink of his soda. "I didn't do all that much." He said with a bit of humility. "You worked hard and took the top spot for yourself. I don't think anyone's going to be able to take it away either." He grinned a bit. "Buut, I'll definitely take all the credit as your teacher." He said with a laugh.

Akira shook his head a bit but grinned regardless. "Go ahead." He told the young boy.

"Have you noticed my play style has changed?" Shinya asked, eager and ready to offer things he thought would impress Akira, it was the same with any child really. "I feel… calmer under pressure. I wonder if it's because I'm not so obsessed with winning now."

"Probably plays a role in it." Akira said. "And you play better for it. I noticed your score was a fair margin higher than it used to be. You're able to react better since you're not so tense."

Shinya looked surprised by that but he nodded. 'I guess that makes sense." He said. "I haven't really thought about it." There was a slight pause from Shinya. "I invited some people here today. They should be here soon…" he said.

Akira glanced around and spotted the three before Shinya. He glanced towards the hat wearing boy a moment as Shinya spotted them and they spotted Shinya. The largest of the three boys took the lead and stepped up. He glanced towards Akira a moment, almost sizing him up. Akira arched a brow slightly, did he really look like some push over?

The boy then looked to Shinya. "What did you want to talk to us about?" He asked, his tone defensive.

Shinya was quiet a moment before he spoke. "I'm sorry!" he said clearly. Akira could see the look of surprise on the other kids' face. "I finally realized how selfish I was being. Please forgive me. I'd understand if you guys don't, but… I promise I'll pay back the money as soon as I save it up, regardless of if you do or don't."

Akira was a little surprised but proud of Shinya. It was a mature thing to do. And while a part of him was tempted to just give Shinya the money, a present for that maturity, he didn't want Shinya to get into a mindset of things being given to him when things got difficult.

"Well… what do you want to do?" The bigger boy asked one of the smaller, quieter boys who looked at his feet quietly.

"That's all I wanted to say. Thanks for coming" Shinya said. He then turned to Akira. "Let's go." he said a bit somberly.

"W-wait!" The quiet boy in glasses said. He stepped forward to Shinya. "I'm not very good at Gun About. Will you teach me to be better?"

"Huh?" Shinya looked surprised, staring at the other kid a moment.

"Sorry kids, I don't mean to interrupt." Akira turned, watching the professional that Shinya had lost to stroll up. He was curious, what was a professional doing there? In a way, it wasn't any of his business.

"It's the pro-gamer." One of the kids said with a hint of surprise.

"It's been a while, hasn't it kid?" The professional asked, looking to Shinya. "Want to play a game? I haven't had any worthy opponents in a bit."

Shinya glanced to the side slightly. But the quiet boy with glasses caught his eye and gave a slight nod, clearly surprising Shinya. Akira watched, a slight smile worming onto his face. It seemed Shinya had gotten some friends and didn't need him to hang around anymore.

"I've gotten better since we last played, you know." Shinya said. "I've learned how to stay calm in battle." He held his chin up high. "I'm going to blast through that pitch black armor of yours."

"So you believe those rumors they say about me huh? Well a full display of my skills should put an end to that lie." He turned to head towards the Gun About cabinet.

Shinya followed suit, followed by the three other younger students. Akira followed behind. He stood behind the professional gamer while they started up. And Akira could see a difference. Shinya stayed calm, he stayed focused, he kept his shooter's stance so that his aim was steady. The professional had a lackadaisical air about him, holding the gun with one hand. But the outcome would hardly be like last time.

"The hell? I can't shoot!" The Professional said loudly.

"Stay calm." Shinya told himself. "As calm as you can be." Akira smiled slightly.

"I… Lost?" The Professional said when the match was over.

"Stop using that armor." Shinya said, turning to face the professional. "And start playing fair. It's unacceptable to break the rules just to win, whether you're an adult or a child. And if you don't stop, I'll tell everyone."

That was if it wasn't uploaded to social media by any of the people standing around. Akira thought Shinya was trying to be fair, but a little unrealistic.

"No, I can't admit defeat." The professional said. "It'll be the end of everything!" Now he was just being melodramatic.

Shinya must have thought similar to Akira. "No it won't." He said, shaking his head. "Your life will go on even after you lose. But if you don't stop now, then eventually it really will be the end of everything." Shinya warned. "I don't want you going through that."

The professional gave a sound. "Well said… for a kid..." He ran a hand down his face. "I won't enter the tournament. See you around." He walked off past Akira.

"Dude, that was insane, you beat a professional." The taller boy said, stepping up to Shinya.

"The King's the new champ!" The quiet boy said.

"Nah…" Shinya shook his head. "I'm not. I haven't even entered a tournament yet." He shook his head again. "Besides, it's thanks to you guys that I was able to get better."

Slowly though, after a few more rounds of Gun About, the other kids began to leave. It left Akira and Shinya there.

"Everyone's gone home. We should soon be heading out too." Shinya said. He gave a sound, almost like a sniffle. "I'm so happy."

"You made some new friends." Akira said. He knew the feeling. He had experienced it quite a bit in the past several months.

"Yeah." Shinya said with a smile. "I used to think winning was the coolest thing, but being nice is pretty cool too." He turned to look at Akira. "Losing wasn't the end of everything, it was like a new beginning. With your help… I was able to change. Now it's my turn to help others." He pressed his fist into his other palm, a bit of an aggressive sign of wanting to help others, but one that Akira would let slide. "My mom, my friends, even people I don't know." He said.

"Careful with that last one." Akira said, even if it was a bit hypocritical of him.

"I wonder…" Shinya looked up at Akira. "Will helping others help me become a member of the Phantom Thieves?" That Shinya still believed in them, despite everything that happened, Akira was glad for it.

Akira chuckled a bit. He was right, they hadn't exactly hid themselves from Shinya. "Saw the video huh?" He asked.

"Yeah, I also put two and two together when I saw you change your handle from Joker." Shinya said in a lower tone. "But don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He was quiet a bit more. "This looks like the last time we'll play together. There's nothing left to teach you and it looks like the Phantom Thieves are in a tough spot against a tough opponent. Shido huh?"

Akira stayed quiet. They had already gone after Shido, but then the populace didn't know their exact methods.

"Thanks." Shinya said. "For hanging out with a lonely kid like me. I'll continue to do my best." Shinya held up his fist.

Akira chuckled and brought his fist up and bumped it against the younger boy's. "Hey, don't talk like we won't play anymore. I need to keep my skills sharp." He said. "I might be busy for a while, but we'll definitely play again. Keep shooting for that high score of mine." Akira could feel something bloom in his chest, the Blood Oath surfacing.

"I've shown you my ultimate move." Shinya said. "Now, you won't lose to anyone. But I'll be coming for that top spot. Just you wait."

Akira smirked a bit to the younger boy. "I look forward to it. And don't worry, if we need you when we're done, and you're a little older, we'll let you into the Phantom Thieves." Akira put a finger to his lips, showing that it was meant to be a quiet thing.

He then walked off, knowing Shinya would do just fine.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Ugh… This is so late.**

 **I'm not going to lie, I'm kinda burned out on this story. It's eaten a lot of my free time this past year that I've worked on it. I have a backlog of video games about a dozen games deep that I've bought but haven't played cause they'll take some time. Fate Grand/Order I've been slacking on despite wanting to do so much more than I have.**

 **I think we have about… eight to ten chapters left of this story. I will finish it, and the next chapter I finish up Akira's rank ten bonds.**

 **Then we headed into Yaldabaoth.**


	47. Chapter 46: Precious Moments

Chapter 46: Precious Moments

His phone buzzed. Akira looked up from his spot on his desk, making tools for the Phantom Thieves to use in Mementos If they were heading into the final battle, then he wanted to make sure that everything was in order before they the buzzing of his phone, likely one of his friends wanting to hang out, would make for a welcome distraction. He smiled a little bit and reached out to grab it, bringing it up so he could see who it was.

It was Futaba.

The shy, somewhat shut in girl had come a long way since they had first talked over the phone, through texts. Now her excitement shown through whenever she was on a topic that she cared deeply for. And they had talked about various ways they could upgrade Akira's computer on the cheap.

And she was asking him over to her room to talk. A bit odd since she had come to his room plenty of times, but he could acquiesce to her request. Standing, Akira stretched and cracked his knuckles. It would also give him time away from making the Thief Tools that he had been working on for the past while.

He headed out of Leblanc. Sojiro gave him a bit of a look, but considering the school day was almost over, Akira would be able to blend a little better. And it wasn't like he was going by the Joker handle in his day to day either.

Just Akira Kurusu, a no one.

He headed over to Sojiro's house and knocked on the door. He was only slightly surprised when it swung open, revealing Futaba had already been waiting on him. Or more likely had seen him coming on the various cameras that she had around. He should really have a talk with her in regards to those and taking them down, especially since she made such headway already.

He took a seat at the edge of Futaba's bed, watching as she sat cross legged at the end. She was also all stiff, like a spring ready to snap. "Futaba?" He asked.

"Th-This can't be helped! It's a small room! S… So I should be pardoned!" Futaba burst out.

Akira blinked, "What are you talking about?" Akira asked, looking at the girl.

"Being okay without you around." Futaba said, looking to the bedsheets. "It's like the complete opposite of that c-cramped up in here!" She shivered and swallowed before giving him a strong look. "But I went shopping in Akihabara all by myself the other day!" she said, her declaration proud and firm. "The crowd freaked me out and my palms got all sweaty, but I managed." Another shudder stole through Futaba, as though she was remembering something difficult. And in some way, Akira supposed it was for her. "I felt like I was going to throw up."

Akira watched Futaba a little bit more. He sat up a bit straighter as he realized what she was talking about a little bit more. She had been wanting to get better, to be better for herself. She wanted to rely on him less just to do day to day things. And she said she had gone to Akihabara by herself.

"And see!" She pointed up to a new figurine on her shelf. "That's the proof! Don't you think it suits me? It's totally cute and it doesn't even have a weird armband!" She said excitedly. Maybe it was the anxiety finally coming off of her like rain. It was difficult for Akira to say one way or another.

Akira smiled a little bit over at Futaba. "That's good." He said. "You've come a long way. But why all the way out to Akihabara?" he asked. "Why not go to the grocery store just around the corner and get a drink on your own or something like that?"

Futaba shook her head. "No. That would still be too much in my comfort zone." She said. "I needed to do something that would make things more difficult for me. Things that would actually test how far I've come. After we helped Kana-chan, after we dealt with my… Uncle... " Futaba shivered a bit, clearly facing certain memories that were better off forgotten. "I wanted to see how far I've come. I still have so far to go, but I actually feel like I accomplished something." Akira supposed that he actually understood.

If Futaba wanted to feel like she could handle him not being around, then she needed to go outside of the normal places and actually go somewhere that was full of people that wouldn't know her.

"Anyways," Futaba said, breathing a little steadier. "Mission complete, huh?"

"Great job Futaba." Akira said calmly, smiling slightly at the younger girl.

"Walking around was actually… kinda fun." Futaba said. "But… me being next to you in this room, it can't be helped…" Futaba said

"I know." Akira said, nodding his head. Now that he knew what she was talking about, he could most certainly claim that she had been pardoned.

"Then, I completed the promise list? I got the platinum?" Futaba said. Akira nodded his head again. Her enthusiasm was something else to behold. "I did it! The trophy's gonna pop in the upper right corner of my room here, right?!" She asked.

"Sorry, it doesn't work that way in real life." Akira said. "Else I should have one for avoiding death." He said in a joking manner. Really though, he was proud of how far Futaba had come since he had first been introduced to her. She was much more open than she had been, much happier.

Maybe not more normal, but then again being normal was overrated. Akira loved all of his strange friends. They were awesome.

"So… Uh…" Futaba fidgeted a bit. "Closer…. Me… Near… Okay?"

Akira shook his head. "Futaba, relax. Breathe." He told her. "You can sit closer to me, it's okay." Futaba moved closer to sit beside him on the bed. She did maintain a little bit of distance, but it was close enough that they could be taken as a couple to someone uninformed.

"You gave me permission, so no take backs!" Futaba said from her spot, still looking to the floor. She seemed to be trembling ever so slightly, and Akira couldn't help but wonder how bad her anxiety was, how long it would remain.

He wondered if he could do anything to help her, but it seemed that it was forever out of his grasp.

Futaba set her chin in her hand. "It's the same room I see every single day, the same room I've always had." She said, glancing around. "But today, it looks so different." She paused a moment. "But it's not just here… My whole world is expanding. Every day brings new activities and different discoveries. The Beach, Inaba, it's all so new and exciting."

"New and exciting isn't necessarily bad." Akira said.

"But it's all different!" Futaba said excitedly. "The direction of Sojiro's cowlick, the atmosphere of Yongen, the various types of coffee beans… Everything might be the same as it was yesterday, it might be the same as it will be tomorrow, but from my perspective it's all spinning around so rapidly!"

Akira shook his head, chuckling. He couldn't help his amusement. "Futaba, relax." He said. He saw her look at him. "I mean, the direction of Sojiro's cowlick?" He asked amused.

Futaba smacked him in the stomach. "You know what I mean!" she said. "I never really thought I'd experience it after Mom…" She trailed off. "But now… now it's like endless doors are opening up in front of me and it's making my head spin. I just hope I can keep changing, little by little, just like everyone else is doing."

"We're all there to support you Futaba." Akira said. "So don't feel afraid to ask for help from anyone."

Futaba nodded and smiled. "Yeah, thanks Akira." she said softly. "Oh! I got a text from Kana-chan." she said. "She says she's getting a job at a convenience store. It sounds like she's happy just trying to be a normal teenager." It was a sensation that Akira could certainly relate to. "She plans to get study guides with the money she'll make so she'll be able to take the high school entrance exams. Even Kana-chan is trying to step out into the world."

The world was a tough place, but Akira wished the girl the best of luck.

But he could hear the admiration in Futaba's voice for the other girl. He wondered if it was that Futaba was admiring her for stepping out into the world, or if she admired the girl for being able to go do a mundane thing like getting a job. "High School is tough you know, but we'll help you out." he said.

Futaba looked surprised. "The Phantom Thieves are more important right now." She blushed slightly, but seemed pleased that they would help her. There wasn't even a question of if they would do it. They simply would.

They lapsed into silence for a bit. Akira just took in the younger girl's room for a while.

"Oh!" Futaba said, as though she just remembered something. "You said you would give me a reward if I finished my promise list, remember?" She said excitedly.

"I remember." Akira said, turning to face Futaba once more. "And I suppose you have completed your list. So, what sort of reward do you want?"

Futaba smiled a little bit. "I thought of getting you to get me something at Akihabara, but as I was there and looking at things, I couldn't help but realize it was all the stuff I could get on my own." She said. "I wanted something uniquely yours, uniquely Joker." She said. Akira arched his brow slightly at the comment. She didn't mean she wanted him to abuse their powers, did she? No. No, of course not. "I mean, I already have a few things that I wouldn't have been able to get on my own if it wasn't for you being nosey. I have so many friends now!" she said excitedly. "But more importantly, you gave me something more important than anything. You gave me my life back. I'm not trapped in here anymore, thinking it was me that drove Mom to kill herself. It's thanks to you that I learned that I'm fine just the way that I am, that I can trust in the memories of my mom again. You resurrected me, better than any Phoenix Down." she said.

Akira couldn't help the slight snort at her game reference. "I'd argue I'm more like a Phoenix Down than say a Fairy."

Futaba giggled a bit. "Both analogies are pretty bad. But I had fallen, so both work really. But I want to do that for others through our work as the Phantom Thieves. It might be coming to an end, but who knows what the future might bring. I want to give people their lives back. If I had acted for my own sake, I wouldn't be able to put my full effort forward. But remembering our friends, remembering you, it's like I'm tapping into this well of infinite power!"

Futaba jolted a moment and brought her hands up to her chest, clearly feeling the power of her words manifesting in her Persona. Akira had seen it happen a few times already, and so he knew the signs of it now. The way Futaba's eyes turned distance and the way she was muttering under her breath.

"Prometheus…" She said softly. Futaba snapped out of it and looked to Akira. "You gave me my life back, so I'm going to put my life on the line to help you. I'll do whatever I can to help."

"If I need help, I'll ask." Akira said. "But leave the front line work to us, okay?" he asked.

Futaba shivered but nodded. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. My hands still sometimes shake when I think about the weight of Yu's sword." Akira could only imagine. He reached a hand out and placed it on her shoulder in a comforting manner. She seemed to snap out of it. "Oh, also, I never said I was going to let my reward go unclaimed!" Futaba said. "Now lemme see here.. How about a month's supply of yakisoba?"

"Not a chance in hell." Akira said bluntly.

"Aw, c'mon! Why not?!" Futaba asked. "I thought you honored your promises!"

"I do, but I'm not buying you a month's supply of a snack food that you'll eat in just a few sittings. I've seen you eat three as a snack, and then come back for a plate of curry." Akira said. "Plus the sodium content on them is outrageous, and you need better food.

"Ugh! You and Sojiro both!" She said, throwing her hands up.

"And I'll get Makoto to go Queen on you if I have to." Akira came back. The threat of Makoto going Queen on them worked to keep most of the Phantom Thieves in line.

"Nooo! I'll be good!" Futaba's eyes went wide at the threat. Eventually that threat wasn't going to work, but it seemed to be just fine still.

"Hey, Futaba? You in there? HAve you seen Akira?" Sojiro called out.

"Yeah!" Futaba called, opening the door. "He's in here with me." She said.

Akira offered a wave, even as he saw the suspicious look that Sojiro gave him. "See, nothing untoward happening either. Keeping my hands to myself." He spotted the blush that Futaba gave, but promptly ignored it. Nothing _was_ happening after all.

"You're getting too much of Doctor Takemi's sense of humor." Sojiro said bluntly. Likely trying to divert that he had been caught by Akira with the suspicious look. "But this makes it easier. Get ready to go." Sojiro said, glancing to Futaba a moment. "We're going to go visit Wakaba." He said a bit more somberly.

"Mom…" Futaba immediately looked down, wincing slightly.

Akira stood up then. He had a feeling he knew where they were going to go then. "I'll watch the shop." He offered.

"Quiet. You're going with." Sojiro said, much to Akira's surprise. "So come on, bring the cat if you need to."

Futaba glanced in Akira's direction before he motioned for her to go first. He followed behind, even as he thought about why Sojiro was taking him along. Questions to be answered for later, he supposed. But they headed down and go their shoes on before loading into Sojiro's car.

Akira settled in the back, remembering Sojiro's words about not really letting guys sit in the front. Then again, he didn't often see Sojiro driving his car. He spent most of his time at the cafe or at home with Sakura. He wasn't as much of a player as he made himself out to be.

It wasn't too long until they were at the church, with Sojiro putting the car into park. He took a deep inhale, he looked almost nervous. And Akira noticed Futaba fidgeting a little bit. What could he say that would put either of them at lease? Eventually, he just got out of the car.

The suddenness of it seemed to surprise both Sojiro and Futaba into movement, getting out of the car as well. Out of habit, Sojiro put his hat on, even though he would likely be taking it off once they were inside the place of worship.

"I'm going to go ahead." Futaba said softly before she made her way into the church, almost slinking in like she was going to get scolded for it.

"She's still got it rough." Akira said. "We did what we could, and she's stronger for it, but some things… some Demons just don't let go."

"Yeah." Sojiro said. He inhaled and began to walk in with Akira. And as expected, the hat came off his head. "I… always think about Wakaba on the anniversary of her death." Sojiro spoke softly as they moved through the pews. "But… it's been a while since I visited. I've just been so busy with the shop and all… No…" Sojiro shook his head. "That's not it. The guilt is what kept me from coming. I thought Wakaba would be angry with me, that I've failed her."

"It's easy for me to say that you didn't, I'm looking in from the outside after all." Akira said. "You're Futaba's dad. Not her father, but her dad. I don't think I need to explain the difference to you. But, I doubt you'd as easily accept my words."

"Heh. No, no I wouldn't." Sojiro said with some honesty as they made their way towards a side alcove. "But now, now that I managed to get Futaba over here, I think I can finally meet Wakaba with my head held high."

"Futaba's never been to visit?" Akira asked, slightly surprised by that turn.

"Given how much of a shut in she had been?" Sojiro asked. "I sure kept Wakaba waiting but… I have a feeling it'll feel good to tell her about how much Futaba's improved. She's getting out of her room, she's got plenty of friends, had her first crush." Sojiro glanced in Akira's direction.

"Uhh… yeah… I noticed that too." Akira said a bit awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "I tried to let her down easy, and I think she's managing to bounce back." Though the less the topic was brought up with the shut in girl, probably the better.

"Ha." Sojiro shook his head a bit. "Thank you for giving it ot Futaba straight without any of the run around. I plan to tell Wakaba about you too."

Akira smiled a bit. "Thanks." He still wasn't certain what the apparition of Wakaba Isshiki within Futaba's Palace had been, but he supposed in a way she already knew about him.

"Idiot." Sojiro said, a bit exasperated. " _I_ should be the one thanking _you_." He smirked slightly and crossed his arms. "Huh… This is the first time the four of us are together."

"Sojiro?" Futaba asked as she walked up, her arms tucked behind her back slightly. "What are you smirking for?"

"Er… This is what my real smile looks like." Sojiro said, as though taken aback by the questioning.

"I approve." Futaba said before turning and walking away, clearly having said her peace already to her mother.

"Phew…" Sojiro heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, I have some news. I got a call the other day from the family court. Futaba's uncle decided to retract his report. It was because of you guys, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. Futaba and I went in without anyone else. She wanted to keep the situation as private as possible." Akira said softly.

Sojiro sighed as he turned to look at Futaba who was gazing at a confessional booth. "I wonder if the day will come that she goes out to be someone's bride. I'm sure she'll make a fine lady either way. After all, she's Wakaba's daughter." He gave another sigh, his shoulders drooping a bit as he scratched the back of his neck again. "Do all fathers have to go through this anxiety?" he asked.

"Only the best ones." Akira turned to look at Sojiro in the eyes. "And you are the best for her."

Sojiro laughed a bit and shifted his weight on his feet. "You know, I _really_ did just want you help out at the store." He said a bit more seriously, even if it was on a happier note. "You should me so much more. You showed me I have a family I need to protect. And I'm not just talking about Futaba. You as well." Sojiro turned to face Akira a little more head on. "I may not always be reliable, but feel free to come to me if anything happens. I'll be there for you as family."

"Who's spreading slander about you, old man?" Akira asked with a slight smirk. "Not always reliable my foot." Akira shook his head and looked at to older man more seriously, more intently. "Sojiro, when I legitimately had no one else to turn to, before I had the friends that I do, you helped me out. Yeah, it might have been as a favor to my mom, but you took in some no named, punk kid that got expelled from high school. You took that punk kid and saw that he had gotten a bad rap, and went out on a limb to try and help him by teaching him some skills. You're more reliable than you give yourself credit for. Now don't let me catch you saying it again or I'll tell Futaba."

Sojiro laughed a bit at that. "Alright, alright." Sojiro conceded after a moment. "Then as my pupil, I'll teach you everything I can. You're a full-fledged man now. It might not be enough to return the favor, but it's all I can do."

Akira shook his head a bit. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask, but it can wait until later." Akira motioned slightly to Futaba, even as he felt the warmth blooming in his chest.

"Sojiro! Are you done yet?" Futaba called out. "I hunger!"

"I'm going, I'm going." Sojiro said, shaking his head a bit exasperated with Futaba.

Akira laughed a little bit but made his way over to Futaba. "You make your peace?" he asked her.

"Yeah… What peace could be had." Futaba said, hanging her head a bit. "It just… It doesn't feel like Mom." She said.

"I wish I could say I know the feeling." Akira said. "But you might be better off talking to Naoto-kun about that."

"Do you think she would talk about it?" Futaba asked, turning to look at Akira.

"It's hard to say." Akira shrugged slightly. "But let's go wait out by the car for the old man. He'll make his way to us."

Futaba nodded. "He probably needs more time than I do anyways." She whispered softly.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira inhaled as he stepped into Crossroads. It had only been about a week since their raid on Shido's Palace, and already he was getting anxious and nervous. It was why he was trying to fill his time as much as possible with spending it with the various people he met. He had no idea what the future would bring and he wanted to make certain that everyone was satisfied, that everyone would be happy.

"Ohayo Akira-kun!" Ohya boisterously called out from her spot at the bar, a drink already in her hand. "I got great news!" There wasn't anyone else currently in the bar with the exception of Lala, who was in the back from the sounds of things. "My chief got the draft approved for my special expose on the Phantom Thieves. It talks about their origin and the root of the problem they're trying to solve. I think it captures the spirit of journalism quite well."

"Well, someone sounds earnest." Akira said as he stepped behind the bar. While he wasn't allowed to mix drinks, he could pour certain drinks.. "What're you drinking, or has Lala cut you off yet?"

"Lala-chan hasn't cut me off. As for what I'm drinking, it's just seltzer water." Ohya said. "And I'll have you know, I am a journalist. This is my field of expertise." She said with a smile. She motioned for a refill.

Akira took the half empty glass from in front of her and filled it up before setting it back down in front of her. He also found the notepad Lala used to keep track of Ohya's drinks and included it.

"The higher ups were of course against it, but this expose has been very popular with our readers." she said with a slight grin. "Since we've sold so many copies, there's nothing they can do about it… or us." Akira wasn't quite as certain about that as the reporter was. But regardless, he wished her the best. "So, while we have the chance, we're throwing in additional articles." She then took a drink.

Akira chuckled a bit. "I'll be sure to read the next issues then."

"Thanks. I'll still be counting on your contributions." Ohya said. She took a drink and her expression turned a little more somber. "I've been quietly making preparations to write a story about Shido's confidant too. I'm going to uncover the truth, I swore this to Kayo."

"Just be safe." Akira said.

"Thanks." Ohya closed her eyes and scratched the back of her neck softly. "Whenever I felt like giving up, you encouraged me to keep going. It's all thanks to you that I was able to get this far." Ohya opened her eyes to catch Akira's gaze. "Mister Phantom Thief leader."

"Yeah, yeah, I moved too openly." Akira said, shaking his head.

"You're not even going to deny it? That takes the fun out of it." Ohya said teasingly. "The chief's change of heart happened exactly the same as those other cases. The timing was… flawless. And I found it reaaally interesting that you asked for the name of my Chief after asking for the name of Junya Kaneshiro."The woman leaned against the bar, smirking slightly. "I am a journalist. It's my job to put the pieces together you know."

"What can I say?" Akira said with a shrug. "You were in a tight spot, and we're friends." He said simply.

"Thanks." The reporter said and drank her water. "I truly do believe in the Phantom Thieves still. Helping the weak, punishing the bad people. The whole white knight stuff," She said with a slight wave of her hand. "In a way, we both do the same things. Exposing the Ills of society. I might not be able to do much, but if you need any help with Shido… Don't hesitate to ask. I won't tell anyone your identity so we can make a united front against the evil of society. If it wasn't for you, I would have never been able to return to my true, journalist self. And it feels good to be back." She arched her back, stretching her hands over her head.

Akira poured himself a glass of plain tap water. "Here's to you, Ohya." He held up the glass before he took a drink. He felt the blooming in his chest of the Blood Vow

"And here's to you." Ohya raised her own glass. "And keeping society clean of the riff raff." She took a drink. "So… how come you always came back?" She asked. "Coulda easily kept your nose out of things, got the bit of information you needed and been done with little ol' me." She gave a wicked smile then. "Oh, I know…' Akira felt a sense of foreboding. He thought about Yu's Devil Confidant and wondered if the other shoe was about to drop. "I bet you wanted to learn a thing or two from an older woman." She smiled sensuously.

The alarms went off in Akira's mind. And he was now in a trickier situation that would potentially insult Ohya. "I have a girlfriend." he said bluntly.

"Then trying to learn something that would put a smile on her face?" Ohya asked teasingly. "I wouldn't necessarily mind showing you a thing or two."

Ah jeez! "Sorry, you're not my type." Akira said, trying to be as polite as possible. Which wasn't strictly true. Ohya was intelligent and hardworking, two things he had admitted to Ann and Ryuji in the past of finding attractive. He wondered if it was just Ohya feeling free enough to tease him, or if she was genuine about wanting to show him a few things that he really didn't want to learn at that current moment.

And that wasn't counting the fact that Makoto could, and likely would, serve him his testicles on a plate. And that was before he considered Sae as the prosecutor that she was. While she wouldn't necessarily take direct action for Makoto, he couldn't rule out the possibility that Sae might let something… slip if he hurt Makoto.

Ohya laughed a little bit. "Ah man, it's been a while since I felt so comfortable to cut loose like that." She said. "And I know you're not that kinda guy." She said and took a drink. "When I stretched earlier, you didn't even glance. Kinda impressive actually. I think I'd have a lot of fun with you if I had the chance." She rested her cheek on her knuckles on the bar. "So… I bet it's one of the girls in the video. Hmm… Now which one… Catsuit? No… Someone like you wouldn't go for someone so… loud. Not loud in the sense of volume, but… blonde hair, red catsuit? Just a loud appearance."

Akira shook his head and went to the sink to begin washing dishes. "I'm not having this conversation with you Ohya."

"And what conversation would that be?" Lala asked as she came from the back.

"Oh, I'm just trying to figure out which of his friends is his girlfriend." Ohya said. "I eliminated the blonde, she's not his type. She sticks out too much."

"I know which one he went for." Lala said as she made her way towards Ohya. "Pretty thing, reminded me of the first time I fell in love as a little girl." She sighed in a content manner.

"Oh? Do tell more." Ohya said, leaning on the bar. "I'm sensing a juicy scoop and the reporter in me needs to know the details."

"Careful…" Akira said. Just as he could be terrified of Sae Niijima, he figured others could be as well. "Makoto's sister is a well known prosecutor. Intimidating woman."

"Well… known…" Ohya blinked a moment as her mind put two and two together. "Oh… Oh… _Oh…_ " She stood up. "Akira-kun! Backroom! Now!"

"I…." Akira paused, blinking as her earlier teasing came to mind rather than the seriousness of how she seemed.

"I'll head back to the back." Lala said. "Ohya-chan seems serious about this." She said before moving past Akira to go into the backroom to stack more cases of beer.

Ohya moved over towards where Akira was by the sink. "Is Sae Niijima building a case against Masayoshi Shido?" she asked in a low whisper. "With everything you guys said, I have no doubt a lot of it is true, but would Kaya's photo help Niijima-san?"

There were times where Akira's brain was a little slower on the uptake. He hadn't had it happen during battle yet, but it was something that occurred from time to time. However, he began to put the pieces together as well. Sae likely _was_ building a case against Shido. And the photo that Ohya had from Kaya would very likely help take down one of Shido's conspirators.

"You can always send it to her, but I don't know everything involved with prosecution." Akira said. "You can always make a copy and send the copy to her in case you don't want to risk losing the original."

Ohya looked at him seriously. "Has Shido's change of heart already happened?" she asked. "Is he going to confess? Or… Or is it like what happened with Okumura?" she asked carefully. "Not saying you guys caused it deliberately or that it was you guys."

"Okumura was an accident that we didn't see coming." Akira said. "Someone else used our methods to… Do that. But as far as we know, Shido should be confessing any day now."

Ohya nodded and looked down. "I think I need to go." She said. "There's just… so much that needs done. Lala-chan! Put the drinks on my tab! I had something come up!" Ohya then headed out of the bar, her strides long and quick.

Akira shook his head. That had to be the most abrupt changes in tone that he had to deal with in a while. "Lala, I'm going to finish up and head out since Ohya just ran off." She had been the one to call him there after all.

"That's fine. Whatever Ohya-chan needs to do, it seems to have lit a nice fire in her." The owner stepped back into the bar. "And thanks a lot Akira-kun. You do fine work. Maybe we can get Aki-chan to come back some time."

Akira felt his cheeks warm up as he flushed and looked away. He didn't want to insult the woman by saying what he felt. "Probably not. It's not my thing." He focused in on the dishes.

 _Take Your Time_

She glanced to her phone as it buzzed and quickly reached over for it. ' **Coming up the back now** _ **'**_ was displayed on the screen and she brushed her hands off on the P.E. Uniform. Haru stood up and glanced around a moment at the work she had done.

Her heart fluttered in her chest, threatening to break out. She was so nervous about the meeting, but she had to be strong. Sojiro had been gracious enough to let her roast her beans at his coffee shop and show her how he made his coffee. From grinding the beans with a burr grinder so that it was an even consistency to making each cup via a drip method.

It seemed silly, that all her hopes and dreams were riding on a singular cup of coffee.

And that didn't even go into the conversation she was planning to have with Akira. That was going to be embarrassing enough as it was. Her stomach was a tangle of knots.

Speak of the devil, here he came now.

Haru could feel herself brighten up as she spotted Akira as he came across the school's rooftops. He offered a wave a bit, the bag usually carrying Morgana was absent. "You're still working on the gardens?" he asked, sounding a little surprised.

It was after all December.

Haru glanced around. 'I like playing in the dirt." She stated in a mildly playful manner. "But it helps keep me calm, and I can't help but feel like there's a lot riding on this. I'm all… twisted."

Akira nodded his head a moment. "Well, are you ready?" he asked her. "We can do this another day if you want."

Haru shook her head. "No, I want it to be today." She said. "Come on, my driver should be here by now and we can slip down the back as well." Haru then headed over to the door that led up to the rooftop and opened it. She locked it before letting the door close with them on the roof.

"Back to a driver huh?" Akira asked. He sounded a little sad for her, at least for Haru.

"Of my own volition." She said politely. She didn't want to give the wrong idea. "After my father's passing…" Haru flinched a bit. It still hurt. It still cut deep. "People kept wanting to talk to me. I decided the privacy of being picked up from school was better for me." She said.

Together, they headed down the outside exit. Haru watched as the fence came open easily enough. When Akira closed it, it was supposed to click and show it was locked. But there was no click. She turned to look at Akira a bit quizzically. "Why isn't it locking?"

"After Morgana and I picked the lock the first time," Akira admitted looking a little sheepish. "I put a piece of tape over the latch to keep it depressed. It looks pretty… criminal when I have to pick a lock. But with the tape, I can pretend a little easier that I have a key."

Haru shook her head a bit. "I don't know whether to be in shock or in awe at you." She said. "You're very resourceful, but it's almost like this comes too easy."

Akira hung his head and his shoulders. "I know." he said.

Haru smiled a little bit and patted his arm. "Regardless, you're a good man Akira-kun." She said. "And we, your friends, are grateful to have you." She led him towards the town car and spotted the driver. She saw him step out and open the back door of the car.

His eyes drifted to Akira and she moved to forestall the question. "He's with me Shinji-san." Haru said.

"Of course." Her driver responded easily and took her bag from her as she moved into the car. He seemed to look at Akira a long while as Akira got into the car. Shinji then closed the door and took her bag to the trunk.

The car ride was done in silence. Akira seemed to understand that she didn't really want to talk at the moment. She wanted to gather her thoughts into a plan of action that she could put into motion. The first thing she needed to do was get a shower and get changed into more business like clothes. She didn't need anything super fancy, but it would help sell her point.

At the building, Haru took her bag back from Shinji and led Akira inside. And it showed her family's wealth a little more than she liked it to. After all, it wasn't some tiny three room apartment, but a rather expensive penthouse. She was just glad that her father had agreed to let her spruce it up with plants.

It gave it a more homey feel to it.

"Please, make yourself at home Akira-kun." Haru said, turning to the younger man a moment. "I need to get ready for my meeting." She said.

"Do you want some coffee?" Akira asked politely.

Tempting. Very tempting. "No, I'll have a cup of my own when the time comes." She said. At Akira's nod, she turned and headed for her room with her own personal bathroom. She thought it a bit of an extravagant waste, moreso now that she was alone, but she wasn't going to deny the effectiveness of it.

It was a quick shower, something to take the dirt and sweat and grime off of her. She took the time to blow dry her hair before she stepped into her room to get dressed. As tempting as it would be to put on her school uniform, she chose differently. She selected a black skirt and a lavender blouse. It was all designed to give her a professional appearance.

Finally, she went to the kitchen and started to work on the coffee. She saw Akira standing there, but she had to focus on her task. He didn't offer any help, even if he wanted to. She appreciated that. The doorbell rang, and Haru stepped away from the dripping coffee. "Could you pull that when it's ready?" She asked Akira.

"Sure." He said.

She went to the door and opened it to see President Takakura. "Takakura-san, thank you for meeting with me." Haru said politely and with a smile.

"Of course Okumura-san." The older man said. "May I come in?"

"Yes, please do." Haru said and opened the door wider for him. She led him into the sitting area. "Please, have a seat." She motioned to the singular chair. "I'll return in just a moment. Do you take your coffee with cream or sugar?"

"None, thank you." Takakura said.

Haru went to the kitchen. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster. And a chill went through her as she stood in the kitchen a moment. This was really, really happening. A hand reached out and touched on her shoulder. She jolted a bit before she looked at Akira, eyes wide.

"It'll be okay." He whispered to her.

Haru looked to his eyes and nodded her head. She put both cups onto saucers before placing them on a tray. To hers, she added a dollop of cream and a spoonful of sugar before giving it a quick stir. She walked out carrying the tray, with Akira following behind her. She could see the surprise on Takakura's face. "Apologies, Takakura-san, this is my friend Akira Kurusu. I asked him to join me for this meeting as a bit of moral support." She said as she set the tray down. She then put Takakura's black coffee in front of him.

"Hello Kurusu-san." The older man said.

"Good Afternoon." Akira said politely before taking a seat.

Haru took her own coffee and set it down in front of her seat. She sat down and looked to the President of her father's company for a moment. "Please, try the coffee first." Haru said. "It has a point to our discussion."

She could see the confusion on the President's face as he looked to the coffee. "Very well Okumura-san." he said. He lifted the cup and took a sip at the same time she did. He clearly took the time to taste it, to examine the profile of the flavor. "Hmm… This flavor." He said when he was done. "Interesting." He looked to Haru. "What is it you would like to discuss with me? Does it concern the company?" he asked.

Haru inhaled deeply. "The truth, Takakura-san, is that after my father's death, I felt like I couldn't trust anyone at Okumura Foods." Haru admitted. She could see the surprise on Takakura's face. "That includes you, Takakura-san."

"That's… quite cruel." The President said, glancing down.

"Even now, there are proponents to me still marrying Sugimura-san, despite any betrothal being called off. They are even pressuring him into trying to push for it." Haru said. "But what I really wanted to discuss is…" She hesitated, wondering if she could really go through with it.

"Believe in yourself, Haru." Akira whispered softly. How did he know just the things to say, or the timing of them?

"The coffee you just had is special." Haru said, getting a little bit of her confidence back. "I grew the beans in my own garden, I handled the preparations. I didn't use an expensive blend, I didn't use any master brewing techniques. Truth be told, I don't believe it's a particularly good cup of coffee." Certainly not as good as what Akira or Sojiro made. "But I put my heart into it. That's what I called you here today."

Takakura glanced to hsi coffee cup and took another drink, looking at the coffee. She could see… something on his face but Haru couldn't exactly place it.

"I'm not suggesting we need to put this level of effort into the Okumura Foods coffee chain." Haru said. The expense of that was simply… Mind boggling. "And I'm not suggesting we should put a halt to the plan either." Okumura Foods got its start in a small little coffee shop with her grandfather. "However, I refuse to let my company serve low quality products to our customers."

Takakura folded his hands over themselves in his lap. "You know… this coffee is very similar to how your grandfather used to make it." He said. Haru couldn't help the surprise that came on her face at the comment.

"E-excuse me?" Haru asked surprised.

"I used to be a regular at his cafe." Takakura said. "That's actually how I ended up joining the company to begin with." He looked to Haru now. "To be honest, I was strongly opposed to closing the cafe, but I didn't have the power to make that decision at the time." Even as President, he was still in a position where he could be overruled. "I was planning on naming the new chain after his shop to make up for that though. I want to create a business that is loved by customers and employees alike, just as his cafe once was. A place where people can come to drink in the subtle joys of life."

"Is… is that so?" Haru was taken aback by what he said. Her mind raced, trying to catch up to what she had just heard.

"Haru-chan, I believe you have every right to distrust us." The President said honestly. "IF only someone had chosen to stand up to your father, things might have turned out differently. But I can truly sense the passion you put into this coffee. You are truly like your grandfather."

"I apologize for being so rude." Haru brought her hands up to her chin a moment.

"I want to apologize for trying to push you into abandoning your shares." Takakura said. "I thought they would be a burden to you, but I was clearly wrong. Haru-chan, won't you considering taking part in the next Company Meeting?"

Haru's eyes widened a moment. That was… That would be too much. "Me?" she asked.

"The truth is, the rumors of my being pleased at your father's passing were troubling to say the least." Takakura said. "I understand that not everyone agrees with the vision I have for this company, but I've spent great effort struggling against our Board of Directors to push Okumura Foods back on the right track. What I need is to communicate that thought as clearly as possible just as you did with this coffee." He leaned forward a bit. "Do you think you can assist me in accomplishing that, Haru-chan? I want to rebuild this company from the ground up."

Haru hesitated again, her stomach was doing flip flops. It was making her head spin.

"You'll do great Haru." Akira said, a little louder this time to show that he did support her, and wasn't hiding anything from Takakura.

Haru took strength from his words again. She breathed deeply and exhaled slowly. She rose to her feet. "I would be glad to join you, Takakura-san." She said firmly.

"Excellent. Your grandfather would be proud. AS would your father." The President said. "And by the way, the coffee was superb."

HAru offered a bow, putting her hands in front of her. "Thank you very much." She said.

"It would seem that I need to apologize for another misunderstanding." Takakura said. "It was my impression you were happy with Sugimura-san and I might have pushed to continue with the betrothal, despite Sugimura-san's decision to break it off. I wanted you to have all the support you needed." He glanced over towards Akira. "But it would seem that you have your own support." He said.

"Huh?!" Haru jolted a bit. Had she truly been that transparent?

"I'll do my best to help squash the support." Takakura said. "I hadn't realized you grew up into such a kind, strong young woman, Haru-chan. My apologies for not seeing it sooner." Takakura took a moment to enjoy the rest of his coffee before he stood up. "Good night, Haru-chan." He said before he began to walk towards the door.

Haru followed him to let him out, closing the door and locking it behind him. Relief flooded through her, even as he stomach tightened into a knot. A sob of happiness escaped her before she stifled it. Now wasn't the time to be crying.

Akira approached. "Haru? You alright?" he asked.

Haru composed herself with a slight sniffle and she wiped at her eyes. "Yes, thank you Akira-kun." she said, She was grateful as he led her towards the couch to sit down once more. She looked to her coffee a moment, knowing that there was a heavy silence between them.

It wasn't awkward, but neither of them seemed ready to break it. No doubt they both knew what the topic that would break it would be. And perhaps, they were both taking some time to just...

Haru didn't know.

But she had to say it. She had to speak it. To let her feelings known. She took the coffee in hands that trembled ever so slightly. She stared at them, and she thought about it. She felt… She set the coffee down. "I... had an interesting conversation with Mako-chan, Akira-kun." She said. She felt her throat tighten and her heart pounded in her chest.

Would he deny it? Would he try to say he was actually available? Anything that could give Haru an idea that Akira wasn't as good as she thought he was.

There was a pause from Akira before he inhaled and exhaled slowly. "I think I know the details of that conversation." He said softly. "I am… so sorry Haru." He said. "And it doesn't feel like that is enough to convey how sorry I am. It feels like empty words. It's why it took me so long, how did I pick between you two?" he asked. He couldn't look at her.

Haru felt like something grabbed her heart. Makoto had already confirmed that Akira had agreed to date her, they had even had a date apparently. It almost seemed laughably normal for a boy like Akira who was anything but. She looked over at him, over at the dark haired boy and she closed her eyes.

She felt the moisture slide down her cheeks.

Was that really it? Had she not promised Naoto that she wasn't going to give up without a fight? Had she not already started her own revolution with Milady's awakening? So why? Why was she giving in? Was she really intending to let Akira go?

Because of Makoto?

No. No, no, she wasn't going to let it be like this. She almost angrily wiped the tears from her eyes and steeled herself. She was going to be true to herself, to her feelings. That had been the whole point. The change of heart wasn't just for her father, it was for her as well.

She turned to look at Akira who seemed concerned. She could see it in his eyes. He had such expressive eyes. In the case of Akira, his eyes were really the windows to his soul. "I'm going to talk to Mako-chan." She said firmly. Her heart pounded in her chest. "You shouldn't have to pick between the two of us and we shouldn't be fighting over something as trivial as who gets you."

Akira looked a bit taken aback by that, recoiling a moment. His mouth opened, but no words came out before he closed it again. He was clearly at a loss of words, and that was just fine with Haru. She wasn't done speaking.

"I want to be true to my feelings. I want to be able to say what I truly mean." Haru said. She looked to her skirt and bunched her fists up in it. "Sugimura, my father, even diplomat VIPs, I've talked to them all but I've never been able to speak my mind. Now I'm being asked to go in front of the board, to tell them what I think about the new chain, the direction of the company. And depending on how the meeting goes, I might let them handle Okumura Foods. It requires supervision that I just cannot handle at this point in time."

Haru looked up to the ceiling for a moment, trying to collect her cluttered thoughts. "I want to open a shop, where the coffee and the salad is all homegrown. I want it to be a place loved, like my grandfather's original cafe and like Leblanc. And before I do all that, I have to expand my knowledge. I can't just open it up right after graduation. I know it'll be hard, but I want to make it work. I know that if I act with resolve, and be true to myself, I can accomplish anything."

Haru turned to look at Akira. "And that's why I want to talk to Mako-chan. If it wasn't for you, I'd be married to a man I don't respect, and would have lived a horrid life. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be the meek, shy girl that I once was instead of the strong, resolved woman that I know I can be. I want to be by your side. It feels like everything's going to be okay." Haru looked down again, with tears threatening to come out once more.

She felt herself drawn inwards to that feeling she had associated with Milady. She could feel it swelling up, growing stronger and stronger. ' _Your Revolution is complete, my Other Self, and you have Grown Stronger for it!'_ Milady seemed to take her own mask off before being engulfed in a bright light that consumed her, and when she was seen again, it was a different Persona that Haru had never seen before, but immediately knew the name of.

"Astarte." Haru said softly. It just served to strengthen her resolve. Her eyes opened to look at Akira who seemed to be watching her in a focused manner. "Let me do this, Akira-kun." She said.

Akira closed his eyes a moment before he nodded his head. "I'm not going to stop you, Haru." He said softly. "But I'm not going to encourage it either. I never thought I'd be put into a position like this, and it's all treading new ground for me."

Haru smiled a bit more. "Just let me talk to Mako-chan. If nothing comes of that talk, I'll deal with it then." But she wouldn't say she gave up without a fight.

 _Take Your Time_

"Everyone's here waiting on you two!"

"Thank you Sojiro." Akira said under his breath as he finished gathering his things. The twenty-fourth of December. Christmas Eve. They were collectively skipping school. The Phantom Thieves were gathering to discuss the aftermath of Shido's Change of Heart.

"Hey, before we go down there." Morgana leapt up onto the banister.

"Yeah?"

"Honestly, you're amazing." Morgana said. "There's something I can't place about you. You dodge everything thrown at you with a devil may care attitude. At first… I thought that you'd be a useful tool to use, but now this is where I belong."

"Then stay." Akira said. "As long as you want." The offer was genuine. Even if he went back home, Morgana was welcome to come along. His mom would love him.

"Aren't you heading back in the spring?" Morgana asked, shaking his head a moment. "But I'm happy to hear that. Geez, I usually don't say all the embarrassing stuff." He shook his head and leapt down the stairs.

Akira gently touched his chest as another Blood Vow formed with him before he walked downstairs. "The assembly of Shido's case is in danger?!" Yusuke asked outraged. Oh Hell, Akira moved downstairs quicker, swinging himself around the landing.

"But we know that he doesn't need a psychiatric evaluation!" Haru argued. Just hearing her, Akira felt his chest pound a moment before he shook himself to get a hold of himself. This was far more important than matters of romance.

"His lackeys must be at work." Sojiro said, frowning while he smoked a cigarette.

"I wish I could bring better news. But I've also been put on a leave of absence for an 'indefinite' amount of time." Sae said from her spot, sitting on one of the stools.

Naoto frowned from her spot. "The arrests should be happening, we have Akechi. Evidence piled against Shido's conspirators" She glanced away. "Did something happen?" she asked more herself than the room.

"You're telling me that there's a chance everyone's going to get away?" Akira asked, sounding genuinely angry. The anger that he kept inside, the rage that he tried to let no one else see was bubbling up. "Damn it! Was everything we did for nothing!?"

"And with the manipulation of the mass media, the general public would never call for a case." Makoto said shaking her head and looking down. "The argument itself was 'occult' and even claimed it never happened."

So what could they do? Akira trembled with anger.

"We knew this was going to be difficult." Naoto said. The petite Investigator seemed anxious, angsty as her mind whirled to get to work, trying to come up with a way they could still succeed.

"It's just as bad online." Futaba said. "People are saying to catch the remnants of the Phantom Thieves and to execute us. That we only took advantage of mass panic."

"Everything we have ever done will be treated as if it never happened if Shido isn't tried by the law." Yusuke said. He tapped his foot rapidly, a sign of his own frustrations.

"Moving an entire country as they wish by controlling people's cognition, it's no different than a Palace." Makoto said softly, shaking her head.

"There's a possibility that crimes using the Metaverse will escalate to a National level as well." Sae said, shaking her own head. "But the worst part is we're in danger because we know the truth. The current head of the SIU is also in Shido's Pocket, Maybe more so. It's only a matter of time before we are apprehended. It wouldn't even be odd if they barged in now."

Yu glanced up from his phone for a moment, looking about the room. "Mementos." he said.

Sae glanced to the oldest of their group a moment. "Is… Is there something you can do?" she asked. "I wanted to ask, but I wasn't certain if there was anything you could do."

Akira glanced over to Yu a moment. Mementos. Yaldabaoth. "This is it then?" he asked the other Wild Card.

"Can we change the hearts of all of Shido's followers?" Ann asked. "No way they're all that twisted they'd have a Palace."

"That would take too much time." Makoto said.

"Into the Depths of Mementos." Akira said, sitting on a stool for a moment. He rubbed his face. "Before we go, you all need to understand what we're up against. We're against some entity called Yaldabaoth. When we met, he was masquerading as the Master of the Velvet Room. I think, Yu and I think, that he might be the one causing the public to act like this."

"And I forced him out of his position of Game Master." Yu said. "Months ago. He's probably been plotting and planning this from the get go. We're going to have to take the fight to him."

"How bad is it?" Ryuji asked, glancing to Yu.

"He's probably as strong as Izanami. This'll be the hardest fight. I can't say if we'll be successful if we win, but he goaded me into the depths of Mementos when I forced his hand." Yu said.

"And Mementos is the general's public Palace. Their collective cognition." Morgana said softly.

"Mementos has a treasure…" Makoto slumped into her seat a moment, eyes wide.

"It's a bold plan." Yusuke said. "Changing the cognition in our favor so Shido is held accountable…"

"Sounds good to me!" Ryuji stood up.

'There's just one thing." Morgana said. He glanced towards Yu a moment before back at the group and then Akira. "If we do this, there's a chance you may never enter the Metaverse again. If other criminals appear, you won't be able to change their hearts. The Human cognition will become intangible again, substanceless."

Akira felt his heart seize a moment. They wouldn't be able to enter the Metaverse again? He looked to his hands, his mind going back to the way Yu first was. Yu had been closed off, cold, distant even. Friendly and amicable enough certainly, but it wasn't until all of his Persona had been awoken that he became better.

"Can you do it?" Morgana asked Akira, turning to look up at him.

Akira clenched his hand a moment. "Yes, for our justice." He said softly. There could be no hesitation.

"Did you come up with a plan?" Sae asked. She clearly didn't hear Morgana, but everyone around could clue her into something happening.

"Yeah… looks like this is gonna be our last job." Ryuji said a bit more somberly.

"Last job?" Sae asked.

"We leave the rest to you." Akira said.

"We'll leave the burden of responsibility of this world to respected adults." Haru said. "That's our condition for this job."

"A heavy condition." Sae said. But she nodded her head. "I accept regardless."

"Any last words?" Ann asked, directing it at Akira.

"Let's do this." He said simply.

Yu gave a sound as his phone lit up. "Perfect. I thought you might go through with it." He said. "It's why I called in the reinforcements." He stepped away from his spot by the door as it swung open.

"Yo!" Yosuke Hanamura cheerfully waved as he walked in. And behind him, Akira could see the rest of the Investigation Team as they began to spill into Leblanc, much to the surprise of everyone else.

Chapter End

 **A/N: I am so, so sorry for the delay of this chapter. Haru's bit was fighting me because I didn't know how I wanted to take that, but I decided that the romance drama wasn't quite over yet. And I do intend on making that conversation happen on screen.**

 **Too many emotions to not really do that.**

 **And Yu calls the Investigation Team in for the final battle! Yeah, might seem like an asspull, but damn do I have some good ideas.**

 **Now, as a warning, since this is the final stretch, I have a lot of fighting planned for the next several chapters. Like a ton of it. I like writing fight scenes, I like trying to make them detailed. It's a bit harder with urban fantasy like Persona, but this is the whole kit and kaboodle.**

 **There's going to be more fighting in these next few chapters than there had been for the rest of the story. I'll try to knock the chapters out as quick as I can, but I want to give it the credit it deserves.**


	48. Chapter 47: Depths

Chapter 47: Depths

Hearing Yosuke's cheerful greeting as he pushed the door open to Leblanc was a gratifying relief to Yu. He heaved an internal sigh of relief, knowing that his old team would be there to help. He had full faith in the abilities of the Phantom Thieves, but Yaldabaoth had to know they were coming. It was impossible for the entity to not know. And having the Investigation Team simply meant that their chances of survival went up that much higher. It was why Yu had texted them since Shido had fallen, trying to get them ready to go. Thankfully, it seemed they were coming through.

And Yosuke was quickly followed by Chie, Yukiko, Rise, Kanji, and Teddi. Each were bundled up for colder weather, Inaba likely already having a first snowfall. And each of them had their equipment with them, stuffed in various bags that would let them get on trains easier.

"Who are you?" Sojiro asked, standing a little straighter. The older man probably hadn't expected the large group of more teenagers to come into his coffee shop.

"We worked with him." Chie said, nudging Yu gently. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her green jacket. "Two years ago, we went through a lot together."

"They're the rest of the Investigation Team." Yu explained to the confused looking Sojiro and Sae. "We settled the murder case back in Inaba two years ago." He offered.

"I remember that case, a Detective was found guilty of the crimes. And he spoke of things that only the murderer would know, it was how he was convicted." Sae said thoughtfully. "And it wasn't an easy conviction either."

"Well Senpai called us in to help with this stuff, we all came running." Kanji said as he found a spot to lean against. It was always a novel experience standing near Kanji. It wasn't often that Yu stood near someone taller than him after all.

"We woulda been here sooner but someone was a pain in the neck to wake up that early." Yosuke grabbed Teddie around the neck in a headlock. "Almost missed the first train outta Inaba to come to Shibuya."

"This is definitely going to help. And I'll take all the help we can get" Akira said, looking over the larger group. "Thanks." He directed his words to Yu.

"Don't mention it." Yu said. "I have no idea what to expect, so I figured bringing in some reinforcements might be best. Izanami was…" He shook his head.

Akira nodded. There wasn't anymore that needed to be said. He glanced around the group, then looked to the members of the Investigation Team. "Welcome aboard." He said. "Let's get to work, we can use the upstairs to head in."

"Upstairs?" Sojiro asked with a bit of a surprise.

"Yeah, we're... not exactly sure what it looks like from an outside perspective as we head into Mementos." Ann said a bit sheepishly.

"And a group as large as ours would be very noticeable heading to the station." Naoto said. "And personally, I would like to avoid more media coverage. Suddenly disappearing with a large group of other teens in the subway station would make the headlines."

"So we're going to have to make do." Makoto said.

Akira went to the fridge and pulled out the left over curry inside of it, as well as a number of thermos. He began to stuff all of it into his pack.

"What good will all that do?" Sojiro asked. He had a lot of questions, understandable since this was all strange and new. "I mean, I figured you've been making it for this, but… that much?"

"We burn through it much faster in the Metaverse, and we need it to replenish our energy." Yusuke said. The artist shrugged his shoulders. "I am not certain why we burn through it so quickly, but I know that we have not been burdened by a full stomach before."

"Maybe we can have another hot plate before we leave Shibuya." Yosuke said, looking at the curry longingly. Again, there was still flashbacks to the fiasco of Mystery Weapon X.

"Oooh! Maybe a nice spicy beef plate?" Chie said. Of course she was excited about the idea of having any sort of beef.

"I'll just take an extra spicy plate." Rise said. And Rise was of course a big fan of spicy food as it was

Yu shook his head a bit. He gave a sharp whistle. "Come on people, focus up." He said. Everyone snapped to attention, as he expected his team to, looking at him and expecting orders. They really did let him lead, it was quite nice.. "I know we're all looking to celebrate, but get your game faces on." He was just looking forward to Christmas with Naoto again.

"Sorry Partner." Yosuke said and shrugged his shoulders, bouncing on his toes. "Alright, let's go see this Mementos, yeah?"

"Why does it fall to a bunch of teenagers?" Sae asked, standing up from her spot and putting a hand on her hip. She looked at them all with a hint of worry in her face. "Why? Why all of you?" She motioned over the large group. "There's not one among you that is over twenty. And you're saying that for your group this is your second time running into danger." She motioned to the Investigation Team.

Yu and Akira shared a wry look. As the leaders of their respective adventures, gathering their group of friends up and having to put them in danger, they knew better than the others why. And at the same time that Akira began to look over the Phantom Thieves, Yu looked over the Investigation team. He then looked back to Sae. "Because sometimes, we're the only ones that can do it." Yu said. "We haven't been kicked by life enough yet to lay down."

"And sometimes, that lack of jaded cynicism is the wild card needed to tip the scales." Akira said.

One by one, they filed up into Akira's room which ended up, unsurprisingly, cramped with all of them up there and their various bags. "Before we go in, let's do an inventory check." Makoto said. And like that, all of them began to sound off on everything. Medical kits, soda, curry, coffee, snacks, gauze, everything was listed off. In the end, they had about three dozen sodas, two medical kits, ten containers of curry, eight thermos of coffee, a whole load of snacks, and that wasn't including the various miscellaneous items they all had.

They were as loaded up as they could get.

And within moments, cell phones came out to take everyone into Mementos. The world distorted around them before settling.

"Huh?" Chie looked around, twisting around a moment. "I thought there'd be a noticeable change. This just looks like the attic to the shop."

"There will be noticeable changes. First with the people, then at the station. Give a bit of time." Yu told her. He pulled his armor out of his bag and put it on before he drew his sword and set it on his shoulder. Seeing him getting ready, everyone quickly got started getting ready. There was even some light stretches done that they might not have usually done.

He then started to walk down. The others filed down after him and once they were out of Leblanc, Akira shifted up to walk beside him. "There's not going to be enough space in Morgana." Akira said.

"Naoto and I already have that covered." Yu said. It was partially why he and Naoto had gone to check the trains. On the off chance that he felt it necessary to call in the Investigation Team, he didn't want to have to try and go kilometers deep into Mementos on foot. But he was unsurprised that Akira was on top of the issues with a group this large.

"Do we know if the Yongen-jaya station will lead into Mementos?" Akira asked.

"It has trains, doesn't it?" Yu commented. "If not, it's not too far of a walk to Central Street." But somehow, he doubted that they wouldn't be able to make it into the depths of Mementos by way of Yongen-jaya station.

They made it to the station entrance and Yu glanced at the rest of his team. Yosuke, Chie, Teddie… They had been with him since the beginning and had been the ones to pull him out of being an unfeeling prick. Yukiko, the den mother of the Investigation Team, Kanji who had become much like a younger brother and the unofficial shield of the team. He knew he could take the hits and had opted to take them. Rise, a great friend and their combat operator. And of course, Naoto, the woman he had fallen in love with and had his back even at some of his worst moments.

He inhaled deeply. "Alright guys, this is where it gets weird." He said to prepare them. He said it bluntly and honestly. "And that's even considering the TV World.

Yosuke chuckled at that. "Really Partner? It's that weird?" he asked.

Ryuji clapped Yosuke on the back. "Just you wait." The blond said with a grin before heading forward into the Darkness that was going to quickly change..

Yu turned and stepped in time with Akira down into the depths. The lights above flickered out and they emerged from the darkness in the red hue of Mementos on a familiar looking landing.

"Holy crap!" Yosuke called out as he came into the light.

"Woah…" Chie was staring at the Phantom Thieves. Naturally there was some shock since the Phantom Thieves did look interesting, certainly more interesting than the lot of them had in their own run through the Metaverse.

Akira held his hands out and did a small twirl that caused the duster to swish. "This is how we appear in the Metaverse." He said. He adjusted his gun a moment and then his knife.

Haru even offered a low bow with a flourish, sweeping her hat off her head. "And here we are the Phantom Thieves." She said with a smile before she put her hat back on.

Morgana walked up and took his saber and slingshot from Akira. "How are we getting down to the depths?" The cat asked. "They're not all going to fit in me." Which was an extremely odd statement for the uninitiated.

"I can see why you thought he was a Shadow, Senpai." Kanji said as he looked at the cat.

Yu glanced towards Morgana. "I'll lead the way." He said and turned, heading down the stairs.

"Should we give the others some codenames?" Ann asked.

"Codenames?" Rise asked.

"We each go by codenames." Akira explained, turning to look at her while he walked down. "It's to keep our identities secret just in case."

"It's also totally a thing real Phantom Thieves would do." Ryuji said with a grin.

"So how should we break the team up?" Akira turned his attention to Yu a moment.

"This is less an infiltration and more of an assault." Yu said. "We're just going to be one giant group, I think. We move together, and we move quickly. Between all of us, we should be able to pierce just about anything that comes up."

"And what happens when we come across a trap or puzzle?" Makoto asked.

"Well, it's a good thing we have you and Naoto." Yu said. "You're the two smartest of our group by a fair margin, if you two can't figure those out, then we're in bigger trouble than we can just brute force our way through."

"I guess we are a bit past the point of using code names, aren't we?" Akira asked.

"Aw, but I like my code name." Futaba said.

"Coming up with code names for six other people might be difficult. They do not have the Metaverse outfits that we do." Yusuke said as they walked along the tracks.

"If you still want to use Codenames, go with the Arcana they represent." Yu said as he continued leading the way. They didn't have any of the Shadows clamoring for them, not with a group as large and powerful as they were. "Do I need to remind you of them?"

"No, I got them." Akira turned a moment. "You guys know what Arcana you represent right? It's on your Tarot card when you summon your Persona."

"What are Senpai and Naoto-kun?" Rise asked curiously.

"I go by Fool." Yu said. "Naoto-kun went with Scientist given her Shadow." He came to a stop for the train and mantled up onto the platform. He then turned and helped everyone else up. "All trains lead to the same spot." He said. He then got in line behind a bunch of Shadows, his friends stepping in with him.

"Gotta say Senpai, this place gives me the creeps." Kanji said, looking around and holding his shield close.

"And I thought that twisted Inaba by Adachi was creepy." Teddie said. "Gives this bear goosebumps." He rubbed his arms a bit.

The train barreled forward and came screeching to a halt. The doors hissed open and the Shadows began to huddle on inside. The doors slammed shut and the train took off at a breakneck pace.

"This is the only way?" Yukiko asked. "That doesn't seem safe." The den mother was rearing her head a bit.

"Unfortunately, Mona's bus form won't be able to fit a group this large, even if we packed in pretty tightly." Futaba said. "And Prometheus is a Persona for one. It might help if Queen could still summon Johanna."

'Even then, I'd probably only be able to take one with me." Makoto said. "Two if I were to take some of the smaller people, maybe."

"It's a moot point." Naoto said. "Queen can no longer summon Johanna, and the train is arriving."

Sure enough, another train came and slowed to a halt. The doors hissed open and Yu stepped forth, blocking them with his body to hopefully keep them from closing. Last thing they needed was for their group to be split up. And slowly, one by one, they all climbed aboard the train.

He and Akira were the last ones on.

 _Take Your Time_

"Jeez Senpai, you invite us to the nicest places." Rise said a bit sarcastically as she looked at all the Shadows on the train. All of them staring ominously at them. Yosuke couldn't help but agree with the teen idol. Creepy hadn't even begun to describe the train, and now it was time to get off. All the Shadows on the train stood as one and shuffled in an orderly fashion to the door.

Slowly the group got off the train and looked around. "Woah…" Yosuke said, spotting all the trains. This was getting crazier and crazier. "Partner, this is… Nuts. This is crazier than the path Izanami sent us on." At least it wasn't covered in fog, so that was a plus. He could see what he was doing.

"Shadows!" Morgana cried out bringing his slingshot around to bear. And snapping off a round almost as soon as he had the full draw. It looked pretty impressive.

Almost at once, the entire group turned to look at the advancing Shadows. Yosuke thought they looked like prison wardens of some sort. And then they popped to show a variety of Shadows.

"Take them down!" Yu barked out, right before he dropped a Megidolaon from Izanagi-no-Okami.

As one, fourteen Persona users dropped some of their strongest spells on the Shadows. Ice exploded as lightning struck it. Fires were whipped up by the vortex of winds rushing through. And that wasn't even talking about the explosions from the Megidolaon from Naoto and Yu, or the blasts of energy from Haru and Makoto that he couldn't place. But the things kept coming. Yosuke kept hitting them with a Magarudyne or a Garudyne if he could see a good one to push back. It was almost like old times.

Frightful times, but old times.

"This way!" Futaba cried out as she raced in a direction, breaking away from the Shadows.

Yosuke took off after her, breaking past her and slowing his stride a hair but staying in front. "Which way?" he asked. He could clear the path for her and the others could push through. He dodged back from a Shadow and came up with a rising slash. A blast of wind sent it off the edge into… Woah… He should not have looked down. All he could see was darkness with pulsing red shooting deep into whatever was down there. And even the red faded after some time.

Futaba moved to a ledge and jumped, landing at the next spot, a bit of stone that was jutting over that darkness.. Booted feet came up from behind him, and Yosuke watched as Akira followed after her and practically parkoured over to where she had jumped to. It was like he had done it for years, having perfect trust in where his hands were and his feet were. Akira then went past her, heading up higher and holding his hand out to help her along.

"Magician! Help the others!" Akira called out before drawing his pistol and popping off a round that took a Shadow directly behind Yosuke in the head, making it fall over.

Yosuke took a moment, his brain snapping to before realizing that Akira was talking to him. His tarot card was that of the Magician. It was going to take a bit to register that as his codename. He turned and gave a whistle. "Yo!" He called out. "This way!" He made sure to descend on the Shadow with his knives to make sure it was put down.

Jingle jangle.

Yosuke's eyes went wide and his blood went cold. He knew that sound. All of them knew that sound. There was that inhuman sound like a roar bellowing out against the stones of Mementos. "Reaper!" Kanji shouted out as the group began to run towards Yosuke faster. None of them wanted to tangle with that monster.

"Go, go, go!" Yosuke shouted. No, None of that. He was not fighting that monster ever again if he could ever help it. "Partner, Naoto! Move! Now!" He could see it drifting down. No… No… Not one…

 _Three._

"Kanji! Catch!" Yosuke grabbed Rise and half threw her to the other boy.

"Hey!" Rise screamed with indignation, clearly not expecting and clearly not appreciating being thrown like a sack of rice. She probably even forgot about the Reapers coming for them. He was going to get an earful of that when they weren't busy and trying to keep their lives.

"Come on cat!" Chie said, scooping Morgana up by the scarf and jumping over to the platform. The others were quick to follow, especially with the threat of a Reaper nipping at their heels.

Yosuke leapt to the next platform, grunting a bit as his foot almost slipped off. All that were left were… Yu and Naoto. The larger teen actually scooped Naoto up onto his shoulders and sprinted before jumping. Naoto raised her hand up with the revolver, the blue tarot card of the Wheel of Fortune spinning up as she pulled the trigger, despite being carried.

A Megidolaon rained down on the three Reapers as they landed. Yu almost dropped her from the ringing in his ears, but they were soon moving to get into the small window that Akira had found, dropping into some kind of room. The inhuman roar sounded out and the building shook, a flash of an explosion outside. But they were safe… They took a few moments to catch their breath.

"Hey, take a look at this…" Chie spoke with some measure of concern. They crowded around a window, some taking a few brief looks while others looked longer to register what it was they were looking at. Yosuke wasn't entirely certain, so he took a quick look and backed off.

"It almost looks like a processing station." Makoto said as she backed away and tucked her fist against her chin. "But for what?"

"Maybe this?" Yukiko commented as she had moved away from the group. And together, they moved towards what Yukiko was looking at. It was a human in a chair of some sort with red and black tubes moving away from him. The bars in front of him kept them from actually reaching the human. It was getting more and more creepy for Yosuke.

" _ **Work, Go Home, Eat, Shower, Drink, Sleep, Wake Up, Eat Breakfast, Go to Work, Work, Lunch, Work, Go Home.**_ _"_ The Human like Shadow kept saying it on repeat. And Yosuke felt a shiver run down his spine at the monotonous tone and how… eerily similar to his own schedule it sounded. It sounded eerily similar to most adult's schedule really. It could even be done by a high school student, just replace a few things. There was no joy in its voice, no anger, no anything. Just resignation. Maybe not even resignation. Yosuke had no words for it.

Izanami had just covered the place in cloyingly thick fog, this was… He didn't want to think about it.

"But what does it do?" Akira asked, turning to look at the group.

"I don't think any of us want to know that answer." Yu said and shook his head. "Do we have a path ahead?" he asked, looking to Rise and Futaba.

"I got a path ahead to… Something." Futaba said. She looked to Rise. "But it's packed with Shadows." She warned.

Rise nodded her head. "I think I'm picking up the same thing, but I'm not sure what we're picking up. But all the other paths don't lead to it, they simply spread out like roots."

"Hey, Yu," Chie started. "Whoops, sorry, Fool," She corrected herself quickly. Yosuke wasn't that surprised by the slip. They just weren't used to the codenames. It had never really occurred to any of them to use codenames back in Inaba. Would they have been found out through the Midnight Channel if people could watch them? Definitely a chilling thought. "What exactly is Mementos?" she asked.

Now there was a question. Many of the Investigation Team looked at Yu, likely wondering the same thing.

Yu took a moment and balanced his sword on his shoulder. "Alright, you know how we figured out that the TV world was basically people's perceptions right? How it took form based on the thoughts of the people in Inaba watching TV? Show a special on the Amagi Inn, people's thoughts go to Priestess." Yu nodded his head towards Yukiko. "More so since she showed up on screen for an interview."

"Right, but it also went with a twisted inner desire of each person, the exceptions being you, Chie, and me." Yosuke motioned to Yu a moment. Not that his Shadow hadn't been a twisted representation of his own personal feelings, same to be said with Chie, but they didn't quite have the dungeon to go with it.

Yu nodded his head at that. "And frankly, we _still_ don't know how or why it did any of that. But if the TV World is based on Perception and twisted Desires, then Mementos is based on people's cognition and desires being twisted.." Yu motioned towards the man sitting and mumbling still. "He very likely does more than what he's mumbling off, but his routine doesn't deviate much from this to the point it is ingrained into his subconscious that what he does is pretty much eat, sleep, and work."

"And subways take everyone to their destination in Tokyo." Makoto added in. "Hence why Mementos is especially twisted in the subway lines."

"But what does it lead to?" Yukiko asked.

"If I were to hazard a guess, some grand desire." Morgana said. "Something the common people of everywhere desire, but we'll steal it just as we have always done." Yosuke didn't like the sound of that. Some Grand Desire? He couldn't think of anything that would fit that bill.

A lot of money? He doubted it. It seemed like an oddly mundane idea for this many people. He doubted it would be as easy as just taking it.

"We need to move!" Futaba said, alarmed. "The Shadows have taken notice of whatever it is we're picking up and are swarming to it enmasse! And I'm pretty sure it's a human!"

"I can confirm that!" Rise said panicking.

"Let's move!" Akira barked out. "Oracle, give me a lead!" he shouted, turning and already dashing off.

"Straight, first left we can take!"

As one, the group began to rush forward. And as expected, they slammed into a group of Shadows that was thick in number. Yosuke put a burst of speed on at the last second, augmenting it with Susano. His daggers came out and he went low, swinging through the first. He sprang up, moving deeper. He stabbed another in the back, twisting and spinning through the mass of Shadows. The boom of gunfire worried him, but he had to trust the others to not shoot him.

Yu came charging in with Kanji, both swinging their way through the Shadows. Chie barreled through legs kicking with her heavy greaves that seemed to topple the Shadows before they had the chance to change into what they were. Ryuji even hit the wall of Shadows swinging, his bat taking Shadows hard before dropping to a wrist strap and his shotgun booming off the second he had it in his hands. Haru came through, cutting with her axe for a heavier damage.

Akira, Ann, and Yusuke came through behind the first group with Naoto and Makoto right behind them. Guns sounded off, taking out the grounded Shadows that hadn't been immediately beaten down. Yukiko and Morgana came in the rear, throwing heals out as they were needed.

And when they finally pushed past the swarm of Shadows, Yosuke paused a moment, not expecting who he was seeing. And he heard Yu stop beside him, as well, seeing who he was seeing as well.

"Dojima-san?" Naoto asked as she came up.

The Detective, slumped against the wall and sitting on the floor, looked up. He was injured, with blood on his stomach and his right arm from where he had been slashed by something. His revolver was held in his right hand in a loose grip, the barrel still smoking. A small pile of brass sat beside him. He had a tired look on his face as he gave a wry smile. "Hey guys."

 _Take Your TIme_

Yu moved towards his uncle immediately, dropping his sword as he went to his knees. Dojima's gun was sitting beside him, spent casings from where he had reloaded on the ground as well. Some harsh looking slashes through his bicep and against his stomach stained his gray shirt darker with blood. "What are you doing here Uncle?" He asked as he checked the wounds. They weren't deep, he suspected Dojima had fought the best that he could. But missing their armor and a Persona, the best he could do was likely minimal.

Dojima grunted a moment, wincing. "I could ask you the same thing Yu." He said as he reached into his pocket to pull out his cigarettes. He put one between his lips. "Ah… Anyone got a light? Oh, never mind. There's the lighter." He pulled the brass flip lighter out and quickly started the cigarette. He took an inhale for a moment.

"Salvation." Yu summoned Ishatar to heal his uncle, watching as Dojima's wounds sealed shut.

"That's better." Dojima said as he gave an exhale to the side. He gave a grunt as he forced himself to stand up, making sure to take his gun. He opened the cylinder and took a moment to load it once more, the cigarette dangling from his lips with smoke lazily drifting off the end. He then looked to Yu with sharp eyes, pinning the silver haired teen with his gaze. "What are you doing here?" He asked. He glanced to the others, scanning them all with his eyes. "Not that I don't mind the rescue, but… Heck, where even is here?"

"It's a long and complicated story." Yu said as he retrieved his sword and stood up. "How many rounds do you have left?" Yu's comment brought a number of surprised looks before Akira nodded.

"We can't take him back. We're too far down to make good time, and the trains only go in one direction down here." Akira said.

"But he doesn't have a Persona." Ryuji said, bringing his bat to rest on his shoulder. "We could send him back with Mona and-"

"Through a horde of Shadows, Three Reapers, and who knows what else." Yu said in the dryest, flattest tone he could muster. "Gee Skull, didn't realize you disliked my uncle that much."

"Then there's the return trip." Morgana said, speaking up. "And I don't want to risk another bout with a Reaper, nonetheless three."

"He's not like us though." Ann said, glancing towards Dojima a moment. "He doesn't have a Persona to protect him."

"He can fight." Kanji said, looking around. Yu could see a few of the bullet holes that Dojima's revolver had left after punching through the Shadows he shot. "He's already been putting up one hell of a fight."

"What are you talking about?" Dojima asked, taking an inhale of his cigarette.

Yu turned to face his uncle a little bit more. "Uncle… We're in a precarious situation. And the fact that you're here puts us in an even more difficult position. We can't take you back to the real world, because where we're at now is a different world than what we're used to. It would take too much time and we need to make every moment count. We can help get you through this," Yu removed his vest and held it out. "But it's definitely not safe."

Dojima took the vest and had a look of surprise, but he slipped it on and strapped everything up with ease that came from training and experience. He pulled from his belt a total of three speed loaders. "That's all I got left. Twenty four rounds." He took the cigarette from between his lips and scattered the smoldering tip before putting the butt into a pocket. He then loaded his revolver.

"Type of rounds?" Yu asked. If they were .44, then Dojima could probably share with Naoto and Makoto.

"I use 9mm rounds." Dojima said. "It's a Ruger SP101. Eight shot cylinder, long barrel. The cylinder is set up for 9mm rounds. I've shot more bullets in the last couple of minutes than I have in all my years as a Detective."

Akira pulled out a magazine for his pistol and held it up. "9mm." He said and held it out. "Not sure if you can make it work or not, but that's another sixteen rounds." There was certainly something to be said for an additional two full loads.

"Thanks." Dojima said before he began to unload the rounds from the magazine.

"How many more mags do you have?" Yu asked. While Akira did have his knife and his Persona, Yu had noticed Akira tended to favor the pistol a little bit more.

"I have another three, including the one in the gun." Akira said. "Plenty, with the Persona and this." He tapped the knife at his hip.

Yu frowned a bit, a little doubtful. But he nodded his head. If Akira thought it plenty, then it was plenty. Yu didn't use guns much so he couldn't really say if it would be enough.

Dojima lowered his revolver to be pointed at the ground. He clearly recognized they were in a dangerous place and wanted to keep his revolver in a place that was still in his hand. "So what are these Persona you guys keep mentioning?" he asked.

"They're… Beings? Creatures? Not sure, that are attached to us." Yu explained. "They have special powers and help us fight."

Dojima raised an eyebrow slowly. "You got that out of a manga, didn't you?"

Yu snorted a moment. He could certainly see how and why his uncle had thought that, but sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. "Ziodyne." He snapped off a bolt of lightning. Izanagi-no-Okami came up and brought his sword down to blast the ground some distance away with a bolt of lightning. "It was also how I healed you. Problem is, they only work here."

Dojima stared at Izanagi-no-Okami until it vanished. The older man nodded his head. "Alright, then you have some fire power on your side. That's good." He said. "And do all of you-?"

"That's correct." Naoto said. "You may want to put your speed loaders in your pocket as well. This place acts on cognition. If you can trick it into not knowing how many rounds you have left, you might be able to have near unlimited ammo."

Dojima shook his head a bit, but he did put his speed loaders back into his pocket. "Screw it, I'm having another cigarette. This is too much for this old man." He pulled his pack out and took another smoke out, lighting it up quickly. It was certainly, in Yu's opinion, a disgusting habit but one of comfort for Dojima.

"How'd you get in here Uncle?" Yu asked as he watched Dojima try to come to terms with everything that he had seen and heard. It wasn't always the easiest thing to take in. Yu was distinctly reminded of when the second letter from Adachi had come in.

"Don't know." Dojima said. "Fell asleep last night, watching the news. Woke up in here. I hope Nanako is alright, I'm trying to compartmentalize, but I'm worried.."

Yu felt his blood run cold. If Nanako was in Mementos, would she survive? Especially as deep as they were. He felt sick and spun on Rise and Futaba.

"Not here Senpai." Rise said much to Yu's visible relief. "And I'd know, I've been around Nanako-chan plenty. She won't be able to hide from Kouzen."

"Not to be rude, but can Dojima-san keep up?" Makoto asked.

Dojima gave a scoff. "I'm not that old." He said. "Just point the direction and I'll keep up."

"We should probably keep him towards the middle with Oracle and Lovers." Akira said. "Without a Persona, he's honestly a liability. And without your armor, you're in trouble too." Akira was looking right at Yu.

Yu frowned a bit but nodded. "Oracle, Lovers, Priestess, Mona." He pointed to those he named off. He could see the surprise from Rise and Yukiko. "Form up with Dojima and myself. We're in the center. Joker, you should probably take point with a smaller team. I'd recommend Skull, Chariot, Magician, and Noir acting as our anchor." He pointed to the other four. "Whoever isn't with your point group can form up around the center. We won't be squishy, but let's be honest, a lucky shot is all it takes."

Akira nodded his head. "Queen, Scientist, Emperor keep with the center." Akira made sure to motion to Kanji so he knew who was Emperor. It was a bit of a surprise that Akira wasn't taking Queen with. The two worked rather well together. "Panther, Fox, you're up with me. Keep it tight, we'll work through this."

Yusuke nodded his head and brought his rifle up and tucked it against his shoulder. "Bearing?"

"Keep going straight for now." Futaba said. "I think we're coming to a ramp that we can use to descend."

The group moved forward, with Yusuke, Akira, and Ann taking the lead of the group, moving ahead but staying within eyesight. Other than the initial opposition, they weren't facing a whole lot of Shadows, and if Yu was honest with himself, that bothered him a lot.

Why? It wasn't like they hadn't been making a whole lot of racket. They charged in to protect Dojima guns blazing and Persona blasting loud and proud.

"Where exactly are we Yu?" Dojima asked after a while, still looking around while he jogged with his gun pointed at the ground. It kept it at the ready while also keeping it from being pointed at anyone. It was how Naoto and Makoto were both jogging along as well.

"That's… a bit tricky." Yu said, hesitating. He supposed seeing was believing. "Remember that TV World I tried telling you about when Adachi had sent that letter?"

"Yeah." Dojima answered. "Are you telling me we're in that world?" He paused a moment before realizing that he needed to keep moving with them.

"No, we're not." Yu said. "The TV World is part of the Metaverse, a sort of greater collective alternate worlds connected to ours." Yu wasn't exactly certain how to explain it, but he was doing his best. If that twenty-fifth hour of the day that Igor mentioned was still around, would it mean that they, as Persona users, could access it? "This is Mementos." Yu said.

"Okay, but what does that mean?" Dojima asked. "And why are you kids dressed differently than the others?"

"Again, that's pretty tricky. Understand, we still don't know even half the answers to what these places mean." Yu told his uncle. "But we know a few things. Apparently, for Akira, that's Joker," Yu motioned to the duster wearing leader of the Phantom Thieves. "And the others of his group, their Persona are based on their rebellious nature. A sort of need to go against the grain of society. Whereas ours, my group's, are based on our journey to find the Truth. They are as much a part of us as our own limbs. Even when we retire from all this, I have no doubt that we've been changed irreversibly by it. But because of the difference in the source of the Persona, they actually have clothes that change in the Metaverse.

"As to Mementos," Yu checked down a hallway that they were passing by. When he didn't see any Shadows, he continued forward. "What we've been able to figure out is that it is the collective consciousness of everyone. What that means is trickier. But we've seen people's cognition take the form of a museum, a castle, a bank, even a cruise ship. The Palaces, that's what we've taken to calling them, are the distortion of particular strong desires of twisted individuals. We took down Shido, but for some reason, everyone is still treating him like he's some sort of super politician that's going to fix everything rather than the crook that he is."

"So you're down here because it's everyone's cognition." Dojima said, putting the pieces together easily enough. "And in order to expose Shido, you need to change everyone's cognition about it. How will you do that?"

That was a very good question. It wasn't like they could steal the desire and society would change in a way that they wanted it to. Would it make everyone like those that they had already did a change of heart in? "We'll just have to see how we go about that when we get there." Yu said.

"So you don't know." Dojima summed it up.

"Well… This isn't like what we were doing before. We can't just steal the desires of society, can we?" Yu questioned. It didn't seem like something that they could so casually do.

'Let us first see what is down at the bottom of Mementos, Senpai. Then we can worry about what we will do. Perhaps Mona will have more information for us once we get there." Naoto said from his side. "Maybe his memories will return."

Yu nodded his head a bit more as they continued walking. He saw Akira hold up a hand, motioning for the group to pause before waving them ahead more cautiously. Slowly, the three groups moved to reconvene inside a larger cell like structure.

"What is this place?" Futaba asked, looking around.

"It looks like a prison." Dojima said, walking up to one side. "Look, they have chains on them." He added. The group slowly split into two, looking over both sides.

"Listen." Rise said softly.

" **Come on… Don't be out there, come on in.** " While the phrase sounded inviting, it was almost lifeless, like the person honestly had no care in the world, had no desire in the world.

" **Don't open the cells, I have no intention of leaving this place."** A woman said towards the back, lounging like she was in a pleasure spa of some sort.

Yu felt a chill down his spine. This was a lot like the Fog that Izanami had been bringing down. Slowly corrupting people, changing them, making them fall into a false sense of security.

"They feel safe being in here?" Fox asked, sounding bewildered by the notion. "What are you saying? You are being kept in a prison." He said, addressing one of the Shadows.

"This reminds me of Kamoshida's Castle." Morgana said. "It's like the slaves he kept there."

"Senpai, I'm getting feelings of the Fog." Kanji said, stepping up beside Yu. "And not the good kind."

"You're right." Yu said. He tried to keep a little bit of steel in his voice. But he couldn't help the feelings that he was also experiencing. "Joker, I doubt any of these people will give us any real, meaningful information. This is probably Yaldabaoth's doing. They're acting like the people when the Fog descended on Inaba, they don't think ill of their predicament."

" **That's right**." An elderly voice commented. " **In the end, this place is what's best. In the depths, there's a system in place for granting desires.** "

"A system for granting desires?" Ann commented, sounding confused. Not that Yu blamed her. It was confusing to him.

"Somethin' like that exists?" Ryuji commented.

"That's probably our target." Akira said.

" **You end up searching for stuff or being troubled by being outside the prison. In here, you can just relax."** Another Shadow commented. " **There are things we don't need to know to live on, so why bother trying to learn them?"**

"Because searching for the truth is worth it damnit!" Kanji said, stomping his foot.

" **The details of the system or the quarantine cell-"**

"Quarantine?" Makoto commented, snapping to that single statement. "Who's locked in there?"

" **Supposedly a great and terrible criminal, but who would be bothered to go check it out? Definitely not me. You should join us in here."** The man said

"Mona?" Futaba asked, drawing attention to the cat that was looking around.

"I remember being here." Morgana said.

" **Huh? Why are you out and about? Where are your restraints?!"**

"Damn, security!" Yosuke shouted, bringing his knives up.

Dojima brought his revolver up. "Don't move!" he barked out to the security. He was still thinking like a cop.

Makoto, Yusuke, Naoto, and Akira didn't think like a cop. They turned and opened fire, with Ann and Ryuji following suit close behind. Haru finished it up, bringing her grenade launcher up and firing off a round that washed over them in a wave of heat as it exploded.

"They're not human in here, Dojima-san." Naoto said once she was certain the Shadows had been effectively dispatched. "If they don't look like one of us, shoot first." A bit cold hearted of her, but it was the truth.

"Mona-chan?" Haru asked, as Morgana still looked to be distracted.

"I'm really close to remembering something important." Morgana said. "But I can't figure out what."

"Should we take a break if it's beary important?" Teddie asked.

"Not here." Yu said. "There's bound to be a safe room nearby. Oracle?"

"Yeah, I sense an area where the distortion isn't as strong." Futaba said after a moment. "And we need to go, we're attracting more security to the area."

"Good enough for me." Akira said. "Heading?"

"Straight ahead, we should see a path that leads downwards." Futaba said.

Akira began to jog ahead, Ann and Yusuke moving up with him since the teams hadn't been reworked. It didn't take too long, and Yu estimated that the descent was a good five to seven meters down. They would have to jump down large pillar like structures to get down. And…

And Dojima was lagging a little bit.

Yu turned a moment to call to his uncle. But the Ruger SP101 came up and fired. It took Yukiko through the stomach. It then turned and took Morgana through the chest as well. Yu turned back to face his uncle, the rest of them turning to face him. Two more shots, Rise and Futaba cried out in pain. Yu moved to try and get his body in the way. Another three shots and Makoto, Naoto, and Kanji all dropped.

Yu grit his teeth as he moved for his uncle. He could see the others coming up from the rear. But Dojima dropped his shoulder and charged, tackling Yu about the midsection and taking them both off the ledge and down to the landing below.

Yu's sword clattered loudly as the wind was knocked out of him from Dojima landing on him. Then that revolver, an eight shot cylinder, came around to be pointed at his chin. Yu caught his uncle by the wrist, grunting a bit. He couldn't adjust his grip to make Dojima fire the last round off.

Dojima reached behind him with his left hand and yanked a k-bar from a holster, bringing it out and swinging downwards. Yu brought his hand up and cried out in pain as it stabbed through his right hand. But he grit his teeth, pain was an old friend. Blood dripped down as he tried to keep the knife from being driven through his throat.

He was surprised at the strength of Dojima, and if something didn't change...

Yu was going to die.

 **Chapter End**

 **A/N: Well now, sorry for the short chapter. It's been fighting me since I started on it, but I decided I needed to finish it. And I've still got plenty to work on. The gas tank has been running low, but hopefully with this chapter out of the way, I can start pushing on through to the next chapter.**

 **I hope to have the next chapter out this week, but since it's my vacation, and I have a few other things I want to do on my vacation, I make no promises.**

 **In the original ideas for Persona 4, Adachi was a red herring and it was Dojima doing the killing. Yes, your uncle was murdering people. Well, guess who took that for an idea for a Reflection.**

 **Adios.**


	49. Chapter 48: At the Heart of Desire

Chapter 48: At the Heart of Desire

It had almost been… childishly easy to integrate himself in with his nephew and his friends. He was playing a dangerous con. He was right there with them every step of the way, listening and asking questions. All he had to do was act like he had no idea what was going on and Yu and the others trusted him almost implicitly. He was somewhat disappointed. Had this Yu been in Inaba instead of the other one...

Dojima doubted that victory would have escaped his grasp then.

The Yu of Dojima's world had been cynical. Jaded. A child that grew up in a rougher environment, a less caring environment. Nanako had never seen the worst of it until the end, but Dojima knew from speaking with Yu. Dojima's sister and brother-in-law were not the squeakiest of clean people and some of the things they did had rubbed off on Yu.

Hell, he had shared a beer with his nephew one evening.

This Yu wasn't… cynical and jaded. This one was more optimistic. He wasn't ignorant to the way the world worked, but it was a more open and earnest version of his nephew.. And Dojima was exploiting that. He had gained armor and an additional sixteen shots. He had said he only had twenty four more rounds, three speed loaders. It wasn't too abnormal for a Detective to carry a full load and three spares. Perhaps a bit much in Japan, especially a sleepy town like Inaba. The truth of the matter was he probably had a spare eight speed loaders worth at the moment. Plus two little extra surprises if he needed to use them.

The teams were interesting. He didn't know what the cat could do, or this Queen character. Naoto was rather well rounded. Incapable of healing others, but suited for a well rounded offense. Kanji was pure offensive strength of the physical variety. Dangerous if he got close. And he had the lightning abilities to help as well. Yukiko was the team's healer. Her Salvation skill would need to be stopped before anything else. Rise was the team's combat operator. She found weaknesses as they came or even cheer the assault on to give them that little extra boost. He had a feeling the orange haired girl was much the same.

And then there was Yu. Yu was the glue that held the team together. Without Yu, the Investigation Team would have fallen apart. Naoto was smart enough but not caring enough. Yukiko was caring enough, but not hard enough. Kanji was hard enough, but not smart enough. Each of the others lacked in something that would make them a suitable leader to replace Yu. And if Dojima had to make a bet, he'd think Joker was much the same.

All of this was bringing him back to that rainy day in Inaba. When _She_ had approached him, and offered him a chance to see his beloved Chisato again. Was it wrong that people had died? Yes. Yes it was. All he had to do was push a person or two into the TV. Then when Namatame called about the Amagi girl, a little push was all it took to become much more hands off. Did Dojima regret it? Yes, especially after getting to know Yukiko and the others.

But it had been to bring Chisato back. How could he deny the hope that had spread in his chest as the fog lingered longer, got thicker? How could he deny the want to reunite his baby girl with her mother?

Then things got… complicated.

Namatame took Nanako inside the TV world. He got captured. Adachi had apparently been suspected of being the killer until the Investigation Team, with Adachi, had figured out that the next likely culprit would have to be Dojima himself. And they had chased after him into the TV World. All he had to do was hold out a few more days, a few more days inside the TV World and the Fog would have descended. Nanako would have had her mother back, and they could have been a family again.

Then the Investigation Team had come for him. Dojima hadn't been all that surprised when they did come for him. The TV World was reacting to him, to his desires for the Fog. All for the chance to see Nanako's face light up at having her mother back. It would have been difficult to explain, but it would have been invariably worth it.

Yu and his team had given him a fight from Hell. Every trick, every tactic, everything he had learned training for the SAT to handle criminal elements, it had been… frustrating. But he had managed to put them down, he had gotten the upper hand. He had Yu dead to rights. But it had been Adachi, his partner, his protege, that had saved the Investigation Team. He had sacrificed himself, taking the bullet, the last bullet of Dojima's revolver, straight to the heart. And in the time it had taken Dojima to reload, something he was fast at, Yu had gotten back into the fight.

Dojima still regretted Adachi's actions. He had been a good partner, a bit lackadaisical at times, but a good partner. He would have gone far as a Detective if he had just not been so damned… Brave. Even Dojima knew that for Adachi to enter the TV World without a Persona and fight with the Investigation Team, it had taken some serious bravery.

He had expected someone of the Investigation Team to kill him. He had seen Yu keeping a tight grip on his sword, so tight that Dojima had seen it shaking with barely contained fury and rage. Even Naoto had her revolver raised, the barrel steady and aimed at his head. She hadn't taken any chances. Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, Teddie, Yosuke, they had all looked ready to kill him, ready to make him just another sad casualty.

Yu had stepped forward and cold cocked him in the temple with his sword before he could react fast enough. It seemed that, under their own personal beliefs that since he had lost, it was up to them to decide what to do with him, and they refused to lower themselves to murder.

He envied them that resolve, he really did.

And as he sat in the cell, Dojima had been ready to give up on living. He wasn't going to get out of jail any time soon. How much would he miss of Nanako's life? Too much. The answer was too much and he couldn't bear the thought of it. He had managed to get something sharp enough that he could kill himself. He had been gearing up for it and everything when the voice came.

It offered him another deal. One where he could go back to Chisato. Where he could have his beautiful wife. All he had to do was take a one way trip to a different world and kill a young man named Akira Kurusu, the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

Dropping directly into a mob of Shadows had been unexpected, but not something he couldn't handle. And when the Investigation Team and the Phantom Thieves showed up, Dojima had known that he had been given the best chance that he was going to get. But he had to do it just perfectly.

He had assessed that Yu was the biggest threat. Before he could get around to killing Akira, Yu Narukami had to die. That was all there was to it. But he had to separate Yu from the rest of the group as well. If he didn't, then there was no chance to kill Yu.

But as they left the prison, Dojima saw his chance. The ledge leading down was a couple meters down. The force of it would likely leave Yu unprepared. He quickly took stock of the people around him, in front of him. He slowed his pace up. He estimated that he had about a minute, at best. More likely thirty seconds before the rest of the group was on him. He set his watch to go off in thirty seconds.

If Yu was not dead in those few precious seconds…

Dojima would have to retreat deeper into Mementos and use guerilla tactics to try and take the teenagers on. The Healers would have to be put down first. His revolver came up, just as Yu was turning to face him. He pulled the trigger and took Yukiko in the back of her stomach, hearing her cry of pain. His revolver packed a punch. He then turned it on the cat. The hole was, comparatively, larger than the one he had just put into Yukiko. Same bullet, smaller body mass. The cat couldn't risk a hole in its chest like that.

He watched as Yu's face contorted with rage. He saw the others starting to turn. Rise he took in her shoulder. The orange haired girl took one to the stomach. He had to shoot fast and his aim suffered for it. Perhaps he should have simply put his gun to Yu's head and pulled the trigger instead of risking all this.

Another shot and Queen dropped her gun. Naoto had a bead on him, but Dojima was already pulling the trigger. His shot took her in the knee and made her own shot go wide. Kanji was a meter from him and Dojima put a round into the soft tissue of his stomach as well. He watched as they tried to fight through the pain. He had only a few more precious seconds. He charged.

He dropped his shoulder and tackled into Yu's stomach, taking him off the ledge. They landed heavily with Yu coughing as Dojima landed on his sternum. The sword clattered on the stones as Dojima brought his revolver around, looking to put it under Yu's chin.

His nephew grit his teeth though and caught Dojima's revolver. He couldn't force it to go off. Dojima reached back with his left hand and yanked a knife, the black k-bar being something he learned how to use with the SAT. Though, in fairness, it wasn't hard to swing down for the throat of his silver haired nephew.

Yu continued to surprise him though, reaching up with his right hand and sacrificing it. The blade sank through the hand and cut along the top of his forearm. But Yu dug his fingers into Dojima's fist wrapped tightly around the handle. Dojima gave a slight grunt as he leaned into it, trying to press it into the soft flesh of Yu's throat.

Beep beep beep.

Dojima swore as his watch's timer went off. He yanked the knife back from Yu's hand, hearing the wince of pain as he forced himself to his feet. Just as he suspected, the others were already recovering on the ledge and drawing a bead on him. He brought his revolver up and snapped off the last round to make them duck, no one sure who he was shooting at.

Dojima quickly took off running, not knowing where he was going. But he knew he had lost his chance to get an easy kill. But it wasn't like he didn't know how they fought. And they didn't know the first thing about him.

"Megidolaon!" Dojima ducked out of the way of the spell from Yu before he continued racing further into the depths of Mementos. They would have to come for him or else they risked him coming for them. And he knew his nephew well enough that Yu wasn't going to allow that.

Dojima reloaded his revolver as he ran and steeled his heart. His wife would hate him, but for Nanako and Chisato, he was willing to give them up for their happiness.

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto winced as she sat up just in time to see Yu go off the edge with Dojima. She grunted as she forced herself up onto her good leg and began to limp hurriedly towards Yukiko and Morgana. She was lucky that Dojima's shot hadn't taken her in the knee directly. Had the hard bone been shattered, she wasn't even sure a Salvation would be useful.

She'd be dead weight.

"Yukiko?" Naoto asked as she pulled her medical pack around and took a look at the wound.

"Hurts… A lot." The dark haired girl said.

Naoto could only imagine. She slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and set to work to dig the bullet out. Boot steps got her to look as Akira and the others made it. Yusuke looked over the edge to where Dojima had dropped before he had to dodge back from a revolver shot.

"Megidolaon!" Yu's voice bellowed out angrily, a massive booming echoing off the stones as the almighty spell blasted the stones. At least he was alive. But the fading sounds of footsteps told Naoto that Dojima had gotten away from them with his attack going unanswered.

"Tweezers?" Akira dropped beside her and started rummaging through her medical pack. A good thing too, she needed more hands.

"I have a spare in the front pouch in a plastic baggy." Naoto said. She watched as Akira grabbed them as well as some gauze. Naoto slapped some gauze on Yukiko as well. It would keep her from bleeding out until they could heal themselves up.

Akira went to Morgana and did the same, digging the bullet out of the cat and slapping some gauze on them. The tweezers were cleaned of blood with rubbing alcohol quickly and Naoto set to work on Rise while Akira went to work on Futaba. Again, the round was retrieved as best as possible before gauze was put on them.

Makoto gave a slight cry as she managed to get the bullet out of herself. She had just taken a round to her bicep, but it still had to hurt to actually dig it out. She then went over to Kanji and set to work helping him out. It left Naoto as the only one that hadn't gotten the bullet out yet.

"Here." Akira gently shifted her leg as she sat on the ground. She winced as he felt him digging in the tissue of her leg before he extracted the bullet. She held the bandage down.

"Salvation." Yu's declaration came out, washing over all the injured and their faces, tight with pain eased. But he still sounded angry. Angry with himself no doubt, and even angrier with Dojima.

"I think from now on, we trust no one. Not even each other if we split apart from the group." Yusuke offered.

"I actually kinda agree with that." Yosuke said. "You okay partner?" He asked the volatile looking Yu.

"Hand hurts like hell." Yu said simply. Naoto turned her eyes and saw the new scar running along the back of his hand. No doubt, Yu had no time to switch instead to Ishtar and had it taken care of by Izanagi-no-Okami. "Shouldn't have swapped off Izanagi-no-Okami." He muttered more to himself. It explained how the knife pierced his hand.

Naoto slowly pushed herself to her feet and took a moment to stretch the leg and put her full weight on it even. All to make sure it was still in working order. When she was satisfied with it, she looked up at Yu. "What now?" she asked. She had to ask.

"We hunt." Makoto said, picking her revolver back up. "We can't afford to have a renegade Reflection running around. And like Fox said, we trust no one down here. If you get separated from the group, be prepared to be met with scrutiny."

Yu looked back over his shoulder to where Dojima had run off and Naoto couldn't help but speak up. "What is it Senpai?"

"We haven't met a Reflection so far that doesn't have a combat Persona." He said.

Rise winced. "Yeah, even _my_ reflection had a combat Persona." She said, clearly not liking the bad memories surfacing.

Naoto didn't blame her. The memories of her own Reflection still plagued her from time to time. She really wished that they could sit down with a professional and work through the various issues that they all had.

She brought her leg up and grabbed her ankle to stretch the leg out. The muscles felt sore, tense. But they were usable and working.

"There's going to be a line to kill Dojima." Kanji said picking up his weapon.

"Yeah, and I'm first." Yu said a bit murderously. "Everyone good?" he asked.

"Angry, but good." Chie said as she came up, checking on Yukiko.

"Same." Futaba said. "I've got a bead on his location, but the signal is distorted." She said. "Something tells me that as we get closer, it'll likely get more distorted and he'll be harder to get a bead on." She said.

Yu flicked his hand out to a tarot card of the Tower. He then began to lead the charge quickly. "Scientist, Emperor, Priestess, with me." Naoto quickly moved after Yu as he gave the order. He had to be furious if he was practically taking command from Akira. But she saw Kanji and Yukiko both move to catch up and move alongside him. Apparently they were all rather furious.

And Dojima's Reflection was going to pay for it dearly.

"Noir, Fox, Queen, with me." Akira called out. "The rest of you, form up on Oracle and Lovers." He then moved quickly to catch up with Yu. "Fool," He said carefully.

"I'm fine, Joker." Yu said a bit sharply. "Pissed beyond words can begin to describe, but fine."

"You're not fine, Fool." Akira said.

Yu whirled on Akira and Naoto actually stepped in front of her boyfriend before he did something stupid. "Senpai." Naoto said, getting him to look at her. "Your hurt, you're betrayed. You are not fine. Now quit lying to yourself. You don't have your armor on. Let Joker and his team take the lead." she said.

She could see in those eyes of his that Yu was seriously considering saying something that would be difficult for them. She could see the roiling anger. He wanted Dojima's Reflection to hurt. He wanted to put his foot down, he wanted to charge off and be reckless.

"You're a better leader than this." Naoto said firmly. "We'll get him, but not if you're rushing off and forgetting to check your corners. We're too deep in enemy territory for dangerous, risky plans. Please, Senpai. Use your head."

Yu's jaw clenched and his eyes closed. He took a deep breath in and held it for a while before he slowly exhaled. Some of that tension came out of his shoulders. Good, he could focus his anger. Yu's eyes snapped open. "Joker, ready when you are." Thankfully Yu was a mostly rational person, if she could keep him focused, he wasn't going to do something incredibly stupid.

Not that she blamed him in this regard. She wanted to do something stupid as well.

But together, the two groups, with Yu's and Akira's chosen groups in the lead, began to make their way deeper. Yusuke and Makoto checked the corners, even as they progressed. There was the question of where Dojima was. Plus they had to deal with any Shadows that showed up. It made Naoto on edge.

They came to an area with pillars all around. The ground was even, and the area spacious. They all immediately could tell it was a trap. Yusuke advanced carefully, slowly. His rifle was up and at the ready. And as he passed between two of the pillars, there was a soft ' _ping'_ sound.

Naoto moved and tackled Yusuke to the ground. She didn't know what it was, but Yusuke needed to get down. That was her thoughts.

There was a loud bang that went off with a bright flash that illuminated the darkness of the depths of Mementos. Each of them cried out in pain at the sudden brightness.

Rapid footsteps came up quickly towards Yusuke and Naoto and she rolled, forcing herself to open her eyes. They stung and her aim was off as she squeezed off two shots, but it forced Dojima away instead of him getting the rifle that Yusuke was holding onto.

The idea of Dojima with a rifle was not something Naoto wanted to think about.

Having a flashbang was bad enough.

"Ziodyne!" Ryuji called out. The rear groups had managed to recover, likely due to the fact they weren't nearly as close to the flashbang going off.

Dojima got out of the way. His left hand came up as his right hand did. "Yakusa no Ikazuchi! Thunder Reign!" A blue tarot card spun up and electricity arced off his hand before blasting out.

 _Take Your Time_

Getting blasted onto his ass was no new event for Akira. He grunted, his body seizing as he tried to fight through the lightning arcing through him. Pain filled his form, both from the flashbang that went off so close to his eyes and the lightning coursing through him.

He rolled over as he heard the sound of pounding footsteps around him, both groups looking to take it to Dojima's Reflection. The sound of rounds being fired off echoed off the walls and Akira reached up to pull his mask off. He swapped off Zaou-Gongen who was inherently weak to electricity. He quickly swapped over to Odin.

Yoshitsune might be the better choice, but they didn't know the full extent of what Dojima's Persona was capable of and Odin had more resistances and wasn't inherently physical based.

Akira got to his feet. He could see Dojima moving already. He pulled out his pistol and fired off two rounds, aiming down the sights quickly. But the man made quick use of the cover available because of the pillars. Another blast of lightning moved at Morgana and Akira moved over to the cat, blocking it with his body.

Akira turned, watching as Yosuke charged at the pillar that Dojima had ducked behind. The dual knife wielding member of the Investigation Team stayed low and came around swinging. Akira winced as he saw him get knocked away, a hard shot to the jaw driving him out of the fight. Two revolver shots made him scramble back.

Akira took off towards the pillar himself, drawing his own knife. Paradise Lost glowed with that curse like energy that was imbued in it from Satanael. He saw Kanji coming up as well, heavy plate held with both hands. Dojima raised the revolver, coming around the pillar. Akira dodged out of the way of two shots, Dojima's drew a knife from the small of his back and stepped back as Kanji came crashing down with that heavy plate. Dojima stepped in and laid Kanji's arm open with the knife, making the blond back off. Dojima began raising his revolver at the retreating heavy hitter.

Metal against stone sounded off and Chie barely got there in time, throwing a high kick that sent the revolver's aim off high and firing loudly. She then brought the leg down to go into a flying knee that Dojima managed to back away from.

"Emperor!" Kanji turned and barely brought his hands together. Makoto leapt up onto his hands and leapt, going over Chie to bring her fist down at Dojima. Again, he managed to back away from it and was looking to shoot Makaoto when she stayed low and Chie came over the other martial artist's head with a swiping kick.

Dojima took the kick to his arm, but clearly didn't expect the strength of it as he ended up dropping his revolver. But he stepped in and stabbed Chie through the leg, making her cry out in pain and not be able to put as much weight on her left leg.

Akira got back into the fight, knife clanging against Dojima's. He grunted, not expecting the strength of the blow. But Yosuke came up knives swinging. They were forcing Dojima back, sharp and precise swings that would make certain he couldn't get his revolver again. But Dojima kept making his way backwards, deflecting blow after blow or dodging them as he could. And with the closeness, Akira couldn't draw his own gun.

He caught Yosuke by the forearm and then ran the blade of his knife over Yosuke's wrist in almost the same motion. The knife clattered to the ground before Dojima dodged Akira's swing. Dojima then grabbed Akira by the back of his coat and forced him more forward, causing Akira to stumble. Yosuke's loud cry and thump onto his back told Akira that the older boy had been flipped. And Dojima was moving for his gun again.

"Megidolaon!" The twin cries of Yu and Naoto sounded out as the Almighty Spell blasted the pillar sending rocks flying towards Dojima and forcing the Detective to dodge out of the way instead. Kanji moved quickly to cover both the injured Chie and Makoto who had been in the process of getting a Diaharan on her.

Ann and Haru made their way over towards where Dojima was. But Dojima noticed them coming and was already moving into action. He rushed towards them and caught the handle of Haru's axe. Akira winced in sympathetic pain as Haru had her feet swept out from under her and she was driven into the hard ground before Dojima was moving after Ann. That was the problem. Dojima didn't stop moving. They couldn't get a clean bead on him. He even saw Yusuke trying to get a bead with his rifle. But Dojima was too close to friendlies.

Ann tried to use her submachine gun, but Dojima got to her and pressed against her, spinning and firing the gun off at them. Akira dove for the ground, just as Yu tackled Naoto to the ground and Kanji had to dive back down after getting back up from the rubble. Ann gave a loud shriek. Yukiko gave a pained cry, no doubt having actually gotten hit.

"We need to get my vest off of him, he's tanking too much damage and we're not hitting him good enough." Yu said.

"On it." Kanji got up and took off, not even stopping to pick up his plate from the ground. Naoto rolled away and chased after the blond bruiser.

Ryuji, Akira's own blond bruiser, was already in the process of running over to Dojima. But instead of going on the offensive, Ryuji at the last moment went into a baseball slide past Dojima and turned. He got his feet having traction before springing up at Dojima. "God's Hand!" Ryuji came up with the heavily damaging physical attack.

Dojima neatly dodged out of the way, right into Kanji who grabbed the Detective by the arms. Akira was already making his way over as Kanji used his raw strength and size to lift Dojima into the air. "Vest!" Naoto called out.

Ryuji moved to grab the vest, managing to get the zipper down. But Dojima was quick on the uptake. He brought his legs back before shooting them forward, kicking Ryuji back in the chest before he brought his legs up to his own chest and went completely limp. "Shit!" Kanji shouted as the just dead weight hit him and he began to tumble forward.

Dojima rolled with Kanji and came up with his knife. "Brave blade!" he slashed into Kanji. An arc of blood came out, even as Kanji was laid open with the knife. And Dojima was up on his feet, meeting the charge of Naoto.

The blue haired sleuth had her revolver out and managed to take two shots. Dojima got clipped in the arm by one, but it didn't hit square enough to make him stop. And he came in with that knife, swiping for her throat. She dodged backwards, revolver coming up. Dojima smacked her hand to the side and the round went wide before he came in and struck her throat with the hilt of the knife. Naoto coughed, stumbling backwards. But she still managed to squeeze off two more rounds that both went wide. Her last round came when she tried to get Dojima in the leg, but he quickly smacked the revolver down again, forcing the round to be fired into the ground.

Instead of trying to back off and reload, Naoto threw her revolver away behind her. Anything to keep Dojima from getting it. The last thing they needed was for the Detective to get another gun. He was dangerous enough with the knife as it was.

Naoto yanked her knife, a souvenir from her fight with her Reflection, from a sheath at the back of her hip. Her stiletto was more designed for stabbing however which made it more difficult to get the drop on Dojima who worked with his own knife to deflect hers. Dojima then stepped in closer as he forced her to over extend and put his foot behind hers. A strong open palm forced her back and had her drop to her back.

Yu was on the move already, sword out. Yusuke was also moving, clearly forgoing the rifle that he tended to favor for his sword. The two sword wielders came in and began to force Dojima back. Especially since Yu was immune to physical damage and lightning, two things that Dojima had been so far relying on. Dojima was forced to begin backing off, feet keeping him away from the long reach of Yusuke and Yu's swords.

But then Dojima stepped in and caught Yusuke's sword against the edge of his knife. And he angled the knife to force Yusuke's blade to go down to the left. Dojima grabbed Yusuke by the coat and drew him into Yu's path, forcing the silver haired teen to halt his advance a moment while Dojima broke in the opposite direction.

His charge was met by the unlikely duo of Morgana and Teddie. Morgana fired off several of his shots with his slingshot, leaping and bouncing off another pillar and firing a few more while he sailed in the aira, moving around the charging Teddie. But Dojima kept moving, the slower moving projectiles landing against the stone and smashing right through. Teddie came up with his claw and Dojima brought his knife up between the claws and twisted, bending Teddie's arm in an awkward direction. He then brought Teddie around and against his body. Dojima stabbed him in the kidney before kicking him at Morgana and running for once more.

Akira aimed down the sights of his gun and took a couple of shots. He could hear Makoto's revolver also going off and Chie was getting back up, running at Dojima once more and staying as low as she could so that they could keep taking shots.

Dojima came around another pillar and tossed something that went through the air. A bit of metal popped off of it.

"Eyes!" Naoto cried out.

Akira didn't quite get his eyes covered in time before the bright flash blinded him again. He heard footsteps and he tried to open his eyes, they stung and all he could see was white. He closed his eyes, hoping that he might be able to get them to adjust fast enough. He heard a cry from Naoto and a struggle from the sleuth.

Akira managed to get his eyes to adjust and he turned around, racing over to where he heard the bootsteps. He saw Yu also moving, sword drawn.

And they both drew up short, even if Akira was pointing his gun at Dojima.

There, not three meters from them was Dojima holding Futaba. A revolver, his revolver maybe, was pressed tightly up against her chin. All it would take was one shot, and Futaba would be gone. No Salvation would be able to help her, no matter how many times they cast it.

"I only have to kill you two." Dojima said. His breathing was a little heavier as he spoke. "No one else."

"Not happening Dojima." Akira said, keeping his gun trained on the older Detective. One shot, all it would take would be one shot. But could he make it? "I shoot you, you're dead before you can pull the trigger." It was a bluff, and a bad one.

"Can you make that shot kid?" Dojima asked, keeping his barrel unwavering under Futaba's chin. She was breathing a little heavier.

"Sorry Joker." She said softly. "I messed up."

"It's alright Oracle." Akira said as he kept his gun steady. His mind was racing for answers, answers that he couldn't think of. If he shot, he either hit Futaba or Dojima pulled the trigger. They couldn't do anything at the moment. And Akira wasn't the type to sacrifice anyone if he could help it.

Certainly not the youngest of them.

"It's a tricky shot to make." Dojima said. "Gotta make sure you keep the brain from sending the signal to the hand to pull the trigger. Sure, you'll kill me. But she's dead anyways." Akira grit his teeth. "Drop the gun. And Yu, drop the sword."

Akira could feel his arm wanting to shake with the anger. But Dojima was right, it was the sort of shot that he couldn't risk. And the Detective was hyper focused on him, the second Akira pulled the trigger, Dojima would react. He'd be dead, but so would Futaba. Akira pointed his gun up, looking down. He hit the release and ejected the magazine. He then jerked back the slide to eject the round and he slowly put the gun down before kicking it away. He held his hands out.

Yu dropped his sword and kicked it away as well, grunting a bit.

"I want you to kill Yu now." Dojima said. "A Megidolaon or two should be plenty."

Akira grit his teeth, even as he swapped over to Lucifer. He needed something to work with, anything to work with.

"We're going to get you out of this Oracle." Yu said, even as he turned to face Akira. He took two steps back and held his arms open. "Come on Joker." he said. Akira knew they needed to buy time, but… but actually hitting Yu with a Megidolaon?

Or a Morning Star?

This wasn't right. They could also figure it out, they could always find the answer.

But Dojima had been able to take care of all of them. He had been able to handle all of them. Maybe they could have worn him down, but he had gone after a weakness. He had gone after Futaba, likely who could be considered their weakest member.

Not because of anything she did, but purely because she was intended as a non-combatant.

"Come on Joker. Do it!" Yu barked out, arms held open. Akira grit his teeth at the order from the other Wild Card. It wasn't right, and he wasn't certain if he could actually pull that trigger.

"Skull! Now!" Rise of all people sounded out and Akira could only watch. Somehow, some way, the teenaged Idol had gotten the drop on Dojima, slipping up from behind. She slapped… something onto Futaba and yanked the other girl forward. And Futaba dropped all of her weight, going as limp as she could just as the revolver started to cycle.

Ryuji was charging Dojima and Akira could only look on in horror. "No!" Akira shouted. Click, boom, the revolver gave off a loud retort as Dojima looked to make good on his threat.

The last thing Akira expected however was for the bullet to ricochet off of what looked to be a mirror and explode backwards into Dojima's hand. Rise and Futaba hit the ground as Ryuji came in and stepped into his swing. There was a sickening crunch from Dojima's ribs as Ryuji gave a guttural sound as he followed through with the swing and sent Dojima into the wall behind him.

Akira moved and grabbed his gun. He slapped a fresh magazine in and went towards Dojima, bringing the pistol up as Dojima looked to try and recover and keep moving. Only to pause. Akira glanced to his left and right and spotted the other members of the Phantom Thieves sans Haru holding their guns out and aimed at the injured Reflection.

Dojima closed his eyes and tossed his gun down to the ground. "So this is it huh? I die to a bunch of kids slumped against a wall?" He pulled out his lighter and cigarettes, putting one between his lips before lighting it. "Guess I deserve it."

"You shouldn't have fucked with our Oracle." Akira said. And with those words spoken, they all opened up. Dojima's body was rocked with gunshots as they all proceeded to empty their guns into the man. Akira was even half tempted to reload.

And when they all lowered their guns, Haru stepped past Akira with her axe and took the Reflection's head. It then shattered like glass.

"Well that's a bit gruesome." Ryuji said softly.

"Can we please find a fucking safe room now?" Yu asked, sounding exhausted.

 _Take Your Time_

"Hey." Yu's voice sounded over the room as he lightly nudged Naoto. "What time you got?" he asked.

"Fifteen to eleven." Naoto said quietly, just after checking her watch. "Why?"

"Just checking there's no time shenanigans." Yu said as he nursed his cup of coffee.

Makoto sighed as she took a bite of the curry in front of her. They were all tired and sore and injured after the fight with Dojima's Reflection. Her mask was sitting on the table in front of her. Usually she'd just push it up over her head, but this time she had almost ripped it off just to have the damn thing off.

Yu had gotten his armor back and was wearing it once more underneath his white duster. Yukiko had been shot three times from Ann's submachine gun, after being shot once already in the back by Dojima. Thankfully, they hadn't hit anything vital, mostly the legs. None of them were surgeons, but it seemed Yukiko was going to walk fine. Teddie had been hurt, badly, but a Salvation from Morgana had sealed the wound up nicely. There was no telling if the bear was going to have problems in the future, especially with how neatly Dojima had stabbed him. And Ann had been taken rather neatly out of the fight when Dojima had correctly guessed her modesty would prevail.

After all, he unzipped the front of Ann's catsuit. It seemed silly that it worked, but none of them could argue the effectiveness of it and the blonde girl definitely didn't want to talk about it. And Haru had apparently had to help zip it up since Ann had been compromised, something she had told Makoto in confidence.

After the second flash bang had gone off, Dojima had apparently used the seconds to grab his revolver and handcuffed Naoto. She had tried to fight, but she was still a petite girl that couldn't see.

But it was Rise, Rise of all people, that had managed to save the day. She had apparently kept an item that Yu had given her back during the Investigation Team's work in the TV World. A small, hand held ornamental mirror shined so each surface of it was reflective.

It was apparently capable of reflecting physical attacks, including a bullet from a gun. Rise had bided her time, waiting as long as she could in the back. But when Futaba had been grabbed, Rise had acted, having spotted Ryuji getting into position to try something, anything.

"We got our asses handed to us." Kanji said as he held Yukiko against his side. While they couldn't always expect to fight alongside one another, the fact of the matter was that he was worried about his girlfriend and at the moment they were taking a moment to rest.

"We've been down here for two hours already." Akira said softly as he looked at his own cup of coffee.

Two hours of fighting, travelling, and now resting. And while they were certainly deeper into Mementos than ever before, Makoto hadn't expected it to take so long. And even with the additional help of the Investigation Team, it was like every extra meter they went was a struggle to go. The air was hot even in the middle of December.

"Man, I dunno if I'm going to stop myself from trying to punch Dojima next time I see him." Yosuke said as he drank at an energy drink.

"Do… Do you think Dojima wasn't actually trying to kill us?" Chie asked. The Martial Artist's words brought with them a deafening silence as they all turned to look at her. She squirmed a little bit, clearly not expecting it. "Dojima-san works with me from time to time. I've seen him at the range."

Well that made it worse. Makoto picked at her plate of curry, losing a good deal of her appetite at the idea. How dangerous was the Reflection then? She thought of what she could remember of the battle.

"I should have been dead outright." Yu said in a frighteningly calm voice.

Oh… Yeah… Many of them should have been. Makoto winced as she thought about that initial bullet that had taken her in the arm. It had certainly not been a good thing to feel. She touched her shoulder before she could help herself.

"He's gone now." Akira said quietly. "That's the best we're going to get right now." He said. He stood up and gave a groan as he stretched. "But we need to get moving."

Makoto forced herself to finish the rest of the curry on her plate. The others began to do their best to finish either their coffee or their own curry. Thermos and tupperware was gathered and packed away before bags were shouldered and weapons picked up.

"Star, Skull, and Magician." Akira motioned to the chosen three. "Up front and center, you guys are with me for the next leg of the journey." Makoto was a bit surprised at that but watched as Yosuke and Teddie moved to get up front with Akira.

"Fox, Noir, Emperor, you guys are with me." Yu said. "The rest of you form up in the middle. That'll give our healers and our operators some cover. Lovers, watch over the rear guard. Oracle, you got Joker's group."

Akira nodded his head. "Good plan." He said. "Everyone good with that?" Everyone gave a quick nod before they made their way out of the room and started to traverse the depths of Mementos once more.

Makoto ran alongside Naoto, revolver pointed down. "How long did it take to get to Izanami?" Makoto asked the sleuth beside her.

"It was almost six when we got out." Naoto said. "We started close to one. Even Kouzeon couldn't pierce the thick fog, so it was a lot of backtracking. Thankfully, it looks like Morgana is a radar directly to the treasure."

So there was certainly hope that they wouldn't be down there for hours and hours on end. Good. But it wasn't feeling like they were making any progress unfortunately.

They came to a downwards descending ramp and the group began to make their way down. This time, Morgana did turn into a bus and they all piled in or on as best they could. A few of them even sat on top of Morgana or, in Yu's case, hung off the ladder on the back.

Akira led the way through another set of doors and Makoto frowned at seeing yet another prison cell.

"What?!" Ann's cry of surprise as she came to a halt got the rest of them stopping. "You're-"

"Kamoshida…" Ryuji said, staring through the prison cell to look at the former P.E. Teacher of Shujin Academy. They all began to gather around.

"So this was the guy that it started with huh?" Yosuke asked of Akira.

"Our first target, yeah." Akira said softly.

"Sensei…" Yusuke said, spotting Madarame.

Makoto glanced to the other sound and found the rather rounded form of Kaneshiro. "And Kaneshiro is over here." she said. She felt the urge to summon Johanna and blast him with an Atomic Flare.

"Is Okumura-san-?" Futaba started.

"Father isn't around anymore." Haru cut in before she could finish that sentence. Her tone was a bit tight.

"Sorry." Futaba said, wincing a bit at the slight she had done.

"It's okay. More importantly," Haru pointed at the cell.

"Shido." Akira said, stepping towards the bars, looking at the man that was sitting down with a ball attached to a chain wrapped around his ankles.

"What the hell is goin' on?" Ryuji asked. "Their Palaces shoulda disappeared with the change of heart!"

" **We don't want anymore trouble.** " Shido's Shadow said. " **We're finally free. Free to have someone else do the thinking for us. We just get to live.** "

"That's not living." Akira said a bit angirly. "That's just passing responsibility to someone else." And it wasn't something any of them were happy to be hearing about.

" **I thought I was talented. But now I know I was just a fool for wanting too much."** Madarame said and took a seat of his own.

" **I'm done acting like a big shot. You don't get punished for being dumb. Nobody needs to strive for more than they're worth."** Kaneshiro said, eyes closed.

"Is this what the Change of Heart does?" Yusuke asked. "To make them slaves to whatever it is that is deeper in?"

"Could they have chosen captivity after we stole their distorted desires?" Morgana asked stressed.

"Man, this is a lot like the TV World. We didn't know anything, up until the very end." Chie said.

" **Unfortunately, Okumura isn't here with us.** " Shido's Shadow spoke up as he walked to the bars. " **Nothing can be done for the dead. I'm sorry.** "

"I don't want your apologies." Haru said. "If you don't mind, I would much rather know what this place is." While they all had their own personal reasons for disliking Shido, it was only Akira and Haru who could truly say they hated the man. And the venom in the usually kind girl's voice said how much she hated Shido.

" **Does this look like captivity to you?** " Shido asked. " **This is the 'Prison of Regression' and it is the utmost freedom for any that desire it. Just come inside, the doors are open. This is the freedom to just live, to not have to make any decisions, to not have to think for yourself. Of course, there are those that cannot sit by and accept this, and they are segregated away in Palaces, a place for Escaped Convicts."**

"Joker, we should move now." Makoto said. She was getting creeped out by the place, and there was no telling when more Shadows would show up.

"What have we been doing if we've been sending them back here?" Ann asked.

"We need to go." Akira barked before he turned, heading away and the group paused before following him. They weren't getting their answers there, so they needed to go elsewhere and they continued running forward.

Morgana kept looking back, drawing attention to the feline. "What's wrong?" Makoto asked.

"That place is definitely familiar. It's where I realized I was different from the humans and I started thinking I could become one of them." Morgana said. "My memories are still hazy, but I remember seeing that place before."

Another downwards descent where they all piled onto Morgana and another puzzle based on the floor of all things later, and they came to yet another prison area. Only this one held a massive gated cell with a reinforced door.

"Bet you anything this is that quarantined prisoner." Yosuke said as he looked over the cell.

"No bet there." Akira said, looking around. "Look at all these cells. They're individually placed rather than grouped up."

"They're also empty." Makoto said, glancing around. "No Shadows in them in the slightest."

"More quarantine cells?" Naoto asked.

"I remember this too." Morgana said, looking around. "I was made here… It smells so familiar."

"Wait, does that make _you_ the dangerous inmate?" Ann asked.

"Ooh! No wonder Mona is so powerful." Teddie said, latching onto the idea. "I had no idea."

"No, it's not me." Morgana said, shooting the idea down immediately. "I was created… to guide all of you."

Yu and Akira shared a look at that moment and the others quickly caught on. "What are you thinking?" Chie asked.

"Igor. When Igor resumed his place as Master of the Velvet Room, he was weak." Yu said. "I didn't think anything about it at the time, especially since he said his full power would return shortly. But I'm sure of it now, Morgana was created by Igor."

"It would explain why he was weakened." Akira said. "If he got captured by Yaldabaoth while he created Mona as a contingency."

"Does that mean this Igor guy is the dangerous criminal?" Chie asked.

"If he's helped us in the past," Yukiko began. "It could be a possibility."

" **Intruders!"**

Yu, Akira, and Naoto turned to the approaching Shadows. "Megidolaon/Morning Star!" The blast wrecked the stones, blasting chunks away and warping some of the bars to the empty containment cells.

"Run!" Futaba called out, rushing forward as the walls cracked, threatening to crumble.

As a group they ran, with Kanji and Ryuji moving over to Rise and Futaba, covering their heads a bit more. Yu scooped up Morgana and tried to cover Yukiko as well. They got hit with falling rubble but the debris didn't come down catastrophically.

When they were past it, Makoto held her hand out. "Atomic Flare." She blasted the ceiling once more, bringing the whole thing crumbling down in its entirely. Hopefully, it would keep too many Shadows from converging on them.

But it would also keep them from turning back. Not that any of them had any intention of doing so.

But they kept moving onwards, Akira's group quickly taking the lead while Makoto and Naoto took over the middle group. Yu took care of the rear, though Makoto still hoped that her efforts would keep them from having to deal with anything behind them.

Better they be bored than they actually have to fight something.

They eventually came to a massive chamber that caused all of them to pause. Makoto couldn't help but look at the massive structure in front of her with twisting and turning pathways along the outside of it that seemed to enter at one spot and leave another, with winding paths upwards.

"I never knew something so large could be down here." Makoto said softly.

"Look, all those red veins we've been seeing." Teddie said. "Beary spooky."

"I think we're at the end of the road." Ann said.

"No doubt about that, I'm picking up the treasure strongly ahead." Morgana said.

"Fool! Bring it forward." Akira called out and slowly the group collapsed into itself as they began to walk the downward slope. "Everyone good?" he called out from the front.

Makoto was glad to hear the affirmatives all around, even as she took a can of soda from her pack and began to sip on it as they made their way downwards. Better to keep her energy up than to be drained at a pivotal point.

"The size of this place is immense." Yusuke said.

"Makes sense." Naoto said. "If everyone's treasure is inside, it has to be quite a bit larger than the previous ones we have encountered."

"This air is ominously oppressive." Yusuke said again. "It's bizarre."

"Well, there's no use freakin' about it." Ryuji said as he continued walking down. "We're here. Let's do this."

They came inside the structure and had to go even further down, jumping down giant stone blocks. There was no backing down, there was no second guessing it. They continued forward and helped those that needed it get down. Makoto would be lying if she wasn't nervous herself. She could see the large object in the center with all those red vein like structures running to it.

And as they got closer to it, it was only more obvious that the object dwarfed them in size.

"Look at all the cells." Yu said.

"Those are all prison cells?" Ryuji asked.

"There's no other way out." Rise said. "This is it."

"The Depths of Mementos." Akira said quietly even as he began to slowly circle the object. "Any ideas?"

Makoto began to move in the opposite direction. "I'd rather not chance anything without knowing what it is first."

Ann began to walk as well. "Whatever it is, it's disgustingly grand enough to be everyone's treasure."

"There's no mistaking it." Morgana said. His shoulders slumped a bit. "If we get rid of it, Mementos goes with it." he said softly.

"We've already made up our mind, Mona-chan." Haru said as she readied her grenade launcher. "Something that big isn't going to be carried out, so we'll need to destroy it."

Suddenly the lights on it came to life. "Looks like we've been found!" Yosuke called out.

"Look, even the inmates have livened up." Yusuke said as he circled, looking at the cells.

"We shouldn't have been surprised." Naoto said. "I doubt even it would let itself be destroyed."

"I got a bad feeling Joker. Where's Yaldabaoth?!" Yu called out.

"Shido said the masses are allowing themselves to be held captive here." Makoto said, her mind whirling quickly to come up with her thoughts. Could… Her gut was telling her something. "Could they be operating this system that eliminates intruders?" she asked

There was a deep distorted chuckle that seemed to come from….

"What was that?!" Ann asked, her submachine gun coming up.

"We don't have time for that now!" Ryuji called out.

"Light this thing up!" Akira shouted his orders.

Haru, Naoto, and Yu quickly began passing out Heat Risers. Makoto felt her body speeding up, felt the energy surging through her. Her Atomic Flare had much more force as it left her hand. She saw Mother Harlot, Akira's Empress Persona coming out and strike the central object with something. He was likely Debilitating it. Cherry blossoms swirled around the object before igniting in a blazing inferno. Kanji, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Chie all slammed into the structure with their more physical based attacks.

Makoto saw the swirl of colors on Akira before he held his hand out. "Morning Star!" The blast took the structure, even as it was unmoved by the powerful spell from Lucifer.

Yu was hit with the Heat Riser as well and dashed in, "Hassou Tobi!" He dragged his sword against the edge of the object. Another seven slashes seemed to materialize and only scratched the object, not doing real damage.

" **Stop that! Stop! You're hurting it!"** A shadow banged against the bars of the cell it was in, more lively than it had ever been.

" **Don't touch the Holy Grail!"**

"The Holy Grail?" Futaba questioned, glancing about at the shouting Shadows.

The red vein like structures pulsed and light began to feed into it. The dents and scratches they had managed to deal repaired themselves like they had never even managed to do anything to it. Makoto wanted to pull her hair out at it, even as she readied another Atomic Flare.

"The inmates are giving this thing their strength!" Rise called out as Kouzeon disappeared from around the idol.

" **Fools. You seek to destroy the Will of Humanity, but are only humans yourself."**

"Did it just talk?!" Makoto asked, her composure breaking for the moment.

" **Repent. I am revered as the Granter of Desires by all those that behold me! I am the Holy Grail! I see into the hearts of all of you, a wish to be human, a wish to be-"**

"Many Myriads True Words!" Once again, Yu shouted the attack. He had cut down Goro Akechi with the attack like it was nothing. It struck true once more, much of the structure being torn apart as it was blasted with the immense power. "I told you once, I'll tell it again! You cannot lie to me!"

The pulsing of the red veins occurred once more and the damage was quickly fixed. " **Is it a lie if this many believe it, Seeker of the Truth? The Prison of Regression is a representation of Humanity. They wish to be chained down, they wish to be led. They want to surrender their cognition and ignore the world around them. It is these feebleminded common folk that make your Social Reform for naught. Not even you, Seeker of the Truth, can ignore this. The Shared Heart of the Masses has fallen to Indolence and has become a Prison of which they have no desire to escape from."** The Shadows all around them were shouting at them, banging on their cells. It was impossible to distinguish one voice from another.

"Damn it, they're worshippin' that thing!" Ryuji shouted.

" **And if you will not join them, then you will be rejected by society."** There was a wind up before an arrow of energy shot out from one of the spots along the side of the Grail. Akira dodged neatly to the side and the fight began again.

Makoto unleashed the other Atomic Flare she had been holding, blasting the thing once more. Haru's grenade launcher gave a dull thud as it fired off its round to explode against one of the mechanisms on the face of the Grail. Akira popped off a few shots as they all started to move, especially as it fought back this time, blasting the arrows out at multiple angles.

But no matter how much damage they were doing, if it ever took too much, the people just healed it up.

"Guys! The color!" Futaba called out. "It's getting brighter!"

Soon, the Shadows all began to chant. " **Get out of here! Get out of here!"**

" **You have been intoxicated by an unwanted Justice."** The Grail spoke once more. " **This is the true will of man's child that have fallen into Sloth. My shine is proof that humanity desires me, and that as long as they do so, I will never fade from existence."**

"Bullshit!" Akira said. "Not everyone wants you, not even the vast majority want you!" But it was frustrating, Makoto was on the verge of tears.

Thinking about all they had done, all the good that they had done, only to have it come crumbling down around them. Was this really what humanity wanted? How did they fight it? How did they beat it?!

" **Humanity wants their distortions actualized. I am merely the being that will make it realized. It is time to encroach upon reality and to leave this place."** It began to glow with an energy that only kept getting bigger and brighter.

"Humans aren't all as stupid as you think they are!" Morgana shouted. "They're not going to just let you take over and decide things arbitrarily on your own!"

" **Hmph. Indolent humans, you will offer your hearts to me."** The Rings on the side of the Grail began to spin around it. " **Now, the time has come for the fusion of worlds."** They were encompassed by a bright white light and Makoto tried to shield her eyes from it, trying to see what was happening, but she couldn't.

Makoto thought she heard Morgana saying something, but she couldn't quite hear them and suddenly she impacted on something hard and fell forward onto her knees. The bright light faded away, various cries of pain around her.

"Is… Is everyone okay?" Ann asked as she stood up.

"Yeah, we're good." Ryuji said, wincing and hissing slightly but standing nonetheless.

"Your clothes." Rise said softly. "They've returned to normal."

Makoto glanced down, seeing her usual winter coat and she looked to her hands, twisting some. "What happened?" She asked. The sounds of traffic and people moving quickly alerted her though.

"It looks like we're back." Yosuke said. "What the hell happened?"

"We're in Shibuya alright." Yu said, glancing around. "We must have been driven out."

Naoto pulled out her phone. "The MetaNav is gone." she said. It caused everyone to pull their phones out and see that it was gone.

"Did… Did we lose?" Chie asked.

"No, I refuse to believe that." Akira said. "There has to be a way forward."

Suddenly, moisture began to fall from above and they all looked up. "Rain?" Haru asked. Futaba held her hand out to it and as it splattered all around.

"No, not rain." Yusuke said. "Blood." He held a hand up to his nose, even as the red fluid continued to fall. The skies darkened to an ominous gray. A portal opened up and a jutting bone spike shot out of it and forced Futaba to jump back.

"Is this what it meant by the Fusion? Mementos here in Shibuya?" Yukiko asked.

"Look at everyone else." Teddie spoke up. 'They're not even reacting to all this."

Futaba suddenly collapsed to the ground. They all looked to her as Ryuji dashed over. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Ugh… Just… woozy… I feel weak." she said, clutching the side of her head.

And suddenly, the feeling of weakness and dizziness drifted over them all. Makoto felt her knees go weak, and she watched as Kanji drop to one knee. Yukiko fell against him a bit, and Chie slumped against the wall. Ann and Haru went down as well, and Akira dropped.

"What's happening?" Makoto asked softly. "Is this the Grail too?" The only one left standing was Yu, and even then that was just barely.

Suddenly, the silver haired teen fell forward. "Senpai!" Naoto screamed forcing herself forward, and they all watched as Yu's body faded to ash like a defeated Shadow.

"My hand!" Ryuji shouted, his hand dissolving in much the same way.

"No!" Makoto stared at her one hand that was falling.

"Yukiko!" Kanji shouted, trying to cover the dark haired girl who had lost her legs to whatever was happening to them.

"Don't… tell me…" Morgana grunted, his body slumped on the ground as his limbs had already vanished.

" **That is correct. This is not my doing. You are all about to disappear from the People's Cognition. Mementos and Reality have become one. And since the Phantom Thieves have no place in People's Cognition, you have nowhere to go."**

"Is this all my fault?" Morgana asked, slowly fading away as they all began to disappear into ash. Haru, Yusuke, Yosuke, Chie, Teddie, they all were slowly vanishing. Makoto could feel herself breathing faster and faster, unable to think of anything

"The hell it is." Akira said with conviction.

Makoto forced herself to crawl her way towards Akira, reaching out for him. She saw Akira roll onto his back as Morgana faded away. He reached for the sky, the blood dripping onto him.

"I'm sorry." Makoto whispered, watching as Akira faded faster.

"Me too." Akira said, before they completely faded away to ash that was quickly swept away by people walking.

 **Chapter End**

 **A/N: Hooh… Boy.**

 **I'm farming for Dethcube Prime on Warframe and the statue that came with him. Peace.**


	50. Chapter 49: Rise and Rebel

Chapter 49: Rise and Rebel

Yu jerked himself up, eyes snapping open from the suffocating darkness. He breathed a little heavier and clamored to his feet, looking around. His eyes took the place in, but his brain was taking a while to register it. Cell doors, blue carpet, wooden desk. Long nosed man with bulbous eyes.

He was in the Velvet Room,

His shoulders slumped and his eyes closed as he thought about what had happened. He remembered falling, Naoto shouting. And then darkness taking him.

"Gah! Where-?" Akira bolted upright from the floor.

"The Velvet Room." Yu said to the other Wild Card. So Akira was there, that was good. He looked around, but he couldn't see anyone else. Just Igor, Margaret, Justine, and Caroline. Where was everyone else? Had they been-?

"The… Velvet Room?" Akira asked from his sitting position, breathing heavily. His shoulders slumped and he looked down at the floor. "Did we… Lose?" he asked himself softly.

Yu looked to Igor. Their mutual benefactor and the Master of the Velvet Room sat there, looking at them without saying a word. Had they lost? Had they truly lost against Yaldabaoth? "No…" Yu said after a moment.

Akira dragged himself onto his feet and glanced around a bit more. He swatted at his sides, looking for something. "Where are the others?" Akira asked. "Where's our equipment?"

"You will fight then?" Igor asked. "Against an enemy that doesn't want you to fight? Against an enemy that has already progressed so far?"

Yu and Akira looked to one another a while. They both nodded to one another and Akira stepped forward. "I'm still breathing. The world needs to be put right, and I can't let Shibuya stay that twisted hellscape." And with Akira's resolve, his clothes changed to that of the Phantom Thief Joker in a burst of flames.

Slowly, Igor began to grin and leaned back. He clapped his hands a bit. "Excellent." He said. "And well said. "If you are looking for your friends," Igor waved his hands, two cell doors opening up. One behind Akira that he usually came out of, and one behind Yu that he usually came out of.

Yu stepped towards it, pausing a moment. He didn't know what the world offered. He didn't know what trials were ahead of him and his friends. But he was determined that he would see it through to the end. He would, as he had always done, help his friends out. That was the best that he could do. It was the right thing to do.

And he wouldn't be alone this time. He watched Akira turn and walk through the cell, a quiet determination to him. Yu followed his lead and walked through his own door.

This was another God, thinking they knew what was best. Yu had the answer to that.

Yu came to the first cell and stared. He looked at Yosuke, flat on his back and sprawled out. His headphones were off and the brown haired teen was just staring at the ceiling. He made no movement to show that he even recognized that Yu was there. Slowly, Yu bent down into a squat to look at Yosuke a bit more.

Yosuke Hanamura, the first person Yu's age that he encountered in Inaba. His right hand man. The first of their group to confront his Shadow and face the truth about those ugly feelings. His Partner. The Blood Vow of the Magician. His other self was Takehaya Susano-o, the God of the Storm.

Yu stuck his hand through the cell bars, as though to help Yosuke up.

"Come on Partner, you can't be laying there." Yu told Yosuke who finally looked to him.

But Yosuke made no move to take Yu's hand. "I feel like we got our asses kicked." He said, leaning his head back to continue looking at the ceiling.

Well that wasn't good. "You remember what I said that day at the Samegawa?" Yu asked. He saw Yosuke look at him quizzically, as though remembering it but not knowing how it applied. "I said whoever gets up first wins. Well, that doesn't apply here." He told his friend.

Yosuke sat up finally. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Yu let his hand drop limply between the bars and he sighed. "This is a different kind of fight." He said. "Doesn't make it any easier to win, just means the rules are different. When you and I fought, that was between two friends. We were working things out that couldn't be talked about. We didn't pull our punches because we respected each other too much. But Yaldabaoth? He doesn't respect us. He's looking down on us. He's looking to put us in the ground for good." Yu said. "And we need to get back up, because right now we're the only ones that can stop him. The loser here is the last one to fall."

Yosuke looked down at his lap, but still made no real movement to get up, no real movement to fight. "Why me? Why do you want me?" He asked after a few moments of silence. "I'm no one."

Yu held his hand out again, hoping he could get to his friend. "I know I haven't been there nearly as much as I should have been Partner, but I need you now. I need my partner watching my back like always. I need my Partner acting as my co-leader. Naoto, Kanji, Yukiko, Chie, Teddie, Rise, I need all of them. But you, Yosuke, you were the one I could trust to hold steady in the back and make sure we had a safe way out. You were the one I knew could lead the others when I wasn't there. Naoto can hold them together, but you're the other leader of the Investigation Team. And I need you now Yosuke. I need you here now so that we can all go home."

Yosuke finally seemed to get some life back in his eyes. Yu could see the fire building. And Yosuke reached up with his hand, like it was made of lead and clasped Yu's hand. And Yu stood, hauling Yosuke up to his feet. The cell door vanished and Yosuke stepped through. "Then let's get this bastard." Yosuke said, finally have some vigor back in his system

"Head that way." Yu said, motioning down the hall to where Igor was. "I'll be sending the others to you shortly." He turned and began to walk off, hearing Yosuke move down the hallway.

Yu had a gut feeling on who the next cell would belong to and as he came to her, he found he was right.

Chie Satonaka. The First person in Inaba that made him feel welcome that wasn't family. One of the Co-Founders of the Investigation Team. The first girl to actually confess to him. The Blood Vow of the Chariot. Her other self was Haraedo-no-Okami, a collection of Purification Goddesses formed when Izanagi cleansed the underworld filth from his body.

But where Yosuke had been laid sprawled out on the floor of the cell, Chie sat against the far wall. Her legs were slightly spread and her hands were resting on her thighs face up. Her head was bent down.

"Yo." Yu called out as he stuck his hand through the bars once more, holding a hand out to the martial artist. "Come on, we have work we need to do."

Chie slowly looked up to him with those expressive eyes. He always thought Chie wore her emotions on her sleeves. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something he had little experience with. "Are we doing the right thing?"

Ah. He should have expected that. It seemed that, like with Yosuke, many of Chie's fears were coming to surface. Most notably, her fear about doing the right thing. Yosuke it had been about if he had been needed. He wanted to be special. But for Chie, after coming face to face with how she had felt about Yukiko, it was about doing the right thing.

Yu looked to the girl a long while and he let his hand fall. No doubt, like with Yosuke, he had to convince her to get up and take his hand. "We weren't wrong when we went to confront Izanami." Yu said firmly. Even after all this time, he still believed it. "This is no different." Just another megalomaniac God wanting to take control of all of humanity.

"How do you know?" Chie asked, looking at him with such dull eyes. They didn't belong to a girl as full of life as Chie. It made Yu furious. He wanted to throttle Yaldabaoth, but right now he needed to get through to his friends.

"How many times did you see Nanako-chan when I wasn't there to do so?" Yu asked her. "How many times did you go to her when Uncle Dojima wasn't able to make it home at night? I know for a fact that you did Chie, several times. Nanako-chan told me all about it when I went to visit Inaba. That alone, Nanako-chan's smile, tells me that when we went to confront Izanami, when we showed her that humanity didn't want the damned fog, that we did the right thing." He brought his hand up. "Come on Chie, I need you to get up. I need your help protecting that smile."

"But everyone seemed to want that thing." Chie said.

"No, they didn't Chie." Yu snapped. "That Grail is fooling all of them, making them think that it's okay to not have to think for themselves. Just like Izanami with the Fog, how many people started to actually enjoy the Fog? But how many people did it hurt? Please, Chie. I need your help again. I fell off the right path when I came home to Shibuya, I trust you to keep me on it." Yu softened his tone again and held his hand out, trying to stretch as far into the cell as he could. "You're going to get knocks being a police officer, you can ask Uncle Dojima on that. But if you don't pick yourself up, you can't help anyone ever again and all it takes for evil to triumph is for the good man to do nothing."

Chie dragged herself to her knees Like with Yosuke, it was sluggish and slow. Like her body was heavy. She brought a hand up and Yu could see that it was trembling. But he knew Chie had made her choice. She grabbed his hand and Yu squeezed tightly, so tightly he might have even hurt Chie, but he wasn't letting go of his friends ever again. He hauled her up and the cell door vanished, with Chie coming up.

Fire began to build in her eyes and she bounced on her feet a moment. "Oooh… When I get in kicking range of that Grail…" She said furiously.

"Yosuke is that way. I've got the others." Yu said, motioning for the direction for Chie to head. He listened to her run off, the sharp clack of her metal greaves on the stone echoing as he began to make his way deeper. Maybe around, he wasn't certain.

Either Teddie or Yukiko would be next. And sure enough, it was Yukiko. Yu watched her for a moment, seeing her slumped against the wall, her legs neatly tucked under her as she leaned her head against the wall.

Yukiko Amagi. The first person in Inaba that Yu had began to help through their problems. He still remembered that rainy day when he spotted her in her kimono, away from the Inn for a desperate break. The last girl he had turned down as politely as he could. The Blood Vow of the High Priestess. Her Persona was Sumeo-Okami, another name for the Goddess Amaterasu whose domain covered the Sun.

He crouched down at the side of the wall she was at and held a hand out towards her. He knew she wouldn't immediately take it, but it did get attention. She look almost ready to cry, but her usually expressive eyes were dull. She looked almost like she had when he first met her.

Yu hated the dull look in all of his friends' eyes. They had gotten so expressive, so open and true to themselves. This looked like they were closed off. It wasn't right.

"Yu-kun." Yukiko said weakly. She even sounded like she was about to cry.

Yu had a feeling that even if he offered his hand, she wouldn't immediately take it. After Chie and Yosuke, he had a feeling none of his friends would until they were reminded of what they were doing, of who they were once more. But even still, Yu held his hand out to Yukiko and he felt her reach up to take it. But her hand felt so heavy. He doubted he could pull her up. "We still have work to do Yukiko." he said softly.

"I don't know if I can." Yukiko whispered. "It always feels like I'm relying on someone else."

Yu curled his fingers tightly around Yukiko's hand. "Don't ever say that." He said. "We wouldn't have made it near as far without you." Yukiko wanted to be independent, she wanted to feel like she had the right to choose her own destiny. And he wanted her to know that the Investigation Team wouldn't have made it without her. "We can't beat this thing without you." He said.

"We're always relying on you though." Yukiko said. "It... "

Yu shook his head, cutting Yukiko off. "Yukiko, I tried to commit suicide twice in my life. Before Inaba, I didn't have a great many friends, certainly not as strong and as long lasting as you guys. You ask, and I will be there. It's not because I want to feel as though you guys rely on me, but it's because _I_ rely on all of _you_ to keep me from going back into that downward spiral _._ I've always supported your decisions, no matter what they could be. Whether that was leaving Inaba after graduation or it was staying. I tried to offer my advice as someone that did move around a lot, but ultimately I let you decide your fate." He squeezed her hand again. "And even now, you can decide. Even now, you can say no and chose to sit in this cell. No one will blame you, not me, not Chie, not Kanji. But I will say that _I_ need _you._ I need to rely on you. We're all about to get banged up Yukiko. We're about to go face another Izanami, another God that thinks they can take away our choices away from us. Now, do you want to be a caged bird? Or do you want to spread your wings and make your own choices?"

Yu stood up, but kept his hand low and in Yukiko's hand. He stayed, ready to help her up. And when she reached up for the wall, he drew her back, helping her to her feet. He saw her smile at him as the bars faded away. "Guess it's time for me to spread my wings." Yukiko said. "Thank you."

"No thanks needed. Head that way," Yu told her where to go. "I'll be along shortly." But first he had the others to get.

And by his estimation, Naoto would be last and likely take either the least bit of time or the longest.

The next person that Yu encountered was Kanji. He had partially expected to meet Teddie next, but Kanji also made sense from a certain perspective. "You ready to kick some ass?" Yu asked the blond teen. He extended his hand through the cell bars.

Kanji Tatsumi, the Blood Vow of the Emperor. His Persona was Takeji Zaiten. Whether Takeji Zaiten referred to the place the Demon King of Lust and Worldly Desires of Buddhist belief resided, or if it referred to Oda Nobunaga who had self-proclaimed himself as the Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven, it didn't matter. Kanji had become a good friend who, frankly, only wanted to be able to be true to himself. It was Kanji that taught you the most about being true to himself.

Kanji looked over to him. He was leaned up against the wall, shoulder and forehead pressed up against it some. Yu could see the disinterest in Kanji's eyes. Yu was going to make certain that Yaldabaoth paid for this. And he knew it was going to tear him up to see such eyes on Naoto. But when Kanji spoke, Yu felt himself ache for his friend. "Hey Senpai…" His shoulders slumped. "I'm… tired. Tired of the fighting, tired of the struggling. It all seems so… pointless. It's like… no matter how hard I try…"

"Kanji stop!" Yu half shouted the command. His heart ached for the younger teen. He shook his head. "You're fighting for what you believe in. You're fighting to be the truest version of yourself imaginable!" Yu stepped in further against the bars, reaching out to actually grab Kanji by the arm. "You are you. You can't be anyone else but you. You've beaten up wanna be bikers because they kept waking your mom up. You stood up to the cops who thought of you as a delinquent, telling them that you made stuffed animals for a kid when the little kid wanted to pay you for making things. You're the guy that has told me it doesn't matter what your sexual orientation is as long as they accept you for you. You've got so much strength Kanji, it's just begging to come out. The road is difficult, but that's why you're walking it. If it wasn't difficult, it wouldn't be worth it. You were our shield because you wanted to keep us safe from some of the things you suffered!"

Kanji's eyes closed. "I know Senpai. But it's just… I'm tired. I'm still made fun of by the girls at school. I hear it, I hear them talking behind my back. I don't know how to keep going."

Yu released Kanji's arm, stunned. For a moment, his words failed him. How did he get to Kanji? How did he light the fire back under Kanji's feet? Yu bit his cheek until he tasted blood. He had one trump card, but it wasn't one that he would ever use, ever mean. But in this instance, in this moment with Kanji, Yu actually did feel it. "Your parents would be ashamed."

Five little words. Five little words that Yu never would have thought he'd say about Kanji Tatsumi.

Yu was about to step back and walk on when a strong hand reached out and grabbed him through the cells, lifting him up off his feet only to slam into the bars a bit. Yu grunted as his face impacted with the metal. "What was that you bastard?!" Kanji roared out as he held Yu up with one hand. "I'm gonna kick your ass as soon as I'm out of this cell and then I'm going to drag you over to Yukiko so she can heal you and I'll kick your ass again! I don't even care if it's that stupid Grail, I'll beat it up too if that's where you got such a stupid idea in your head!" Yu couldn't deny the fire in Kanji's eyes as the bars dissolved.

"Welcome back." Yu patted Kanji's arm as Kanji made to look good on his threat. "You know I don't think that about you. Your mom is proud of you and your father would be too. You're a fine man."

Kanji snorted and half shoved Yu back. "You're damned right."

"Head that way to meet up with Yukiko and the others." Yu said, pointing in a direction.

Kanji punched one hand into the other. "We're not done with this conversation."

"Happy to have it when we're done Kanji." Yu said, waving as he began to walk down to the next cell.

Yu came slowly to the cell of Rise Kujikawa. Instead of the usual way she stood, upbeat and enjoying herself, he could see that she was withdrawn in on herself. Her arms were crossed against her stomach, as though she was trying to hug herself and give herself some form of comfort. Yu didn't like seeing her like this.

Rise Kujikawa, the Blood Vow of the Lovers. Her Persona was Kouzeon, an alternate translated name of a Chinese Goddess of Compassion and Mercy. It suited Rise who was compassionate in her own way. But right now, it looked like she just wanted to withdraw in on herself. She had taught Yu what it was like to accept all sides of himself, the good and the bad. She was also one of the people that had been very clearly interested in Yu back in Inaba.

She still was in fact.

"What's on your mind Rise?" Yu asked.

Rise jolted a bit, having not expected him to speak apparently. "I'm scared." She whispered softly. "Is what I'm doing no better than those people?" It wasn't a question after an answer. "Am I only going through the motions? Is it a routine? Is being Risette really what I want?" she asked. She was breathing heavily. "I don't know Senpai."

"Rise, Risette is a part of you. The Tofu shop girl, that's part of you. The girl that wanted to break out of the mold and be popular? That's part of you. The Combat Operator for the Investigation Team? That's part of you." Yu said. She still was barely looking at him. Yu stepped in and held a hand out to her. "Rise, you're not just an idol. You're not just our Combat Operator. You're our friend. Yes, Yosuke still had his fanboy moments. Hell, Ryuji has his fanboy moments. But you're our friend first and foremost. Whenever you need us, we'll come running."

"That's not true." Rise said, squeezing herself tighter. "I wanted us to get together in June…" When Yu had missed the event. When many of them had missed the event. That was like a stab to the gut with the knife being twisted. "I wanted to dance with you Senpai." She said, fighting the tears.

Yu ran a hand through his hair. Yeah, not one of his best moments. "Rise, look at me." He said. He watched her slowly look up with unshed tears in her eyes. "I was a damned idiot." He said. "I had my head so full of my own problems that I couldn't make time like I should have. So when we get out of here, when we've finished this, we'll all go dancing. I'll drag Yosuke and Teddie along by the arms if I have to, I'll carry Yukiko over my shoulder if necessary. You already know Naoto will go, she's already gone before."

Rise nodded her head, biting her lip. "Naoto-kun was fun to dance with." She admitted.

Yu reached for her, his shoulder pressing into the metal of the bars. "But we have to get out of here Rise, we'd all be happy to see you being Risette, we'd all be happy to dance with you and laugh and joke around. And I'll make sure to save a dance for you, complete with the outfit Kanji made for me."

Rise couldn't stop the little laugh that escaped and she nodded. "Okay." She said and reached up. She took his hand and he pulled her in. The bars vanished as Yu wrapped her into a hug. Usually he'd save a hug for Naoto, but he knew Rise needed it. She buried her face into his chest.

"I'll be there from now on." Yu said softly, running a hand against her hair. "Just give me a text in advance, and I'll make sure to come. Go that way, the others are waiting." Yu said, pointing in the direction he had sent the rest of his team.

He felt her squeeze him gently before she left, arms lingering a bit before she headed off. Slowly, her confidence came back and she walked a little stronger. Yu turned and began to head down to the next cell.

He heard the muttering before he saw him. "Alone, alone, unwanted, I'm all alone. No one's coming for me. They've abandoned Teddie."

"Oi, Ted!" Yu said loudly as he came to the cell. The bear was in his costume, rocking slightly on the ground, knees bunched up and arms wrapped around him. "No one is abandoning you, you silly bear." Yu said as he reached in through the bars, just as he had done with the rest of the team.

A hand to help, as he should have been.

Teddie. Their first encounter with the denizens of the TV World. The Shadow that had grown to have an ego, the part of the psyche that caused someone to develop a sense of self in the most basic of terms. The Blood Vow of the Star, his Persona was Kamui-Moshiri. It was the abode of the Gods, and a mildly humorous play on words, with the word 'kamuy' also meaning 'bear'. It was perfect for Teddie. And honestly, Yu had never cared that Teddie had been a Shadow. And the little guy had kept Nanako alive, through some miracle brought her back.

Teddie stopped rocking, and it was difficult to tell where he was looking because of the bear costume, but Yu assumed he was either looking at him or at the outstretched hand. "I don't like being alone Sensei. And if I get up, I'll lose you again."

Yu faltered a little bit at that statement. That one hurt too. And for a moment, Yu wasn't certain if he could get to Teddie. Just like with Kanji, some issues he just couldn't get through to. And Teddie was difficult. He didn't want to be alone. But eventually, he was going to have to be. And there was nothing Yu could do to stop that. Eventually Yosuke would find someone to marry, have kids with. He couldn't have Teddie live with him, and eventually Yosuke's parents wouldn't be able to take care of the bear. And Yu had already shown that he wouldn't always be there for the bear.

Yu frowned a bit and he stepped in a bit closer. Again, he pressed himself tightly to the bars despite the discomfort and reached out. He grabbed the head piece of Teddie's costume and popped it off, exposing the blond haired boy underneath with his bright blue and innocent eyes. But they seemed so dull. Yu gently set the head down on the floor before he went to a kneeling position so that Teddie wasn't looking up at him.

"Teddie, let me give you your last lesson as your Sensei." Yu said softly. "After this, use my name, because you're going to have to figure it out as you go." Yu looked into Teddie's eyes a bit and sighed. "You're right. If you get up and go out there, eventually you'll be all alone. And there's nothing any of us can do to stop that." Yu held his hand up as Teddie gave a sound. "Let me finish buddy, just listen. If you get up, eventually you won't be able to stay with Yosuke or his parents. Eventually you're going to have to strike it out on your own. And I've already proven that sometimes, I won't be there." Yu looked down to his hands. "My own failures, my own sins." He felt his throat tightening up, like he wanted to cry. But he raised his head to look at Teddie. "But I know for a fact, there's a little girl in Inaba that thinks the world of you. And if you don't get up, you'll be making her sad when she can't play with you again." Yu said.

He pushed himself to stand up and he once again reached in to help Teddie up. "I could promise that if you call, I'll be there. But I won't. My final lesson Teddie, is that you need to stand up again. If not to help me, if not for it being the right thing to do, then do it for Nanako-chan. Do it so that I'll know you'll be just fine. Because Teddie, you can be in a crowd of people and still be alone. But I remember a bear offering his hand in friendship and I can never repay that kindness."

Teddie's eyes were freely shedding tears, looking to the hand. He looked down and for a moment, Yu was afraid that Teddie wouldn't have the strength to get up. But the bear looked up and reached up, grabbing Yu's hand. He hauled himself up and the bars faded. Teddie quietly nodded his head. "Thank you for everything… Yu."

"Head that way, the others are waiting for you. I have to go retrieve our lost Detective." Yu said.

He turned and began to walk into the darkness once more, taking the path. He might have been lost at one point in time, but now there was nothing he had to hold him back. He had made up his mind and with it came a certain clarity and resolve.

But with everyone already accounted for, it left only one.

Naoto Shirogane, Fifth Detective of the Shirogane Line. The Detective Prince. His Blood Vow of the Wheel of Fortune. The woman Yu loved with his everything. She was his weakness, the sweetest of poisons that he greedily and willingly gulped down. It was she that could bring him to his knees in an instant. Her Persona was that of Yamato Sumeragi, a collective epithets for the Emperors of Japan. Born from Yamato-Takeru whom had bore the weight of a nation upon his shoulders. Her Persona was regal, with a strong sense of justice and order. It was fitting for her. It was Naoto that had taught him how to live, how to have fun again. Even if she hadn't meant it, he had enjoyed the time he spent with her, deciphering her grandfather's game.

She taught him how to love.

It was why when he turned the corner and came face to face with her, his heart broke at the sight of Naoto Shirogane. His proud, strong lover. She sat in the farthest corner she could, curled up into the tightest ball she could and sobbed into her arms. What demons was she flogging herself with? What terrible thought had dug its claws into her mind that would reduce her to crying, sobbing even.

Yu was quietly grateful for whatever miracle kept his team from having their weapons in that moment. He couldn't help but wonder, if Naoto had access to her revolver, would she have tried to eat a bullet to escape whatever demon had grabbed her. He knew the depths of despair well, and it would only be the deepest depths to make Naoto cry the way she was.

Yu moved and sat down with his back to the wall, leaning against the bars a moment. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Everyone's waiting on us." He said softly. "But, I'm not going to force you. I'll stay here with you, no matter how long it takes." And he would. The others might come looking for him, but he'd make no movement to go to them. Then again, he could probably sit there for eternity and not a moment would pass for the others. The Velvet Room was weird like that. "But uhm…" Yu started, hesitating. "I'm not going anywhere. I wasn't by your side once, I wasn't there for you once, so I'm going to stay right here until you're ready." he said softly.

The silence was long and drawn out, occasionally cut with the sobs from Naoto. Those hurt. But Yu wasn't certain how to quell her fears. Why wouldn't he hurt? She was just crying, looking so small and he was powerless to stop her. She hadn't said a word since he had sat down.

"You should just leave me." Naoto said softly after the silence dragged on for a while. "Some Detective I am. I couldn't even see through Dojima's ruse." She said bitterly. At least she was talking, though self deprecation was not something that Yu thought sounded good from his sleuth.

Yu glanced to his watch and hit the button. ' **Distance: 2m.'** It read off and he held it up. "I'm not leaving until this says less than a meter away." he said.

"You should leave me." Naoto stressed, pain in her tone. "Be with Rise, I won't mind. I'd understand if you didn't want to be with a fool like me."

Fool huh? Yu turned a little bit so that his back wasn't to the bars. He could see that Naoto had moved from having her forehead buried against her eyes to her chin resting on her forearms wrapped around the tops of her knees. Yu slipped a hand through the bars and switched to Loki mentally, the blue tarot card coming to life above his hand. "You're right, you are a fool." He said a bit amused. "A zero." He saw those beautiful eyes cut over to him, spotting the tarot card. "You represent infinite possibilities."

Yu took a moment to let her see the card before he let it fade, not needing to summon Loki. "Akira, myself, I don't know what makes us the Fool." He said as he looked back up to the darkness above. His hand brushed the ground as he thought. "But you, you're the embodiment of it in my opinion. You have your entire life ahead of you, the world is your oyster. You've already settled on being a Detective, and we all respected it. Me, the rest of the Investigation Team, the Phantom Thieves, your grandfather, we're all happy for you. You're driven and intelligent enough that you can be whatever you want to be. Sure, it might take you a bit to really connect with people, but I know you can do that just fine as well." He let his hand drop within the cell, hand laying palm up.

Naoto wasn't speaking. Yu just sat there, his arm through the bars. "I stared at that watch so much." He admitted. "Out of range it'd always say." He shook his head. "I admit, I had even came close to punching the face a few times when I saw those words." He pressed the button once more. ' **Distance: 2m** ' came up once more. "It doesn't matter how long it takes, I'm going to stay right here with you because I don't want to see those words again." If she wasn't going to talk, then Yu would. He had to get through to her. He had to get her to see that he wasn't going to leave her, that he wasn't just going to let her curl in on herself.

"Dojima?" Yu shook his head. "That's my fault. _I_ should have known my own uncle. He's my Blood Vow of the Hierophant. I have such a strong bond with him and yet _I_ was fooled by him. I guess I was just so panicked by him being there that I didn't think about how easy it was." He leaned his head against the bars of the cell.

"I'm not going to go to Rise. I didn't in Inaba, I won't now, and I won't so long as I have you." Yu said. "If you ever thought you had enough of me, then I suppose maybe something, but… Well, you once told me you're not going to let me make a mistake when I'm being stupid and irrational, or something along those lines." He gave a soft sound of amusement. "I remember you driving me chin first into the ground too." He said and smiled as he closed his eyes. "But you were there for me Nao-chan. When I needed you the most, you were there for me. I know I haven't been the best boyfriend, but… I want to be there for you now. I want to have my hand outstretched for you. I can help you up, but I can't make you get up."

Still, there were no sounds from inside the cell. Though, the sobbing had stopped, so he was somewhat thankful for that.

Yu inhaled, wishing he could just hold Naoto. "I haven't been happier than these past few months. Making new friends with the Phantom Thieves, having my beautiful lover by my side, even making love to her when we can find the time. I love spending some Sunday mornings just sitting, drinking coffee and building a model while you're sprawled out on the couch reading a book. I love the little conversations we have when we're too wound up and are just laying in bed, waiting for sleep to take us, even the sillier ones we've had like who loves who more…" That had been fun, and they had decided to put a pin on that conversation for a while. It was silly things like that, where logic didn't matter as long as they had love. "I don't want to let that go." He whispered.

He brought his own knees to his chest and wrapped his arm around them. "I was terrified when you were shot. I never felt more hopeless, more powerless. I couldn't do anything but watch you bleed. I thought that was going to be the end of all these happy times. But by some miracle, you were saved. Whether it was how quickly I got you to Doctor Takemi, or if maybe it was how close we were to a medical center with an emergency room, you were saved and you woke up." He heard his voice crack, just thinking about it. Yu shook his head again. "I didn't want to let go of you then, I don't want to let go of you now. I'm not ready. But Yaldabaoth is trying to split us apart. You and me, Yosuke and Chie, Kanji and Yukiko, Makoto and Akira… Everyone from each other."

Yu glanced back as he felt a small, slender hand slip into his. He felt the callouses on it. Naoto had never been afraid of hard work, or damaging work. But he didn't mind, it was Naoto's hand in his. "I'm scared." She whispered. "Of failing. Our friends, you… I'm scared of failing. Everyone looks to me for advice or to be a solid rock… Sometimes I just feel like a little girl."

Yu shook his head. "You're not a little girl. You're a brave woman, brave and strong. There's a reason why everyone looks to you to be solid." He squeezed her hand. "But to tell the truth, I'm scared too. Scared of failing. Of one of you dying… But I can't have what I want if I don't at least try. But for me to be at my best, I need you at my side Nao-chan." He said.

Naoto curled her fingers around his hand a bit. Failure was of course Naoto's greatest demon. And they had failed to stop Yaldabaoth once already. "I don't know if I can get up on my own." she said.

Yu smiled a bit at that. He had the perfect answer for that. "That's why you have me to rely on, to help you stand up. And I promise, I'll be there whenever you need me to be."

Naoto looked down at the ground. Yu wanted to try and help her up, but he could tell that at the moment she hadn't made the decision. "I dislike relying on people." She said. Another of Naoto's personal demons that Yu should have expected. She disliked relying on people, disliked seeming like a little girl needing someone to help her.

"I know." Yu said softly. "My ever so strong lover." He said. He let go of her hand and turned to face the cell once more, reaching in to take her hand once more so that they were face to face instead. "I'm not saying you should rely on me, but I'm saying you can. But we both know I'm more likely to rely on you instead." He said. He squeezed her hand. 'Will you try?" he asked.

Naoto looked at him for a long time before nodding. She shifted to get her boots under her and Yu pushed himself up to his feet. He felt her weight and he soon helped her up, drawing her up as she pushed up. The cell bars disappeared between them and Yu pulled Naoto into a tight hug.

Naoto leaned into him and there was a small beep as she pressed the button on her watch. ' **Distance: Im.'** She then wordlessly gave him a smile.

Yu brought his own watch up and pressed the button so that the display showed the same. "Ready to go fight for our future?" he asked her.

"Of course, Yu-kun." Naoto said and began to walk forward, once again shouldering her burdens and not letting her demons drag her down. Yu smiled a bit, feeling her tug him along and he soon stepped alongside her, their hands still clasped together.

Yaldabaoth had best start running. The Investigation Team was ready to take him on.

 _Take Your Time_

Resolve. Akira was resolved to see this thing through. He had already said that he was going to take the Treasure of the Public. He had promised Sae that. His hand tightened, fingers dug into his palm deep enough blood welled up. He had momentarily felt a pang of hesitation. Like fear gripped his stomach. And it made him angry.

Yaldabaoth was attempting to take the free will of everyone. He was no better than Shido who had pushed criminal charges on a young kid for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. But Akira had already chained himself to Hell. The Path of Rebellion demanded he shouldered a weight others wouldn't. And that weight was one of resolve. He couldn't correct the flaws of human nature. None of them could. Not him, not Yu. But he had already resolved to end this conflict. To make sure that someone like Masayoshi Shido was taken to task for his crimes. He had to do it for his friends. He had to do it for himself. And if an entity like Yaldabaoth, taking the form of the Holy Grail, was going to make it so that people lived indolent lives, then he had two words for that.

 **Fuck. That**.

Akira turned to see that his cell had turned into a tunnel, leading into the darkness. He inhaled a bit before he started to walk forward. But he was resolved. His mind was full of thoughts, full of fears. What if his friends died, what if they failed, what would happen if they rejected his asking them to join him for the final battle, could they win? All these fears bounced around in Akira's head, they made his booted feet feel heavy, but he walked regardless. For every fear, there was another thing pushing him forward. Yu and the Investigation Team was counting on him, Humanity needed them, he thought of the kiss he shared with Makoto, he thought of the offer Haru made, he thought of Ryuji going to college on a track scholarship, he thought about Ann being a beacon of hope for everyone, Yusuke finding his own path as an artist, Futaba coming out of her shell to be a bit more of a normal girl.

Akira came to a corridor that broke off and he looked down both sides. His gut had him taking the right path, boot steps echoing off the stones. He came to a blue lit cell where he spotted Makoto within standing with her hands settled on her lap. He took a moment to just look at her.

Makoto Niijima, his Blood Vow of the High Priestess. Her Persona was Anat, a Goddess that held domain over Love, War, and the Hunt. She was the student council president of Shujin Academy, and cared deeply for the student body. Of the many things that Akira had learned from his friends, what he learned from Makoto was that overworking himself could be as dangerous as being lazy. It was a fine balance, and he had to learn how to take the time and enjoy life a little bit more.

"Hey." Akira said as he stepped up to the bars and he looked through to her.

"J-joker?" Makoto asked, looking surprised. She moved away from the wall a moment. "What a relief, you're safe." She said with a gentle smile on her face. "I was worried, especially when I found myself in this cell." She looked around a moment.

"I want you to come with me." Akira said as he stepped closer to the bars.

She looked surprised. "Oh, I… um…" She glanced away. And he could see her retreating in on herself. For a moment, Akira was worried that maybe she would decline. "By the way... Why have you remained in your Phantom Thief outfit while I changed by to my normal clothes?" she asked. "Does it mean…"

"It means that your desire to rebel has been… diminished." Akira said softly. "It's still in there, you're still Queen." He offered a smile. "And I still need you at my side." He said. "Remember what I told you? You have to take responsibility for your actions." He said.

"That may be true." Makoto leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, letting her head dip again. "We'll have to fight the Holy Grail again, won't we?" she asked.

"Yeah, we will." Akira said. He could tell she needed a little push. But it was okay. He had needed one too. "And this time we're going to kick its ass. It's not as omnipotent as it likes to portray itself as." Akira said. "Look at us, we're still kicking."

Makoto turned and smiled a bit. "I was going to ask if you could imagine beating it. It has the support of the masses and near infinite power."

"But its power isn't Infinite." Akira said. "If we can help Sae-san, we can beat this." He said.

"But no matter how I approach the topic in my head, I can't see a way to victory." Makoto said. "I think I finally understand the pain my father and sister go through. A single criminal is meaningless, the real enemy is society itself." She shook her head. "I just don't know how to emerge victorious." She said.

"You're not a quitter though. Just because there isn't a clear answer, it doesn't mean a damned thing." Akira said.

Makoto looked surprised before she gave a soft chuckle. "You got me there. This isn't a situation with a straightforward answer." She brought her hands up to look at them. "I lived my life by everyone else's rules." Her hands clenched into fists and blue flames erupted as the tight riding leathers formed over her body once more, the metal mask settling in place. "I'll just make my own answer then." The cell door vanished and Makoto stepped out. "Queen, reporting for duty Joker." she said.

"Break time's over." Akira said a bit amused. "Head that way," He pointed back down the corridor. "Take a left, I'll send the rest to you when I find them."

He backtracked a bit and cut down another path before hanging a right. One down, the rest to go. And they didn't seem to be in any particular order. Once more, he spotted his teammate in a cell and Akira couldn't help but shake his head.

"Dreaming up any new paintings?" Akira asked as he walked up to Yusuke.

Yusuke Kitagawa, the former pupil to their second big target. The Blood Vow of the Emperor. His Persona was Kamu Susano-o, a God of the Storms. A bit fitting, because Yusuke could be like the storm. One moment fierce and dangerous, the next a refreshing breeze and rain. It was Yusuke that had taught Akira how to approach a problem from a different angle, with a different train of thought. Just because a person thought differently from everyone else didn't make them wrong.

"Joker…" Yusuke looked up from his hands. "I'm afraid not." He said softly. "But as expected, you appear safe. That's good." He said. "But I'm afraid I'm not certain… where are we?" he asked.

"We're in the Velvet Room." Akira said simply. "You'll see it properly when you get out of that cell."

Yusuke looked down to his hands. "I was surprised to see the masses in prison, worse they were enjoying the chains that shackled them. Yet here I am in a cell." Yusuke said. He closed his eyes. "Considering the state of the outside world, it would appear as though we have failed. We weren't even remotely helpful. Can we truly handle such horrid circumstances?"

"We've only failed if we give up." Akira said. He had to believe it. "Now we need to get out there, get back to work, and take the fight to that damned cup and beat it this time."

"All we've been able to do is change the hearts of others." Yusuke said. "Nothing in our power is capable of fixing the veritable hell that the world has become."

"Are you giving up then?" Akira asked.

"I'm only acknowledging how powerless I am. What a fool I must be, thinking I wouldn't be looking at the backs of Narukami-san and Shirogane-san. Have what we been doing truly been for nothing? The people of this world desire their enslavement. They screamed at us for attacking the Holy Grail, condemned us for it and defended it." Yusuke said. "Even the criminals we've changed became meek followers."

Akira couldn't blame the artist. He wasn't exactly wrong. "It's only because they haven't been shown another way." Akira said. "That prison is only based on the inmates wanting to stay in there, the cells aren't even locked. We need to cause a rebellion. And the Phantom Thieves are the perfect spark. Come on Fox, I need your help. If you're not going to fight for your own justice, then no one will."

Yusuke seemed surprised. He looked to his hands a moment. "My own justice…" He smiled a little bit. "Yes… You're right. No matter how I tried you push you away, you continued to impose yourself on me." He said. "It is just like those people." He pushed himself from the wall. "Very well! As art is meant to break boundaries, as an artist it is only fitting that I break my own boundaries as well. I refuse to let the Justice I believe in be shaken anymore." Blue flames engulfed him, transforming him into Fox once more. The cell door vanished and he stepped out. "I should thank you Joker, being at your side gives rise to some amazing ideas." Yusuke said.

"Head that way and cut a left before going right." Akira said. "Then take another left. You'll arrive at the Velvet Room, I'll be grabbing the others."

"I do look forward to seeing this Velvet Room you and Narukami-san have mentioned time and again." Yusuke commented before walking off.

Akira watched the artist move towards where Makoto had been and he began to walk himself. He cut down another pathway and then took a left, his feet carrying him more than his conscious was. And they dragged him to yet another member of his team.

Haru Okumura, the Blood Vow of the Empress. Her Persona was Astarte. Another Goddess often associated with Love and War, she was sometimes referred to as the Queen of Heaven. It was Haru that had seen Akira at his absolute worst. When he had contemplated suicide to see if his own existence in this world was reality or falsehood. She had accepted him, helped him, and seemed to care for him in a way that was… beyond touching. She was as sweet as a cinnamon bun at times, but once in the Metaverse, she was as sadistic to her enemies as they came. The dichotomy told Akira that it was okay, okay to experience things like anger and wish suffering on his enemies. She also taught him how to let go of that anger, to not be consumed by those ill intentions.

She was leaned up against the wall, just staring at the floor. "Thinking about coffee?" Akira asked as he walked up to her and tucked his hands into his pockets.

He watched as Haru looked up to look at him. She moved away from the wall. "Thank goodness you're safe." She said, sounding relieved. She even moved to the bars and wrapped her hands around them.

"Ready to get out of there?" Akira asked.

Haru hesitated a moment and looked up at the ceiling. "Is it right for me to be so selfish?" she asked. "Considering the state of the city, I wonder if the citizenry is safe. But it seemed like we were the only ones that could see it." Haru leaned against the wall. "When we all started to disappear, I thought I was going to die. I kept thinking about all the little niggling regrets I would have. I haven't gotten to have that talk with Mako-chan." She said, looking down. "I haven't gotten to open my cafe. I haven't gotten to see Okumura Foods become a respectable name again. But despite that, I wasn't afraid. I knew I had done all I could. And I was looking forward to apologizing to my father, face to face." She said. She snorted. "I thought I changed, but I guess I still don't have control over my life. It makes me sick..."

Akira listened as Haru vented and he shook his head. "That's just it Haru." He said. "Hold onto that sick feeling in your stomach. Hold onto it tight, let it fuel you. Your rebellion isn't going to end with flames being snuffed out. You're not done fighting and that sick feeling in your stomach tells me just that. You have to keep fighting."

Haru glanced away. "I'm sorry, I know you don't want to deal with my whining."

"Did I say that?" Akira asked her, surprising her. "I don't mind it. I brought you in because we needed you. And now you need me. I don't mind Haru. If you need to say something and get it off your chest, that's perfectly fine."

"You're still going to go after it, won't you?" Haru asked. "I just… I don't want to slow you down. I can't heal you like Mako-chan or Ann-chan, or Mona-chan." She said.

Akira shook his head. "Haru, I can't stop you from coming if you want to. You control your life now." He chuckled a bit. "And honestly, I need all hands on deck for this. Including the girl that carries an M-6 Rotary Grenade Launcher."

Haru looked surprised and stood up. "Yes… that's right. It is quite foolish to think that you should abandon me." She said as she finally smiled. "It seems my strength comes from betrayal. I betrayed my fiance, I betrayed my father… And now I betray that weak self that was a meek girl willing to accept everything." Haru's clothing erupted into blue flames as the bars disappeared. Akira was glad to see her walk out as Noir. "Break time's over Joker, just lead the way like always."

Akira chuckled at having it turned on him. "Take the path back, take a left and head for the Velvet Room. I've already sent Queen and Fox." He said.

Haru nodded her head before she began to head off.

Akira followed her a brief distance but his feet were pulled in the opposite direction of Haru's cell. Three down, four to go. And as his feet carried him, he came to spot Ann sitting on the ground.

Ann Takamaki, the Blood Vow of the Lovers. Her Persona was that of Hecate, a Greek Goddess of Witchcraft. And Ann taught Akira a number of things. How to be a good friend, how to face adversity in a positive manner, how to just give his everything. It was rather impressive how Ann was. And he hoped that she and Ryuji could get together. He wouldn't push, but it was a hope.

"Not a cute look there Panther, what would Mona say?" Akira said as he walked up.

"You're safe." Ann said, looking up and sounding relieved.

"Man, is everyone shocked that I'm safe?" Akira asked in a joking manner.

"So we're not in Heaven after all?" Ann asked.

"If this is Heaven, room service sucks." Akira said, remembering how Yu had manhandled him in front of Igor, the twins, and Margaret.

"But that means the Hell that Shibuya turned into is real." Ann said, she brought her knees in closer to her chest. "I'm so weak…" She whispered. "I thought we were dying. I thought we were all gonna die, and I was trembling and so scared."

"I think we were all scared." Akira said honestly. "Including me. I watched all of you, the Investigation Team and the Phantom Thieves bite it. I was terrified."

"But the justice of what we did was the last thing on my mind. I kept thinking about my parents." Ann whispered. "Of never seeing them again, of never seeing Shiho again. But you… you kept going through a plan that might have ended up killing you." Ann said, turning to look at him. "I kept saying I was doing this for other people, but it didn't get me that far. Maybe I should have just behaved myself…"

Akira actually felt anger at that and punched the bars of the cell, making them rattle and Ann look up at him in surprise. "What about Shiho?" Akira asked bitingly. "What about her? Every step I took made her wince as I carried her down to the ground floor of Shujin Academy but she held strong despite all that she went through. Are you going to give up on helping her? What about the other people that look up to Ann Takamaki, the model? You may not have the raving fans that Rise has, but you can't tell me other girls our age don't come to you for tips. Ann, you sit in front of me, I've seen them come to you for fashion and makeup tips."

"Shiho…" Ann said. She looked ahead and seemed to finally have a bit of a fire to her. "Shiho would be pissed if she saw me like this. And worse, I'd be betraying myself if I sat her doing nothing." Ann pushed herself to her feet. "I remember that day, seeing Shiho's body… The bile that wanted to come up. I swore, she wasn't going to be the victim anymore, and that I wouldn't be a damsel needing to be saved." Blue flames erupted around her as the red catsuit came back once more. The Cell bars disappeared and Panther walked out, determination written on her face. "Thanks Joker." she said.

"Head out to the left, make a right, and go down to the left to get to the Velvet Room." Akira told her. "I'll meet up with you in a bit. I'm still missing three people." He began to walk off, turning to the right. He could hear Ann following, confidence in her stride, but he went past the left turn.

He went to the end of the hallway where he spotted Ryuji and walked up. "Yo." He greeted as he saw the blond sitting on the ground.

Ryuji Sakamoto, the Blood Vow of the Chariot. His Persona was Seiten Taisei, the Japanese name for Sun Wukong the protagonist for _Journey to the West._ It was a rebellious character and perfectly fitting for Ryuji. It was Ryuji that taught Akira about strength of character. Ryuji was brash, loud-mouthed, quick tempered, abrasive, and a bit of a pervert. And yet, yet he befriended the new kid at Shujin without a second thought. Akira would never forget Ryuji jumping in front of the Reaper's shot for him, seeing his stomach blown out.

Akira was glad for the dark leathers he wore that hid the blood splatters.

"Yo yourself." Ryuji said, even if his tone made him sound a bit that he didn't blame Ryuji after all, they did get their collective asses kicked. "Looks like we're both somehow alive and kickin'. But where are we?"

"We need to go." Akira told the blond. "The others are already waiting on us." But Akira didn't think it would be that easy, not after everything they had already been put through.

"This cell reminds me of when we first met." RYuji said, glancing around. "And how no one believed us. It'd be the same, if we tried to tell people how Shibuya was all fucked up. Nobody was seein' it. Nobody wanted to see it. What the hell man? What about all them people who were sufferin' and cheerin' for us to come and help them? Would they really have rather'd everythin' to stay the same? Did anythin' we do have any meanin'?"

"Of course it had meaning. But only if you don't give up." Akira told who was likely his first friend in arriving in Shibuya. "The second you give up is the moment it stops having meaning. And we can't let that happen." Akira crouched slightly, looking towards Ryuji.

Ryuji gave a bit of a chuckle at Akira's words. "Damn man, you're so tough."

"Not always." Akira admitted. "And not always when I need to be. It's human nature to doubt and to have moments of weakness. And it's okay."

Ryuji chuckled and shook his head. "Y'know, back when I thought we were gonna die without learnin' about the truth of all this, I kinda felt for the first time that maybe we hadn't been doin' the right thing. That maybe we deserved to lose." Ryuji couldn't meet Akira's eyes. Not that Akira necessary blamed him. "I've been havin' doubts since Okumura."

"Thing about helping people," Akira said carefully as he thought about Ryuji's words. "Is that it's hard, thankless work. And right now, we have a whole city of people out there needing help. Sometimes you gotta help people that don't want help. Look at Yusuke. We kept badgering him, kept pestering him, but now he's one of our trusted allies. I didn't go after Kamoshida all those months ago to stop him from messing with me, I did it to stop another girl from winding up like Shiho-san. Now this asshole Grail is here, trying to turn everyone into a victim, and I'm not about to sit back and let it happen."

Ryuji looked a bit surprised at that. "Akira…" He said before he pushed himself to his feet. "You're right. We gotta make sure people don't gotta go through the same crap we did. Let them think what they want about Justice. It's not like people think much about me anyways, so let's hoist this flag of rebellion" Flames erupted around him as the bars vanished and Skull stepped through. "It's a bit embarrassin' to say, but I'm glad I met you Joker."

Akira smirked a bit. "Glad to of met you too Skull. Head back that way, take a right and go straight." Akira pointed the direction. "I have a few more wayward Phantom Thieves to find."

"Roger that." Ryuji said and headed off in the direction Akira mentioned.

Akira walked calmly, looking around. But he quickly came to the last cell, and it was making him frown. He spotted Futaba and even double backed a moment, checking around again before he began to approach her cell. Where was Morgana? He didn't know, but he had to deal with Futaba first. Then he could question Igor.

Futaba Sakura, his Blood Vow of the Hermit. Her Persona was that of Prometheus, the Greek Titan that had rebelled against his kin to aid the Greek Gods and then once again against Zeus to provide humanity with fire after Epimetheus left no Gifts for Humanity to use. Of the many things that Akira had learned, Futaba, with the help of Yu, had taught him his hardest lesson, a lesson he was still learning. She had, inadvertently, taught him what it was like to fail.

It was in Futaba's tomb that Akira had lost his life, something he had kept secret even from his mother. It was Futaba that had made Akira actually begin questioning what it was that he was doing. But he had learned, and was still learning what it was like to actually fail.

"Not going to get back to your video games and computers sitting there like a lump Futaba." Akira said as he walked up. He had seen and recognized the pattern by then, that he needed to give a bit of a pep talk to his team.

"Akira…" Futaba glanced up. "I'm relieved. Looks like we're both still alive." She said.

"Looks like we all are." Akira said. No need to unduly stress her about Morgana.

"What… happened?" Futaba asked, glancing towards him. He could see in her eyes that she believed they had failed, that they didn't stand a chance. "Where are we?"

"Inside the Velvet Room." Akira said. "I'll show you proper and introduce you to everyone." He said.

"Velvet… Room?" Futaba asked, blinking a moment. He knew they had mentioned it a time or two to Futaba, but like Haru, Futaba had not been there when Naoto's Reflection had kidnapped Yu. "It feels like what happened confirms my fears." she said. "The real world is terrifying. It can't reach you if you keep yourself indoors." She said. "I mean, who am I to tell the people what to do?" Futaba commented, "I'm a shut-in… Damn it, I just wanna go home now." She curled her arms around her legs. "But even that would be too tough. Giving up would be too painful…"

Akira stepped in closer and he crouched down a little bit to look at her closely. "That weight?" he asked. "That pain? It's called living." He said. "Human beings, we're greedy, we're lazy, we're proud…" Akira shook his head. "But all of those things just prove that we are alive. That you are alive." He told the glasses wearing girl that was looking at him. "And so long as you are living, there's a little thing called hope. If you were going to die, it would have been before we ever met. But because you were alive, you kept the tiniest sliver of hope. And it bloomed into something, it changed you, it changed something inside of you. But now, Yaldabaoth is here, trying to crush the notion of 'Hope.' I, for one, intend to rebel against that tyranny. The Holy Grail subjugated those people and made them think they were happy. You've grown stronger."

Futaba was quiet a moment. He could see her nails digging into her legs a moment. "I've known the answer from the start." She said. She pushed herself to her feet. "I ran from Mom's death because I misunderstood it. Everything was just too painful. But I refuse to be in the dark anymore." She said. She looked thoughtful. "Maybe that's why my Persona is a little special…" she said. She turned to look at him. "I'll follow you into whatever battle is ahead on my own two feet." She said. Blue Flames erupted around Futaba and the cell door opened.

Akira stood up and watched her come out, looking like she was Oracle once more. "Welcome back." Akira said.

"Good to be back." Oracle said. She smirked a bit. "So… up against a God huh? Let's get to it then." She said.

Akira nodded and began to walk with her back towards the Velvet Room proper. "The others are waiting for us, and I need to ask about Morgana." he said.

"Mona? Mona's missing?" Futaba asked alarmed.

"Yeah, but I bet Igor will have the answers I want." Akira said, walking alongside the shorter girl back into the Velvet Room.

Almost at the same time, both groups entered into the Velvet Room. Despite sending them there first, Akira arrived as the rest of his team was walking out, and as Yu was walking out with Naoto and the Investigation Team. Akira gently pushed past his friends who were all looking around, taking in the Velvet Room.

"What the-" He heard Yosuke ask as Yu moved forward as well.

"Who are they?" Makoto asked, glancing towards Justine and Caroline before towards Igor.

Akira spoke up. "We've met Margaret, or at least most of us have." The woman in question stood up from the chair she was sitting in and offered a beautiful smile. "But, this is Justine and Caroline, attendants of the Velvet Room as well." Akira said, motioning to the twins.

Both of them snapped to a bit more focused attention.

"Aw! They're so adorable! Can I keep them?!" Futaba asked excitedly.

Akira chuckled a bit. "Oracle… take a second and use Prometheus to feel them out."

Futaba blinked a moment before she turned to look at the twins a bit. Akira watched her hand come up, seemingly tapping at keys that weren't there. "Huh?!" She swiped something unseen to the rest of them to the side, her gaze moving to Margaret a moment. "But she's-?!" She used her other hand to drag something unseen up and Futaba raised her goggles to the top of her head. "HOW?!" she asked.

"What's wrong?" Yusuke asked, turning to look at the youngest of them.

"They're so strong!" Futaba cried. "She's stronger than even Fool." She pointed at Margaret.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Margaret offered politely, still with an almost angelic smile on her lips. "But I'm glad that my strength meets your standards." She said.

Igor chuckled, drawing attention to him once more. "And I am Igor, Master of the Velvet Room." He offered.

"Man… that nose…" Chie whispered.

"Wait… Senpai, your ghost story during the ski trip." Kanji turned to look at Yu.

"He is kinda creepy enough." Yu said in his defense.

"Where's Morgana?" Akira cut in, drawing attention and forcing the conversation back to a more serious matter. Morgana was missing. And he wasn't about to go face a God without his entire team at his back.

Igor chuckled. "In time, Akira. But before I tell you where he is, there is something you must do." He said. "Justine. Caroline. It is time."

Justine and Caroline nodded at the same time, looking to each other before stepping to Akira in sync. "You must execute us Inmate." They said.

"Execute?!" Ann asked, sounding shocked. And judging by some of the sounds the others made, Ann wasn't the only one. Akira couldn't blame them.

"You're talking about fusing together." Yu, who had seen the many rituals, spoke up.

"That is correct." Caroline said. "We have been split apart for too long."

"And it is time that has been corrected." Justine said, picking up where the other left off. "It should be your hand that does it, Trickster."

"When Yaldabaoth took over my Velvet Room, he split Lavenza in half." Both girls clutched their head at the name when Igor spoke. "It is time she is made whole again. I told you that this day would come, Akira. While split, they are burning through their life force at twice the rate. I would have done this sooner but at the time, I did not have the appropriate tools and they have since then requested to remain at your side for as long as possible." Igor said. "But in this final battle, you will need Lavenza's power."

Akira hesitated as he looked between Igor and the two girls a moment. He settled on Justine and Caroline. "This isn't right." he said.

"No, it is not." Justine said calmly.

"But it is our decision to make." Caroline added.

"And you are both willing?" Akira asked.

"Joker, no!" Makoto said, stepping forward a bit. "This isn't right!"

Akira watched Justine and Caroline look to one another. He could see them swallow a moment, as though nervous of what was to come before they nodded to one another and looked to him again. Their backs straightened, their shoulders pushed back and they both gave a firm confident nod. "We will prepare the ritual." They said.

Akira watched as the two girls moved over towards the guillotines and picked out two that had never gotten stuck. He could hear the discomfort from his friends as they moved them to a better position and hooked up the line so that he only had to pull one handle to drop both blades.

Akira stepped forward, ignoring the protests coming from both the Phantom Thieves and the Investigation Team. He drowned it out as white noise as he made his way over towards the twins. He knelt down in front of them and wrapped his arms around both of them. "I won't forget you. Either of you." He said softly.

"Nor will we forget you Trickster, or the kindness you have shown us." Justine said.

"Even when we didn't always deserve it, Inmate." Caroline said.

Akira felt them return the hug before turning and stepping around back behind the guillotine. They knelt down and put their necks down on the appropriate slots. Justine was on her left, Caroline on her right. They could continue watching each other, gaining strength from each other. Akira lowered the pieces of wood to secure their necks. Not that they were going to struggle.

He swallowed as he grabbed the cord to drop the blade. He looked up to it a moment, seeing the glowing blue blade and he inhaled deeply. "Goodbye, Justine. Goodbye, Caroline." He gave a sharp tug.

The blades came down rapidly and sunk in with a harsh thunk. There was no blood, no heads rolling, no black ichor. None of the usual signs that he had come to associate with fusion. There was a bright, blinding light that made him guard his eyes.

"Well, that was not entirely pleasant." A soft, female voice spoke as the light died down. Akira looked to the guillotines to see a new girl with long, platinum blonde hair. She wore a dark blue dress with black gloves on that came up past her elbows and white stockings. She had a blue headband in her hair with dark blue butterfly ornaments. "My deepest thanks Trickster, for being as gentle as you could." She walked forward confidently. She wasn't any taller than Justine or Caroline. She also held a rather large tome. "My name is Lavenza." She offered a slight curtsey.

Akira inclined his head to her. Despite the change from Justine and Caroline, he could still feel a strong bond with the new girl. He looked from her towards Igor. "Now where is Morgana?" he asked.

Igor merely grinned and held a hand out, motioning towards the Phantom Thieves.

"I'm right here." Morgana said as he came out of the shadows from behind the Phantom Thieves, getting them to turn and look at him.

"There you are!" Ryuji said loudly, grabbing the feline by the scruff of his neck. "Why you been hidin'?!"

"I was born here." Morgana wiggled out of Ryuji's grasp and landed on his feet. "I was born to help dispel an evil being from Man's Spiritual World, or Mementos." He said.

"Mona?" Futaba asked softly.

"My role was to find the Trickster and help him defeat that evil being." Morgana said, looking to Akira knowingly. "That's why I was created here by... " Morgana glanced to Igor. "By my master." he said.

"Indeed." Igor said as everyone looked towards him. "With the last of my powers, I had gathered the dregs of humanity's hope and used it to fashion Morgana." he said.

"And Yaldabaoth seeks to create an everlasting peace by filling the world with people who have stopped thinking for themselves." Lavenza said, lamenting the fact.

"Well then, what are we doing sticking around here for?!" Chie asked. Akira glanced over to the martial artists.

"Chie's right. We need to be out there, stopping it." Yosuke said.

"You already know my answer Joker." Yu said.

Akira glanced to Morgana a moment. The Blood Vow of the Magician. The feline that had helped him and Ryuji when this mess first started. His Persona was Mercurius, the Roman God of Travelers and Thieves. It was Morgana that had helped Akira find himself. Every step of the way, Morgana had been there. He had been there with quips and sometimes terrible advice, but he had been there every step of the way.

And apparently he was the hope of humanity.

Akira stepped towards him and took a kneel, looking at Morgana. He held his hand out carefully, seeing the confusion on the feline's face. "You ready to do this?" he asked.

Morgana nodded and reached up, grabbing Akira's hand. "Of course." he said.

"Excellent." Igor chuckled. He slowly stood up to his full height, catching Akira by surprise a bit since Igor didn't seem like he'd be that tall. He brought his hand over his chest. "And this is my Blood Vow to you Akira Kurusu." Igor said, offering a slight bow. "You are welcome in my Velvet Room as a guest any time." he said. "Though, after saving all of you, my powers have diminished once more I'm afraid. There will not be a third chance."

Akira nodded his head, a bit surprised at the sensation of the vow running through him. "We won't need one." he said.

"Then your way forward is that way." Igor said as he sat down once more, motioning to Akira's cell. He laughed again. "I am truly looking forward to this."

"This way." Morgana said and turned racing off.

Akira moved after him, barely hesitating in the slightest. From the pounding footsteps behind him, the others were quickly following his lead. Morgana headed up the stairs and he went up them as well. They came to a heavy metal door that Morgana stood by, and Akira moved to open it, pushing it open and heading out.

They came back to Shibuya which was tinted red with dark skies. Twisted spires like bones jutted from the ground to tear at the skies. Akira was glad to feel the weight of his dagger and his pistol once more, along with his pack of supplies.

Yusuke turned around, looking around as they came to a halt. "Look, the door we came through." He said.

They all looked back at it to see the maximum security quarantine cell that had been in Mementos. Akira felt as though he realized what had been with all those empty isolated cells.

"So that means Joker must have been the criminal." Ryuji said softly.

"Yeah…" Akira said, and his friends might have been the smaller empty ones beside him.

"Joker has been under the guidance of Yaldabaoth for a brief time." Morgana said. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Dude… you're glowin'." Ryuji said.

"I know what my duty is now." Morgana said, looking at his paws a moment.

"Hey, Mona's going Super Saiyan." Futaba said with a slight grin, just to break the tension a bit. "Gonna ask the world for their power?" In response, Mona held both arms up towards his head, eliciting a snort of amusement from most of them.

"Hey, do you see something shiny?" A random person asked.

"Wh-what's with those people in those odd costumes?" Another person asked.

"I feel like I've seen those outfits before."

"Yeah, aren't they the Phantom Thieves?" A woman asked.

"My god…" Yu said, distracting them all from the revelation. "Joker!" He called out, stepping up beside the leader and pointing at…

"Oh my God." Akira whispered before he could stop himself as the two teams gathered up to look at the massive black cloud of flying shadows, of the massive shadows that crawled along the tower and the pathway leading up to it. "How many are there?"

"Kouzeon can't track them all." Rise said.

"Too many for Prometheus." Futaba whispered, fear tinging her voice.

"There's a little over nine million people living in Tokyo." Naoto whispered. "If there's even one percent of that population as Shadows…"

"There's too many…" Ann whispered before she could stop herself.

Akira tore his eyes away and traced the path. He could see the fastest way into the tower and he rubbed his eyes a bit. He inhaled a bit shakily before he stepped forward and turned to look at the two teams. "We know what we have to do." He said, trying to rally them once more. They couldn't afford to think like that.. He pointed behind him. "All of that doesn't change what we _have_ to do. All it tells me is that Yaldabaoth is pulling out all the stops to beat us. He is _scared_ of us!"

"What are you thinking then Joker?" Yu asked, stepping forward.

"We blitz through the middle." Akira said. "Straight path, don't stop." He pointed right up the center. "Fool, Scientist, Queen, up front with me. Fool, you're the tip of our spear. You encounter resistance? You cut it down." He was going to take full command.

Yu brought his sword down from his shoulder. "Gladly." he said.

"Magician, Priestess" Akira pointed to Yosuke and Yukiko. "Noir and Oracle. You're team two." He explained. "Keep your distance, but keep up. Tag the Shadows we down as you run, if we need to fall back to heal, you're on that duty Priestess. Oracle, provide support as you can.

"Team Three is Lovers, Star," He pointed to Rise and then Teddie. "Mona, and Panther. Same deal, tag the downed Shadows before they can recover. You're in charge of supporting the rear team and keeping them healed up." He was splitting his strongest healers.

"Emperor, Chariot," He pointed to Kanji and Chie. "You are with Skull and Fox. You four have the hardest job. You need to be our anchor, our fall back point if we need to. The Shadows should be ready to finish by the time you hit them. We're carving a path straight for that damned cup. Fool, ready?" Akira asked.

"Just say the word." Yu said, he lowered himself slightly, ready for the hard run that was to come. They would have to cut through everything.

"Then let's go!" Akira shouted, drawing his knife.

Yu burst forward into a sprint. He knew that they couldn't afford to be slow with this. Akira took off after him. Yu cut down a Shadow and Naoto put it round into it with her revolver as she ran by. Akira blasted one of the flying Shadows out of the sky with Odin, raining lightning down on it. He heard the booming retort of Makoto's revolver before the blast of nuclear energy.

Blood pounding in his ears as they raced forward. They could see the winding paths that led up to the tower and then the various paths that moved in and out of it. Akira forced himself to focus on the Shadows then. His knee was bothering him, but he forced himself to run regardless.

The slapping sounds of their feet on the wet surface sounded out. The Shadows moved to mass in on them, but between Naoto, Yu, and Akira himself all throwing out a Megidolaon, they managed to thin the numbers to continue advancing. It was a risky gambit, a dangerous gambit. But it was the only gambit they had.

A Shadow, A cat representing the Hope of Humanity, and fourteen teenagers. Their odds were impossibly stacked against them.

"Joker!" Yu shouted out.

Akira glanced up to see what Yu had spotted. A ledge that was a little too high for them to casually be able to jump up. "Boost!" Akira put on a bit of speed to match his running with Yu. Both Wild Cards hit the ledge at the same time and turned back to the girls, cupping their hands.

Naoto jumped onto Akira's hands while Makoto got onto Yu's. The two were thrown up onto the ledge to land up top. The loud gunshots of the revolvers sounded out. Akira grabbed his knife from the ground and moved over to Yu, his foot landing in the other's hands before he was thrown up. Akira barely had time to register Naoto on one knee while Makoto stood just behind her with her feet spread shoulder width apart. Akira dropped to the ground and held his hand out to Yu.

The other wild card grabbed his sword and leapt up, Akira catching him and dragging him up enough that Yu could pull himself up.

And when Yu was up and on his feet, three more concussive blasts of Almighty Spell damage pushed the advancing forces back and let them continue the run.

The group continued running and Akira had to admit. They were making excellent strides. Some Shadows tried to get in their way, only for Yu to cut them down when they tried to speak. They didn't have the time to hear the arguments of the twisted and repressed side of humanity.

"Last push!" Naoto called out. "Senpai, just a little more!"

Akira took a moment to look at the silver haired wild card. His teeth were grit with determination. And despite everything, he was tanking blows that would have slowed anyone else in the team down. Akira didn't know how Yu had done it, but he knew that if it wasn't for Yu, they would have taken even longer, and more Shadows would have converged on their position.

And with Naoto's comment, Yu held up a hand as he ran. "Beezlebub!" he roared. Tricolored lights swirled around him from Naoto's Heat Riser. Akira knew what was coming. "Megidolaon!" And it was like nothing else when the Almighty Spell slammed into the swarm over their heads. Akira thought he knew the destructive force behind Megidolaon, but Beezlebub was more oriented to spells than anything Akira used.

And as such, it blasted their path open, letting them race through.

And once they were inside the tower, the others quickly caught up, facing the grail once more. But this time, it was going to be different. Akira held up his knife at the Grail. "Humanity doesn't want you!" he called out.

" **Hmph. Your efforts are futile."** There was a blinding light that came from the Grail that forced Akira to block his eyes. And when it finally died down, he paused as he realized that his friends were gone.

"What have you done to my friends?!" Akira asked angrily.

" **I have become the God of this World."** The Grail spoke. " **I have summarily displaced them so that you and I may converse."** Displaced? What the Hell did that mean? Before Akira could ask, the Grail was speaking again. " **I have watched you from the beginning. You have not buckled or broken under the weight of your responsibility. You have not been leashed by the Will of the Masses. Not one of my puppets was able to make you falter. Instead, each adversity you have triumphed over. Furthermore, you have even neutralized the threat of your Other Selves and that of your companions. This was not done by mere chance. This was wholly and completely done of your own Merits. Join with me, Trickster. I shall rule as the God of this World and I will have you, and your friends, continue your efforts to change the Hearts of Man. Together, we can get these indolent humans to wake up to the truth."**

Truth… Akira frowned at the statement. The whole offer was… more tempting than he liked to admit. He and his friends would be able to continue changing the hearts of crooks. Mementos would stick around for them to continue operating. He could probably get them to believe he had captured the Treasure of Mementos. Some of them might question it a bit closely, but he could manage to sway them…

He could continue helping people, just as he had wanted to from the start.

But…

The truth. Akira was on borrowed time. He knew, even if they succeeded there, that he would end up in jail. If Akechi was unwilling to testify against Shido's crimes, then it fell to him to do so. And he would be outed as the Phantom Thief. He would take full blame, not letting anyone else close to him get into trouble. And since he was on probation still… He was going to go to jail. Yaldabaoth's offer was probably the only way out of such a thing.

But…

"Go to Hell!" Akira raised the pistol and snapped a few shots off, rushing to the side.

" **Insolent human! The People Wish to be Ruled!"** The Grail shouted, charging its attacks once more.

"Bullshit!" Akira thought of everyone that worked hard to overcome their own trials. His friends, his mother, even the crooks they had fought against. "We don't want to be ruled!" He kept taking shots, able to do it easier than trying to attack. He just had to stay alive. "We just want to make it through our everyday lives! Yeah, some of us are lazier than others, but that doesn't make it right to dictate for them! They aren't living under your rule! And so long as I have hope in my heart for a better day, I'll keep fighting. No more second guessing, no more doubts!"

The ground erupted as Akira raced by, his duster pelted with rocks. There was no time to get in close and swipe with his knife, not while he was the thing's sole target. But it did give him plenty of time to look, to observe, to think. And he had an idea formulating in his head.

Click. His ammo was dry and he ejected the magazine. He rolled to dodge another attack, hand coming up to the belt where he kept the rest of his magazines, only to come up short, staring at his hand. The magazine felt off, it felt light. And it was his last one.

There was only one bullet in the mag. The bullet he had retrieved and slotted back into a mag after he had put his gun down at Dojima's demand.

One round left… Well that wasn't ominous.

 **Chapter End**

 **A/N: Three more chapters. Three more chapters of a fight scenes. Sorry this is dragging on so long.**

 **MAJOR EDIT: I don't make it a habit of changing major parts of chapters. I really don't. But I didn't like this chapter. Something was nagging at me about it. Something didn't feel right. It wasn't until one of my reviewers commented about how it was like Yu was stealing Akira's spotlight that I finally felt it click.**

 **I went back and edited it. While the damage has been done for the Chapter being out for a day, I couldn't let it sit in good conscience.**


	51. Chapter 50: Fight On!

Chapter 50: Fight On!

Makoto grit her teeth and punched her way through the Shadow in front of her. She felt the splatter of the brack ichor on her outfit and the group, with Akira and Yu pushing through the Shadows to make room for her and Naoto, headed inside.

Makoto could see the Grail. Her fists tightened up. They were so close to finishing the fight, and she was going to be at Akira's side the rest of the way. All of them were. Their resolve had been tested over and over again and it was as strong as ever.

Even injured, even low on supplies, even breathing as hard as she was, she was ready to fight to the bitter end to make sure that no one ended up like her.

The others quickly came up and they began to move down as a group. They had to know they were on a time limit. If the Shadows grouped back up and charged in behind them… No, best not think about the numbers. All they could do was take out the Grail before that happened.

"Humanity doesn't want you!" Makoto heard Akira call out, saw him pointing his knife at it and no doubt being ready to take the fight to the Grail.

" **Hmph. Insolent humans."** There was a blinding flash of light, Makoto tried to cover her eyes and look through, but she couldn't make anything out.

And when it dimmed…

"What happened?!" A young girl demanded and Makoto glanced behind them. "Where is the Trickster?" Lavenza stood outside the cell door for the Velvet Room. Makoto took in the base of the ramp, staring wide eyed back up to the Tower they had just been forced from.

"He's still inside!" Futaba and Rise both called out, summoning up their respective Persona.

"Salvation." Yu crushed the card in his hand, and Makoto felt the relief as the aches of her bones and muscles went away. There was still the almost crippling tiredness that she felt, but she wasn't on the verge of bleeding out anymore.

She smacked her cheeks a bit to try and knock that tiredness from her body.

"We need to get back to him." Ryuji said, looking ahead and like he was about to try charging through the Shadows once more. "Mona! Turn into a bus, we'll bust through!" He turned to look at the cat.

"It would take too long." Morgana said, shaking his head. "There isn't a straight path ahead that I can traverse like that, and if I get tipped over going through a corner too quickly…"

They'd all fall.

Makoto grimaced a bit. If she still had Johanna… Wait…

"Then we'll just have to push through." Yu said as he took a bottle of water out and just dumped it on himself. He had charged through the last horde of Shadows practically by himself. He had to be the most tired of all of them. "We can't afford to wait about."

Makoto closed her eyes a bit and felt out for that sensation of when she summoned her Persona. She thought of the feelings she had felt when she had first summoned Johanna. She could feel Anat and she pushed past, Johanna had been with her for so long, it was impossible to not remember those feelings. Akira had awoken something inside of her, inside of all of them. But at the moment, Anat was a burden…

But if a Persona was her other Self, then shouldn't Johanna just be another facet?

Yes, Anat was stronger by a long shot. And in any other circumstances, why would Makoto want to go back to Johanna? But just this once, just this moment… She needed Johanna. She desperately wanted to ask Yu how he felt when he swapped Persona, how it felt, what she might need to look for. But she was so focused on the feelings of when she summoned Johanna…

It was just another mask. Another facet of herself. She could show the world whatever she wanted, whatever she wanted. But she refused to go back to the self that had let others walk all over her feelings.

If she wanted to save Akira, she _needed_ Johanna! She reached up towards her mask, fingers pulling at it. She felt it shift away from her face, coming from her brow a moment. She thought of Johanna, she dredged up those feelings, she held tight to it, she thought hard about the motorcycle that her Persona had first taken the form of. They couldn't afford the slightest little slip.

' _I am Thou, Thou art I.'_ Was that not the phrase she had heard when she first summoned her Persona? When she had first summoned Johanna? She yanked at the metal mask and felt the flames lick at her body before half collapsing forward.

And landing with her hands on the handle bars, revving the engine and hearing the chains rattle. She turned to look over her shoulder at the others. She was uniquely equipped to go save Akira. But by herself she wasn't going to be able to do much. "I can take one more!" she said, scooting forward a little bit.

'Dude… She's got a freaking motorcycle?!" Yosuke ased.

"Now is not the time!" Yu said as he met her eyes. "You'll be okay taking those turns?" He asked her.

Makoto nodded her head. As Yu said, now was not the time to be thinking about useless things. And the most important thing she could think of was getting to Akira. Getting to the young man she had fallen in love with. While he didn't necessarily need _her_ help persay, she was equipped to be the one to bring the cavalry. "I sometimes went riding in Mementos on Johanna by myself." She admitted.

"Fox, go." Yu finally said, nodding his head. "And you can take two more." He stepped forward and scooped Morgana up, putting him in front of Makoto on the handlebars.

"What about you guys?!" Mona asked, turning to look at the Yu for a moment. Makoto had to shift a bit, feeling Yusuke climb onto Johanna a bit carefully and wrap his arms around her waist carefully.

"I can handle healing for our group, and if I'm too busy blasting the enemies to make another path forward, Priestess can handle it." Yu said. "Now get moving! Joker needed help a minute ago!"

He didn't need to tell her twice. Makoto throttled the engine and the back tire spun a bit before catching and propelling them forward. She leaned in a little bit, feeling Yusuke leaning in as well with her. Morgana just kept himself low, trying to keep a good positioning on the motorcycle.

"Left!" Yusuke called out and Makoto leaned into the turn, heading up a left ramp that had them going over the main pathway. "I think this is a terrible course, but we are committed now and it is still the best chance we have." he said.

"I know!" Makoto called over the winds whipping at them. The Shadows seemed to notice them and were trying to converge on them, but Makoto ramped off the path they were on to land on the central path once more and continued riding forward. She almost crashed with the landing, but somehow, whether through Johanna herself or some other divine providence, they managed to right themselves and continue driving.

"The Shadows are converging on the others." Morgana used his limited abilities as a Sensor to tell what was happening behind them. Not that Makoto expected otherwise. The Shadows did seem adamant about keeping them away from the Grail. "And we have Shadows coming for us! I can't get a bead on them like this!" The Cat was trying to pull up his slingshot.

"Hang on!" Makoto said as she leaned in a bit more, almost pressing the cat down into the frame of the motorcycle. She felt Yusuke press against her back a bit more and she throttled the accelerator more. "Almost there!"

And Shadows were swarming in front of them.

"Come forth and cut them down! Vorpal Blade!" Yusuke called out. Watching as Kamu Susano-o came forth and slashed through the wall of Shadows to give them an opening was beautiful. And Makoto went right through the rest, feeling them try to swipe at her. She even felt her arm get ripped open by something sharp.

She ramped into the Chamber with the Grail. She looked down as Johanna went over and began to descend. She felt Yusuke and Morgana both jump off, landing in a hard roll. But the landing for her was wrong and Johanna started going to her side and Makoto began rolling to as the motorcycle disappeared. She winced as she felt that her ankle was injured.

"Dia." She bent down to touch her ankle, feeling the wave of Healing pass through it. It wasn't as absolute as Salvation, and there were other aches in her body, but she was able to get up onto her feet and grab the knuckles she had to fight with.

She passed by Akira as she made to stay away from the Grail's targeting system. He immediately cut to follow her. "Where the others?!" he asked.

"On their way!" Makoto could feel Anat building inside of her once again. It might take a moment, but soon her Ultimate Persona would be coming back out. And if she kept using Johanna, she would slow that process down. She didn't know how she knew it, but she chalked it up to her Persona itself.

"Stay split up then! Focus fire on the targeting mechanism, maybe we can break it or something!" With his orders, Akira came to a dead stop and did an about face before continuing to run in the opposite direction.

"It'll just fix itself!" Makoto yelled after their fearless leader. There were several long minutes of running. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, and she felt like her ankle was going to give out on her at any moment.

Even still, she drew her revolver and came to a stop, something her lungs were desperate to take advantage of. She dodged out of the way of the blast before she pumped three rounds into the targeting. She dodged a second one and pumped another three before running off, just as Yusuke was coming running up.

"Bufudyne!" Yusuke blasted the mechanism with ice as he came swinging past. The mechanism got stuck and couldn't move, even as it tried to fire at them anyways. Makoto could hear the commotion of the Prisoners again starting to get angry with them.

"Mona! The tubes!" Akira yelled out. "Fox! Boost!" Makoto glanced towards Akira as he came running towards them, scooping up Morgana. She had seen Ryuji do the same thing several times, and she didn't understand why. She turned towards the Grail, looking at the tubes leading into it. Why-?

But they had been following Akira's lead for so long, Yusuke didn't even hesitate, he turned and cupped his hands down.

Akira planted his boot in the middle of Yusuke's hands and gave him a much needed boost as he jumped. And at the apex of his jump, Akira actually threw Morgana at the Grail. No, not at the Grail itself. She was thinking too small scale.

Akira threw Morgana at the _tubes leading into the Grail._

And while the cat very loudly proclaimed his issue with this, he managed to catch himself on the tubes and follow through with Akira's earlier proclamation. That saber came flashing down slicing through the tubes like they were barely there. They sprayed a red fluid and Morgana leapt off from the Grail, even as he was splattered with it.

And amazingly, the Grail didn't regenerate from the damage they had done to it. The tubes gushed and gushed, but it didn't regenerate.

" **You Repugnant Rebels!"** The Grail's booming voice sounded furious. Good, Makoto wanted it to be angry.

Akira cast a Debilitate on the Grail and Makoto felt Anat surge forth inside of her. She slammed the thing with an Atomic Flare that actually dented the moving ring even further, making its attacks even less frequent.

And the others made it. Makoto watched a sweaty, torn up Ryuji rush in and slam his bat into the side of the Grail going low while Haru came in at the same time and swung her axe in a higher arc. And Haru ripped out a huge gouge in the Grail.

Ann came racing in, her gun up and unloading everything into it with the submachine gun.

"Joker! Something's building!" Futaba called out as she moved as well. They were all there, all ready to take the fight to the Grail and finish it.

The ground began to rumble and Makoto had to steady herself, spreading her stance for it to be a bit more stable. The rumbling was getting louder. Suddenly the floor began to rise in different sections, twisting even, but it seemed as though they were all going up. But the floor was also breaking around the Grail.

The walls crumbled and collapsed when the floor stopped rising the floor spreading out wider and wider. And Makoto could see the large hands that had, until now, not done anything begin to move.

"Oh you have to be fucking kidding me…" Akira's almost dejected sounding groan rang out.

"No way…" Futaba whispered.

Makoto couldn't blame them. She stared in disbelief. Large metallic wings spread out as a giant figure of gold and silver began to rise up. It seemed to sit there peacefully, but Makoto could almost feel the malevolent prevailing essence of the entity. Its arms sat to its side almost like it was meditating.

Makoto gripped her knuckles tighter. She had a bad feeling about this.

" **I am the Administrator of the Collective Human Unconsciousness, for the Collective Human Unconsciousness. I am the God of Control, Yaldabaoth!"**

 _Take Your Time_

Yu watched as Makoto sped off with Yusuke and Morgana on the back of her bike. He breathed a bit heavier as he stared at the path ahead. He hung his head and shoulders a bit, his lungs still burning from the last run forward.

"Fool?" Haru asked, stepping forward a bit.

"Let's go!" Yu called out. "We don't have time to be moping about." Yu began to charge forward again. "Stick together, we need to blow through the Shadows before they regroup!"

And the rest began to give chase after him. Ryuji and Kanji were up towards the front with him. Three heavy hitters that could take down the Shadows long enough for the rest to make their way forward. "Wish you hadn't sent Mona along." Ryuji said as his bat crashed into the armor of one of the Angelic Shadows. "Might have made it easier for the rest of us to catch up!"

"Too risky!" Yu came up and drove his blade into the shoulder of the Shadow that Ryuji had just doubled over before he stepped forward to drive it onto its back.

A single round caught it in the head to finish it off. "Senpai is right." Naoto said.

Chie caught another Shadow with a heavy kick that she had to jump from Kanji's back to hit. It dropped the Shadow from the air, only for Kanji to smack it with his large plate in the head. Haru came up and lopped its head off with her axe.

A brief scream followed by the heat of an inferno washing over them sounded out and Ann, Yukiko, Futaba, and Rise went charging past them.

"Why was it shaped like that?!" Futaba asked.

"I don't know!" Yukiko said.

"Those things need killed with fire!" Rise cried out. Yu had a feeling he knew what they were talking about.

"Well, we hit it with everything we had!" Ann said

"There's another!" Futaba shouted, pointing at…

Of course it was Mara. Yu sighed as he charged ahead of the girls. "Ziodyne!" There was a massive boom as it was struck by lightning and left slumped over. "FIre doesn't work too well on it!" he said. For good measure, he blasted it with another bolt of lightning and continued charging ahead with the others.

It was getting difficult to think. He fought on instinct. He slashed through the enemies. Megidolaon on that particularly thick group of Shadows. Ziodyne on Mara. Swap to Beelzebub for Fire. Alice for Curse. Yoshitsune to tank through three of the Angels with swords before slashing through them as well.

His heart felt like it was going to explode. His lungs couldn't get enough air. He could hear the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears. His legs ached. His shins felt like they were on fire. His muscles were getting sore. After running through Mementos, and then the initial run, he needed a break. He needed a chance to breathe. And if he was in such a state, he knew that the others were. They had been fighting for so long, barely having time for a break. They had made the run for the Grail earlier, and now they were making it again, forcing their way through.

He slashed through another Angel. Kanji smacked it in the chest with his plate and Ryuji ran up to crush its head in. Chie used a hard kick to take one of the Shadows off the edge. There were explosions of fire from Yukiko and Ann. Yosuke was dodging and weaving, stabbing his enemies fast and hard before Teddie blasted them with ice. Naoto was using precise shots to drop the enemies. Haru used her grenade launcher to blow them apart. Rise and Futaba just focused on staying out of the way. But the Shadows were unending. It seemed like for every one they killed, ten more came to take its spot.

"Last push!" He bellowed out and began to rush through the Shadows. He swapped to Izanagi-no-Okami and began to drop Megidolaons on the Shadows over and over again. Just like his run through Heaven the past August, he did it again. He rained explosion after explosion down on them. And his team ran just slightly behind him, making that final push.

"Investigation Team, about face!" He barked out. He planted his foot and turned. Naoto, Kanji, Yukiko, Yosuke, Teddie, Chie, none of them hesitated to do the same. And suddenly the air behind them was full of fire, ice, wind, lightning, Almighty, Curse, and Holy damage. The approaching wave of Shadows was blasted. It didn't matter if they were immune to one thing, they were blasted with a half dozen other things.

And Yu swapped between Persona at a rapid pace, never using the same skill in a chain of three. This was why he called the Investigation Team in. They were to make it easier for the Phantom Thieves. And it was up to them to keep the Phantom Thieves from getting flanked, throwing everything they had at the Shadows. Naoto even was taking pot shots when she wasn't blasting them with single target spells. And any time a Shadow got too close, it was quickly beaten back by either Kanji or Chie. They held the line for the Phantom Thieves.

And then the building began to rumble and shake. Chunks of it fell as the inner chamber simply vanished, with the branching pathways leading upwards still with a number of exits that went outside the tower. And then more rubble came crashing down, some falling inside and landing on the ground that was depressed where the floor had been.

Yu blasted out another blast of a Megidolaon and turned behind him, taking in the scene before glancing up. Somehow, someway, he knew that the Phantom Thieves were up at the top. He inhaled deeply before letting it out in a great sigh. "Let's go!" He called out to his team, heading towards the closest pathway up at a jog.

However, he only heard three other pairs of feet running and he turned when he got to the bottom of the ramp. He spotted Yosuke looking back at the entrance they had just came through. "Partner?" Yu asked, stepping down. Somehow, he already knew what was going through Yosuke's mind.

The brown haired boy turned and offered a grin. "Go." He said. "We'll hold the line down here." He motioned to himself, Chie, Teddie, and even Rise, all of them looking determined. "There's going to be a lot of Shadows trying to swarm the others, we'll hold down here. You guys are stronger and should hurry along."

"Yosuke-senpai…" Kanji said, stepping forward. "No, no way!" he shouted. "It's suicide!"

"Chie…" Yukiko looked towards her oldest friend.

The martial artists gave a bright grin. "Oh come on, what's another God?" she asked. She tapped the metal toe of her greave against the ground. "You guys hurry."

"You're going to get overwhelmed." Naoto said, frowning.

"This bear's ready to go Sensei!" Teddie said excitedly, ignoring what Naoto said. But Yu didn't. She was right, they were going to get overwhelmed. And quickly.

And personally, Yu hated the idea of leaving his friends behind. He stared at Yosuke a long time, watching him. He didn't want to go. He couldn't just leave them there.

"Go, Senpai." Rise said, speaking up. "You need to go make sure the spotlight stays on the Phantom Thieves and that they shine. Even I know when to be a backup dancer. And Shadows are converging on Akira and the others." She smiled a bit as she reached into her pack and pulled out her baton.

Yu grit his teeth so hard he was worried they might crack. He swiped his hand to the side. "Salvation!" He cast the spell over the group, making sure his friends were as healthy as they could be. "Don't die, that's an order." He said, half snarling angrily.

Angry that they were right. Angry that they needed to stay behind. Angry that things had progressed to that point.

"Ha!" Yosuke couldn't help the sound that came out. "We were always bad at following orders, now get out of here." He turned around to watch the entrance a bit more.

Yu turned his back to the others. He couldn't look back. If he looked back, he was going to stay behind with them. He closed his eyes. "Please. Don't die." He whispered before he opened his eyes and started to run up the pathway, leaving his close friends behind.

But the Phantom Thieves were up top, with Shadows threatening to converge on them. And if the Investigation Team was going to be able to back them up, then they needed to get up top as well. It wasn't long until he heard the first sounds of fighting from down below, even if he refused to look down to his friends.

They raced outside along the path and went higher along the outside of the tower before cutting back inside along a large bridge that went across the diameter of the tower. Running up the some fifty story tower would have been difficult enough, but they also had to deal with the maze of pathways. Some paths were steeper, some were straight bridges, it was taking everything that Yu had just to keep moving.

"Fliers!" Yukiko shouted out as several fliers began to pile in from below them and from some of the various entrances around them.

"Take them down!" Yu blasted out a Maziodyne and watched as Kanji did the same. Naoto rained down a Megidolaon, taking shots at others while Yukiko conserved some of her reserves by using Magidyne over Burning Petals.

The ones that came up next tried to take the fight to those that were on the bridge, seeing their numbers get cut down above them, but it was to no avail. They managed to stem the flowing tide and push it back enough.

Yu sucked in a deep breath before he started to change the ramp. They were needed up top. If they were going to stop the other Shadows, then they would need to be up with Akira to keep him from having to deal with the things by himself while simultaneously dealing with Yaldabaoth.

He made it a bit of a distance away when there was a loud explosion behind him that forced him to stumble forward a bit. He turned, worried for his friends but he saw that the ramp had been destroyed, a five meter or so chunk of it blown apart. And Naoto was lowering her hand.

"Naoto!?" Yu had to shout a bit. "What the hell!?" How could they get to him? How could he get to them? A running jump, maybe swap over to one of his Persona that had wings and float down holding onto the Persona? It could work…

Until he saw Naoto's revolver drawn and pointed at him. "Senpai. Go." She said. "Yosuke and the others are fighting to keep the Shadows' numbers down. It's time that we did the same. But Akira needs _you_." She said.

"Damn it, I'm not going to keep sacrificing my friends to continue on!" Yu shouted. He saw Naoto take a shooting stance with her revolver in both hands.

"Please don't make me shoot you to keep you from attempting the jump, Senpai." Naoto said with a hardness to her voice. And Yu knew that Naoto had made up her mind. If she really thought it was necessary, she would shoot him. It was that side of her that was willing to play the numbers game if it was really necessary. It was the side of her that had been willing to throw Namatame into the TV.

"Senpai. We'll hold it here for ya." Kanji said. "If Akira and the others get swarmed by fliers, well that's bad right?"

"And where would these two be without someone to keep them safe?" Yukiko brushed a bit of hair behind her ear with a smile.

"Senpai." Naoto spoke up. "You need to go. There is still much of the tower you have to run." She said. "I wish, desperately so, that we could all go. But we can't afford to go. You _have_ to go." Naoto said tersely.

Yu swapped to Ishtar. He saw Naoto taking closer aim, not certain what he was about to do. "Salvation!" It was the least he could do, and his throat felt tight with the urge to rage at his girlfriend. But she was right. She was absolutely right and he hated it. He was the best chance to get to the top and thin the Shadows so Akira had a clear shot at Yaldabaoth. "This is fucking bullshit!" He yelled it so that it hurt his throat before he turned and began to charge up the stairs.

The members of the Investigation Team versus the whole of humanity's free will. It was a numbers game, but they were slowly running out of numbers they could afford to lose.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira held his knife in a loose grip, eyeing all around them. Shadows had been quickly converging and filling up the skies as Yaldabaoth unfurled in his splendor. How was he supposed to take that thing on? The God was Massive. He snorted as a stray thought entered his mind and he looked around at his team. "He's as big as his ego." His misplaced humor helped dispel the tension of the other Phantom Thieves. "Oracle." He flipped his knife around and held it out to her.

Futaba stared at the knife with wide eyes before she took the handle with a shaking hand. "Wha-?"

"Sorry, you're going to have to keep yourself safe. We'll do our best, but…" Akira glanced around the skies.

"We're doing this then Joker?" Morgana asked, slingshot drawn.

"Yeah." Akira said with a slight sigh. He was answered with the rather loud sound of Ryuji fitting a new magazine in for his shotgun. Haru unslung her axe from her shoulder and even Ann slotted a new magazine in for her submachine gun.

" **Why do you persist on fighting?"** The booming voice of Yaldabaoth echoed out from overhead. " **You must realize how futile it is by this point. You are only ensuring your own ruin with this. Behold!** " Yaldabaoth moved his hands out and spread them wide. Four screens formed from thin air like with Futaba's Prometheus. The four screens showed them, they showed Yosuke, Chie, Teddie, and Rise at the bottom of the tower fighting; Naoto, Kanji, and Yukiko seemed to be at the middle of the tower, taking out fliers by the hordes. And lastly, it showed Yu running up the tower, looking more and more exhausted with every step. " **They fight, and fight, and fight, but it is useless. Humanity craves to be ruled. Kneel, and I will spare them, let the world hear that the Phantom Thieves will cease their fighting!** "

"Joker, he's broadcasting those images to every smartphone, computer, and TV in Tokyo." Futaba said, quickly picking up on the signal.

Akira looked up to the screen that showed himself on it and he gave a derisive snort. He saw the others looking to him. He could see the grim determination in all of them, all of them ready to fight and to die if that was what it took.

He was determined that it wouldn't come to that.

"All this grandiose grandstanding!" Akira shouted. "You want the world to see us fall? You think our friends are falling there?!" Akira bellowed out. "They're not falling! They're winning! They are destroying Shadows in droves! You can't overcome them! They won't falter, they won't buckle. Yeah, occasionally we'll stumble. Anybody would. It doesn't make us weak! It makes us the norm! We have the strength and the will power to get back up regardless though! To get up and stare bastards like you in the face and to climb up on the mountain!" Akira pointed his finger up at Yaldabaoth.

"We all have fears. We all have regrets. We all have burdens placed on our shoulders! But we don't bow and we don't falter for them! You want the people to see weakness? _You_ are showing that weakness. Hundreds of Shadows. I doubt anyone remembers how many we have cut down. I doubt any of us remembers how many cuts and bruises we've gone home with. _But we have always gone home!_

"You're no different. You're just more annoying!" Akira bellowed out. "But the people won't help you anymore! You sit there, high and mighty, but you're no different, no better than any Shadow we've ever faced! You keep trying to get me to kneel, keep trying to get us to fall because you! Are! Scared! Well I'm tired of telling you the same answer over and over, so get this through your over inflated ego! Noir, Heat Riser!" Akira summoned his Persona of the Star just as Haru dropped a Heat Riser on him on instinct. "Morning Star!"

The spell fired out like a glittering diamond, as though a star was taken from the skies and compressed into a fist sized bolt. The various flying Shadows rushed forward to defend Yaldabaoth, but it still went off. The attack exploded with such force that the platform they were standing on cracked and chunks were ripped up.

"Phantom Thieves!" Akira called out, even as the defeated Shadows faded, showing Yaldabaoth was unharmed. "Rain Hell!" Almost immediately, Yusuke's rifle barked out and pandemonium broke out.

Akira quickly switched to Yoshitsune, he was going to be in the thick of it. He brought his arms up to block a sword coming down onto him and the physical based attack seemed to roll right off of him. He then tackled his attacker to the ground and began to just punch the Shadow.

Effective? Not really. But damn did it make Akira feel good as he landed blow after blow.

He spotted Ryuji rushing around the outside of the platform, looking to make good on his own physical speed and strength. He stepped into a swing that would make any slugger proud and collapsed the armor of one of the angels. And when it staggered back, Ryuji dropped a bolt of lightning on it.

"Skull!" Akira yelled. "Gun!"

Ryuji didn't even think, he just unclipped the strap and tossed it Akira's way before he blasted lightning across the skies more with Seiten Taisei. Akira caught the shotgun, just barely in time before he flipped it around so the barrel was pointed away from him and he pulled the trigger.

Right into the face of the Shadow he had tackled.

Akira got up and got running, moving over to Ryuji. He yanked Ryuji out of the way of a sword coming down and took it against his arm. Ryuji turned with his bat and took the Shadow at the knees. Akira tackled it with his shoulder and rolled, standing up. He then proceeded to put the barrel of the shotgun in the Shadow's face before squeezing the trigger. "Skull!" He tossed the shotgun off, before running away again.

He tackled Futaba down to the ground and took his knife from her. "Stay down." He told her before standing up. He took a bolt of lightning to the chest that was reflected back at the Shadow that had struck him. "Hassou Tobi!"

He struck one Shadow with his knife but eight slashes appeared in the next instant and slashed the Shadows surrounding them to ribbons. Truly, Yoshitsune was a force to be reckoned with in such tight quarters.

He turned to offer Futaba a hand up when she scrambled to her feet. She took his knife and brushed past him to drive it into a Shadow about to strike him from behind. She drew the knife out and stabbed twice more, black ichor splatting against her. Akira was more surprised than anything, watching the Futaba of all people stabbing and dispatching a Shadow.

"Where the Hell did that come from?" He asked more surprised than anything.

"I had to use Fool's sword, and if these Shadows are anything like those, I learned the hard way a single stab is never enough." She shivered but she gripped the knife tightly. Probably too tight, but Akira would leave her to it.

And Akira was rushing to the side of another one of his teammates, watching as Futaba made her way towards Ryuji to help him out, or to stay a little safer.

Akira stepped up behind Haru and grabbed one of the grenades on her belt. "Noir, pull!" He tossed the grenade up, sending it spinning into the air. He watched Haru's eyes widen before she dropped her axe and let it hang on its strap.

She raised her launcher and took a wider stance. A dull thump was heard as she squeezed the trigger. Her target wasn't the grenade itself. It would have been an impressive shot. Instead, Haru shot the Shadow that intercepted the grenade aimed for Yaldabaoth. The explosion set off the other grenade, twin explosions echoing out and blasting some of the aerial Shadows to pieces.

Akira then tackled the girl to the ground. He unclipped her axe and came up with it, driving it hard into the chest of another Shadow that had just tried to blast Haru with Nuclear magic.

"One Shot Kill." Haru called out, pointing her index and middle fingers at the Shadow before Astarte took its head off with a blasting sound of a gunshot.

Akira gave her a nod and stepped past her, swinging the axe again to take down another Shadow. He briefly wondered about how strong Haru was since the two swings were proving to be quite strenuous on his arms. Nothing he couldn't handle, but he had never heard the girl complain.

He turned to Haru, watching her point her fingers and fire off One Shot Kill at any target she got a clean shot on. He could see the fatigue starting to build on her again and he passed her back her axe. "Don't blow your energy." He then headed off to continue helping his teammates.

A blast of fire singed his leathers and he went into a roll at the small explosive burst. A hail of ice dug into him and he forced himself to keep moving. If he stayed still, he was dead.

He got to Makoto who was on her stomach, struggling to get up onto her feet. He swapped quickly off of Yoshitsune, despite how dangerous it was, and cast a quick Diarahan on her. He watched the wounds go away, even if the blood loss was still there. But she managed to get more strength in her muscles.

Akira grabbed her revolver and drew it to take a couple of shots at the various Shadows, even as he swapped back to Yoshitsune. The brass hit the ground as he ejected the cylinder and took a speedloader from her belt to slot back into the revolver.

Finally, Makoto had gotten up. She tightened her grip on her knuckles and staggered an advancing Shadow with a heavy blow. She then gave it a left right combo that dropped it and she followed it to punch it in the head and send it into dust. She quickly got up and used her knuckles to deflect the blade of another Shadow, catching it on her knuckles before sending it to the side. Her Aikido training kicked in and she knocked it off balance before sending it sprawling to the ground.

Akira quickly pumped a round into its head before he rushed over. Another ejection of brass and he grabbed another speedloader before he put it back in her holster.

'There's too many." Makoto said as she breathed hard.

"I know." Akira said, looking towards Yaldabaoth. "I'm working on it. Haven't figured it out yet."

Makoto drew her revolver out in a flash and three more shots and three more Shadows slumped into ash. "Then think faster." She said a bit bitingly. Not that he could blame her, it was his job to lead them.

He moved away towards Ann. He was trying to get a feel for the battlefield, where everyone was. He again slammed his shoulder against the Shadow, swapping back to Yoshitsune when it tried to retaliate. "Panther, gun." He called out.

He caught the gun by the strap and landed in a roll as Ann light another Shadow on fire before cracking it with her whip. He brought the gun up and squeezed the trigger. The burst surprised him, he wasn't quite as used to automatic fire as he was single fire, but in moments he traced a line through another Shadow. He went behind Ann, going back to back with her a moment before blasting another Shadow.

"Maragidyne!" Ann swept her hand out, Hekate igniting a wall of an inferno in front of her that singed the Shadows.

Akira turned to her other side, shifting her back. He took the hit of a Shadow to the back before he swapped to another Persona. He summoned Vishnu up and blasted the inferno that Ann started with a Vacuum Wave, sending the fire out over more Shadows and increasing its intensity.

Ann used her whip to yank down another Shadow from the sky before she actually took the submachine gun from his hands and proceeded to finish the magazine into the Shadow. She ejected the magazine and quickly slotted a new one in.

Akira was already moving. He felt the blast of fire that hit him a little harder as Vishnu was weak to flames. It dazed him and he shook his head. He grit his teeth as he spotted a Shadow coming down on him before it was cut through by Yusuke who had rushed over. The artist held a hand out and Akira pulled himself up to his feet with Yusuke's help. "Put them to the sword." Yusuke said, holding out katana.

Akira didn't need to be told twice. He took the blade and made judicious and liberal use of Hassou Tobi. It drained him, but he was able to push back a substantial amount of the Shadows away from Yusuke who took to using his rifle and taking pot shots at more of the fliers. The artist went into a roll and Akira was there, taking the blow meant for him before slashing the Shadow back.

"Fox! Trade!" Akira called out, already tossing the sword out.

Yusuke didn't hesitate, tossing the rifle as he caught the blade. Unlike Akira, who was an amateur, Yusuke had gotten some experience, as well as some basic lessons from Yu, in using the sword. So he parried another sword coming down for him and retaliated with a counter slash. He then deflected another one and spun around to slash down a third Shadow.

Akira was squeezing off rounds with the rifle. It was highly accurate and had an impressive level of stopping power. Akira had tested most of everyone's equipment within Mementos at one point or another, just making sure the damned things worked. But Yusuke's rifles had always impressed him. He still preferred his pistol, but when he could drop a flyer some twenty meters out, it was still an impressive shot that spoke of the quality of the weapon. And while Akira hadn't helped put this one together, he could still appreciate the quality

"Fox!" Akira tossed the gun off to his teammate who caught it with one hand before he used his sword with one hand to deliver a quick slash. It was shallow and the Shadow didn't exactly drop.

"Bufudyne." And like that it was struck with Ice that finished it off.

Akira was already rushing off. He scooped up Morgana, keeping the cat from taking a blast of lightning directly. "We have a problem!" He shouted over the fighting, driving a hard kick out at the Shadow. But without a weapon, it lacked the sort of finality that he needed.

"Tell me something new!" Morgana said, getting out of Akira's hands and sniped the Shadow with two shots from his slingshot.

"We're spread too thin! We can't get at Yaldabaoth like this!" Akira knew the others could hear him, and that they could acknowledge what he was saying. And if he was saying it loud enough for them to hear it, everyone watching because of Yaldabaoth could hear it. He grunted as he was blasted with something akin to Kougaon. Morgana came in with his saber and cut through the Shadow, leaping up to do it.

"What do you suggest?" Morgana asked, throwing a Dia onto Akira to keep him from needing to swap off Yoshitsune.

Akira yanked Morgana back so that he wasn't hit by a heavy fist coming down from one of the more physical opponents. What did Akira suggest? That was a good question. He wasn't having enough time to think. He was down to one bullet. His knife was with Futaba so she could keep herself better protected.

Ryuji was close range. Ann was close to mid range. Yusuke was long range. Makoto was mid range pretty solidly.

"Skull! Noir! Oracle! Team up!" Akira shouted. "Focus fire on the Shadows getting close!" He watched as Ryuji grabbed Futaba and began to make his way towards Haru. Ryuji smashed a Shadow down and then Futaba made quick work in stabbing it. Paradise Lost was surprisingly effective against these Shadows.

"Queen, Fox, Panther! Group up! Fox, focus fire on the distant targets. Queen, you focus fire on the midrange, Panther, take the close ones!" Akira barked his orders and grabbed Morgana, scooping him up onto his shoulders and rushing about. Mentally, he switched from Yoshitsune back over to Lucifer. He watched as Makoto made her way over to Ann and they waited for Yusuke. And then from there, they dealt with the distant targets while Ryuji's team dealt with the Shadows in close.

"Mona, focus on healing!" Akira said, passing Morgana off to the other team as he continued to run. He heard the explosions going off as the team continued to work.

"Morning Star!" The explosive Almighty Spell rushed out and while Shadows rushed to protect Yaldabaoth once more, they were a little slower this time and the Phantom Thieves were quick to target them and try to mess them up. Yaldabaoth was rocked with the spell.

Two massive arms suddenly appeared in bright light as the God recovered from the damage. " **Distorted Lust.** " A massive gun was taking aim at Akira, making his eyes widen. He dived out of the way, barely missing the attack and skidding slightly on his shoulder and hip.

Akira swapped quickly to Zaou-Gongen once more. "Blazing Hell!" he snapped out with the intense flames. And while the gun and the main body were scorched, along with a number of Shadows as well, the bell repelled the flames back at him. Not that he was damaged either, but it was a good thing to know.

" **Distorted Vanity!"** Before, Akira had dodged whatever the gun was going to do to him. But when the bell tolled, he felt his strength sapped as he was covered in a black inky substance like he had been during the Madarame fight.

A contingent of Shadows descended on him, ten, twenty maybe and looked to hurt him. He managed to dodge the first sword, falling on his back. He rolled to dodge the second, but he knew he was overwhelmed. He watched a sword descending for him, about to skewer him in his chest.

"Tear them to pieces! Loki!" A white and black striped Persona, holding a burning broadsword with a pair of tongs slashed through the Shadows. Akira could only turn to see Goro Akechi in his black masked outfit, somehow, someway, having made his way to the top of the tower and saving Akira's life. "The only one that gets to kill Joker is me!" A Megidolaon was dropped and the Shadows were scattered away from Akira.

End Chapter

 **A/N: Yes, I brought back Akechi. He still has a murder boner for Akira. But as you can see, he's rather.. Shall we say greedy?**

 **Anyways, I'll explain all that, don't you worry.**


	52. Chapter 51: Unbroken

Chapter 51: Unbroken

He drummed his fingers against the back of his hand. It was something he had been doing for a while. Ever since he got captured and stuck in the cell. It was all he could do. That and think.

And for Goro Akechi, he had thought plenty.

Impressively, he was not angry that he had been caught. When he had first come to that conclusion, it had surprised him. And yet, no matter how hard he analyzed it, he was not angry. He wasn't all that surprised that he wasn't angry either. At some point, he must have come to the conclusion that there was always a chance he would have been caught. So he was not angry that he was caught. Not even surprised by it. It was… an annoyance at most.

But that did not make his situation right. If that had been the extent of his feelings, he would have likely complied with the questioning and accepted his fate. But that wasn't the case. He adamantly refused to speak with any of the officers in charge of the case. Not that he doubted their ability to convict him, but it was like he was just buying time.

For one of Shido's followers? Maybe. For Shido's arrest? Maybe. Akechi wasn't certain.

But the sensation of anger didn't leave him. For days, it was like a festering wound that would not be cleaned. Many times, thinking about it brought him to such fury. And it didn't take much to figure out what it was. It didn't take much to figure out the cause. It didn't take much to figure out who his fury needed to be directed at.

Two. Years. Two years, Goro Akechi had planned, plotted, and killed. He had maneuvered himself into a position to be close to Masayoshi Shido. Two. Years. Two years he had been forced to wear several masks. The Mask of an Ace Detective. A Mask of Shido's loyal follower. Mask after mask after mask all layered onto him. Two. Fucking. Years.

Wasted.

AKechi felt his fingers curl into a tight fist on reflex to his anger. Felt his nails digging into his palm and threatening to draw blood. Akira Kurusu had come into the picture. His reputation was torn to shreds, his efforts ripped asunder. He was taken from his pedestal and knocked down with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the knee. And yet, it wasn't that he was caught that bothered him. It wasn't that he was going to go to jail for it.

It was the waste of two whole years of effort, of planning, of sacrifices that he was more than furious about.

But even that hadn't been enough to push him to such a murderous rage. It had never been personal with Akira. Not when he tried to kill him on Shido's orders. On the ship, it had gotten more personal. Akira was the only one that was his equal. But what drove Akechi to a blinding, seething rage that had him seeing red?

Akira's failure.

He had been anticipating, salivating at the idea of Shido's fall from grace. For the masses, the blind sheep had the blinders ripped off their eyes and showed the ugliness that was Masayoshi Shido. Mutually assured destruction. Akechi would have likely given everything up had Masayoshi Shido been arrested. It would have been glorious. His desires stolen, his ambitions torn from him. The people turned against him. Shido would have been no one.

Instead, Shido's backers hid him away. And it looked like the election results would still go through with Masayoshi Shido becoming Japan's Prime Minister. And rather Shido being a powerful, dominant force within the Cabinet, he would be regulated to the role of a puppet, a figurehead.

It was a fate that truly, truly pissed Akechi off. Had Shido won, had Shido remained a dominant figure, so be it. It would mean that Akira would have lost. But Akira had won, he had heard the beginning of Shido's confession. Akira had won. But in the end, his efforts amounted to nothing. Akechi had lost for nothing, he had lost to a failure.

And so his rage was this unfathomably deep seated parasite that ate and gnawed at him. So long as Akira was out and about, Akechi would not be able to relax. In a way, he could very easily give Akira up as the leader of the Phantom Thieves to one of the officers. He had to congratulate Akira in a way, he had never given up his name. But the idea of giving Akira up like that felt too easy. It felt like too much of a cop out. And it didn't assure that Akechi would win. It didn't assure that he would be victorious once again over Akira.

At best, Akira would be in jail. Alone. By himself. He could imagine that smug confident smirk on his face as he kept his friends safe. No, for Akechi, victory over Akira would have been him broken, shattered, destroyed. And the way to do that was to also drag his friends down.

Akechi felt a lurch and he glanced around, jolted out of his thoughts. He watched as the crimson fluid slowly spilled down the hallway and then came over the bottom of the cell doors. It poured into his cell, thick and oozing. And the smell hit him. It was akin to blood, though not quite the right texture or thickness. It was more akin to the ichor that the Shadows exploded with in Mementos.

Curiously, he reached out to touch it ever so gently.

He was not expecting the sudden eruption of blue flames along his skin or the sudden appearance of his black armor. He felt the mask form around his face and he tested his fingers in the glove. It was unexpected, it was surprising.

And if he was honest, it was exciting.

He looked up to the bars that were keeping him within the cell. Not anymore. "Loki." He thought out to his Persona and he watched the white figure form, its broadsword making quick work of the bars. He stood up and stepped forward, boots sloshing through the red liquid. But it didn't bother him in the slightest.

He had his means of escape.

He stepped past the bars to face an officer who was already pulling his pistol. Mentally, he sent Loki rushing over. His Persona was suddenly pressed close to the officer, its sword digging into his neck while its other hand grabbed the pistol. Akechi heard a round go off, felt the sting in his hand as it actually damaged Loki slightly.

"Why… can't I move?" The Officer struggled out. "My neck… there's something against my neck! It burns!"

Akechi mentally told Loki to draw back. So the officer couldn't see it? That was interesting to note. Because he didn't have a Persona of his own? Maybe. Akechi stepped forward. He took the pistol and rifled through the officer's belt for more ammo. "Do yourself a favor, and don't think about it too hard." Akechi said coldly.

Twelve shots in the pistol, another twenty four scavenged off the officer between the two magazines. A nice start.

"You won't get away with this! Whatever it is you're doing!" Akechi glanced to the officer as he spoke, watching him try to fight against Loki. Akechi gave a mental command to Loki and watched his Persona slowly sink his sword into the officer's chest. Blood sizzled and flesh burnt from the nature of Loki's sword and the cop could only stare in horror

He came to another gate, ignoring the shout of one of the other prisoners. Loki made quick work of the gate and Akechi moved a bit faster. He encountered another two officers, with one losing his head to a single stroke of Loki's blade. Akechi made certain to pilfer their ammunition as well. He didn't know if he'd actually need upwards of seventy rounds, but it couldn't hurt to have them.

He made it to the garage. Loki ripped the lock box open and Akechi pilfered one of the keys to a squad car. With some luck, he'd be able to get some distance away from the station before more cops were called in. He found the car and opened the driver's seat. He had his license, but didn't tend to drive much.

He preferred his bicycle for getting around. It was just easier.

' _I have reports of the Phantom Thieves at Shibuya Square. It's probably nothing but a prank, but I'm going to check it out, over.'_ The words crackled across the radio and Akechi narrowed his eyes a bit. His rage suddenly came boiling back. If the Phantom Thieves were at Shibuya Square, then no doubt Akira was going to be there.

He slid into the driver side and started it up. ' _All units, we have an escape! Suspect is Goro Akechi and he is to be considered armed and-'_ Bzzt! The cables gave a slight charge of electricity as Loki ripped the radio out.

Akechi frowned as he started to drive. A few tests and he was able to hit the siren and the lights. He'd only get one chance at killing Akira. He wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers for something like propriety. He slammed his foot down and blew through the gate, jolting at the impact.

Without the radio, he couldn't tell what was going on around him, but no doubt the police were already looking to try and get close towards him. He glanced in the mirror as he cut down a straight away. He saw the flashing lights in the mirror. Better response time than he thought. But with a few dead cops, it was no wonder.

He came to Shibuya Square and brought the car to a hard stop. He yanked the door open and checked the pistol again, even as the other cops came to a halt as well. "Loki, Kougaon!" His Persona blasted through one of the cars with the Holy Damage, forcing it to flip.

Akechi then began to run up the ramp, leading up to the massive tower that had not been in Shibuya Square. He heard the cops behind him calling in for help or trying to figure out where he went. It was curious, it was like no one could see the tower or the large bone like protrusions from the ground. People avoided them, but more in like they were everyday occurrences.

He spotted a few Shadows along the way, but a few well placed shots along with Loki's strength allowed his progress to continue mostly , he did note that the general strength of the Shadows was several degrees stronger than what had been in Shido's Palace. It was slightly concerning.

He came to the central chamber just in time to see the other Phantom Thieves vanish in a flash of light, as well as another group. It just left Akira. Akechi raised his gun about to squeeze the trigger when his danger senses threw him to the side. A trio of rounds slammed into the Shadow and he turned, running for the edge to the left.

He felt Loki's fist grab his jacket and his Persona leapt, jumping the distance.

Akechi landed on the tower, standing on a jutting protrusion that kept the tower from having a uniform look to it. Mentally, he commanded Loki to jump again and they went up and around. Sometimes, it was a closer jump than Akechi wanted to admit.

He ducked back inside the tower as soon as he could and aimed downwards. He had no way of making the shot, not with a pistol, but maybe he could have landed a Megidolaon. Only for Akira and the Phantom Thieves that had gotten back to disappear once more.

He then spotted the silver haired man and Naoto Shirogane start running up one of the ramps with two of their other teammates. Akechi wondered who they were, but if they were going up… He looked up. Then so was he. He began to charge upwards, taking note of the twisting routes and paths that seemed to move around each other. The other group probably didn't even realize he was there.

Akechi kept the pilfered pistol aimed towards the ground while he continued charging up. There were no more Shadows in his path. His goal was in sight. Only he was allowed to kill Akira. The rage festered and burned inside of him. He would stop whatever was attempting to kill his quarry, and then he would gladly put a bullet in Akira's head. Just as he had done to Akira's Shadow within Sae's Palace.

Goro Akechi would prove himself the better of Akira Kurusu.

He came outside and raced up the ramp. He was glad for his cycling. It was good for breathing, especially when he had to pedal hard up an incline. Just like he had to breath as he raced up the ramp. If he was out of breath at the top, he was going to be useless. His prey was going to get away from him. Akechi almost saw red at the thought of Akira getting away again.

He gave the Phantom Thief leader his due respect. Akira had managed to pull the wool over his eyes time and time again. But Akechi wasn't going to let it happen again. And after he managed to deal with Akira, he could then move onto Naoto Shirogane and her boyfriend. He could not forget that they were instrumental for him being inside a jail cell for several days. But if he was honest, he couldn't care less if he managed to kill them or not. As long as he got Akira Kurusu. That was his target.

And like a hunting dog after a fox, he would focus solely on his prey and ignore everything else that was unimportant.

He planted a boot on top of the tower and pushed up, seeing the swarm of Shadows descending on Akira. A sword was coming down. It was unacceptable to the boiling rage that was consuming him deep inside. "Tear them to pieces, Loki!" Akechi yelled loudly. His Persona went flashing forward and cleaved through several of the Shadows. He saw Akira looking at him. "The only one that gets to kill Joker is me!" He then proceeded to drop a Megidolaon on the Shadows, scattering them.

Akira was quick to flip up onto his feet and Akechi drew the pistol, popping off two rounds into some advancing Shadows. He moved towards Akira, watching the other teen tense. Good, he knew that he was still a threat. That would make things both harder and more enjoyable later

"Thanks for the assist Crow, but what the actual fuck?!" Akira asked, sounding a bit heated. He also sounded winded.

Akechi sneered slightly. It was like his prey was being cheapened. How many battles had Akira fought to get to this point? "I'm saving you just so I can kill you. So don't thank me yet." Akechi said as he commanded Loki to continue with its swift and savage attacks. Akechi was even tempted to have it cast its rather unique power on him, but he needed his head in the game. "Whose Shadow is this?"

"It's a God." Akira said as he blasted out with lightning that surged along several of the fliers. Did Akechi hear that right? They were fighting a God? How in the Hell was that possible? "It's the base desire of all of humanity, the Holy Grail given form and identity."

Akechi scoffed. He had heard of the legend of the Holy Grail. "Not interested." No, his only desire was to kill Akira. And if that meant bringing low a God, so be it. It was still a goal that he could achieve with his own two hands. Humans needed to stop thinking of such lofty things as omnipotent wish granters. He turned, firing off round after round. In a practiced motion, he ejected the magazine and slotted a new one in. "Catch." He tossed the gun towards Akira. Akira was a better shot than he was, and if Akira wasn't using his gun there was a reason for it.

Akechi was betting that he was out of ammo.

Akira deftly caught the gun and turned, showing that superb marksmanship with a pistol as he took out three of the Shadows with six shots.

"Hit them with a Megidolaon on my mark." Akira cast a Heat Riser on Akechi and he felt the power surge through his veins as the swirl of colors formed around him. Akechi felt a feral smirk coming to his lips. Akira had done similar when he was helping them through Sae's Palace. After all, he had access to a Megidolaon unlike the rest of the team and could hit the enemies harder. Akechi watched as a similar swirl formed around Akira. "Target the God. Mark!"

Akechi turned and slung his hand out. And at the same time, Akira threw his hand out, the twin blasts punched through the mass of Shadows that moved to protect the God, and the massive creature was rocked slightly from the proximity of the blasts. Several of the smaller Shadows were caught in the blast and vaporized. It was rather impressive that Akira had managed to also get something with a Megidolaon. Maybe he had something stronger? Food for thought when it came time to kill him, that was to be certain.

"We need to handle these smaller Shadows." Akechi said. The Phantom Thieves were doing an admirable job, but there were just too many.

"I know, still thinking!" Akira called out as he moved to deal with another Shadow that was advancing on them.

 _Take Your TIme_

Yosuke watched as Yu, Naoto, Kanji, and Yukiko all ran off for the ramp leading upwards. He inhaled deeply and tucked his knives in the sheaths at the small of his back. He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants a moment. He then shrugged his bag and jacket off.

"You regretting something?" Rise asked as she pulled out the extended baton.

Yosuke rolled his shoulders a bit. "I regret not getting to go with." He admitted. He picked up a can of TaP and popped the top on it. He took a deep drink. He would need the energy just to think. "I mean, our friend is racing off to go protect more friends, and he's in danger. How can I leave him like this? But I know what I have to do."

"I know what you mean." Chie said as she stretched out a bit. "Doesn't feel like we're going to be as useful." She pulled out a pack of gum. The brand made Yosuke's nose scrunch slightly. Chie's meat flavored gum was disgusting and he didn't just mean in the way of taste. The smell was also revolting. He didn't know how she could enjoy it. "But it's not like we don't have something important to do." she said.

"I'm ready to go wild." Teddie said, making sure his claw was on firmly. "Just let me at them." He gave that bright, almost innocent smile that seemed out of place with the almost ferocious way he fought at times. It was such an odd thing, but it was also comforting to Yosuke.

Yosuke glanced over towards Rise. "You know, you can probably catch up to Yu and the others if you're quick and leave now." He said. He heard the clambering Shadows. And glancing up, he could see there were plenty of entrances. They were going to have to go outside to meet the Shadows if they wanted to keep them from just flying up and going after Yu and the others. Maybe it would help them, the path would be more narrow.

"Yeah right." Rise said, rolling her eyes. " _You_ guys need me cheering you on." She said with a slight grin. It dropped a bit later. "Don't do anything stupid, Senpai." She said softly. Though whether she meant Yosuke or Yu was up to debate. "I'll handle myself." She looked to Yosuke. "You guys worry about watching each other's backs."

Yosuke gave a slight snort at that remark. "Not happening.' He said. "We're in this together, for better or for worse. We'll be watching your back Rise, even if you're not going to be as in the fray with us." He pulled out his MP3 player and checked the battery. Sighing at seeing it dead, he pulled his headphones off and dropped it on the bag and jacket. So much for being able to listen to his tunes while he fought. That sucked.

He then ruffled his own hair, both hands scratching at his scalp as he tried to come up with some sort of plan. "Gah!"

"That bad huh?" Chie asked softly. She knew him as well as anyone. They had been there at the beginning, same with Teddie. All of them had deferred to Yu almost from the get go, but it wasn't like Yosuke hadn't learned to lead his own team. But these odds were stacked against them.

"The sort of numbers we're against isn't going to be pretty." Yosuke said. "And it's not like these are Shadows we're used to." Which meant they had no idea the best way to defeat them. It wasn't like the last time they had gone into the TV World where they had been dumped in that crazy Inaba. They knew the Shadows there, they knew how to hit them. These Shadows seemed to be like Yu's Persona, but trying to keep track of his ever changing cast had been an effort in futility. It was why they left it to Yu to do so.

"Then we better hit hard and fast and make sure they can't hit us." Teddie said, offering a bright grin, like it was the simplest plan in the world. And in a way, it was the simplest plan in the world. It also offered the most flexibility, but it still wasn't much of a plan.

"Right." Chie said, nodding to herself. "If that's the case…" A crush of her Persona's card and swirling lights formed around all four of them as a spectral dragon seemed to float by before vanishing. Chie then went to one knee. "Ugh… forgot how much that takes out of me." She then pushed back up onto her feet. "Good thing I use my legs more." Not that it meant much, they were all tired.

Yosuke didn't like that Chie did that. He had been planning to throw a speed buff on them. But Chie had beaten him to the punch it seemed. And he couldn't deny the fact that it would be useful having the extra stopping power from what she had called her 'Dragon Shuffle.' He yanked the dual knives from the sheaths at the small of his back once more. "Let's do this then."

Yosuke was the first to charge out, but he was quickly followed by Chie, Teddie, and Rise. He saw the advancing swarm of Shadows and met the first one with a Garudyne that sent it sprawling off the path. He spun into the next one, blades tearing through it as before he stepped forward and dragged his knives through.

A blast of ice from either Chie or Teddie exploded next to him, but Yosuke could barely pay attention. A flyer was coming past him. A blast of wind took its wings out, and he was then driving his knife into another Shadow. He could feel the set of grim determination set on his face and he hated it. He preferred being more upbeat. Even going against Izanami, grimness hadn't set in until they were facing her. He had always believed that no matter what they could make it out of anything.

But he'd be lying if a tiny part of himself wasn't enjoying every second. Every cut, every blast of wind, every time he bumped into his friends only for them to throw themselves back at the oncoming horde, a tiny part of himself that was still stifled and choked by the small town of Inaba was having the time of his life.

After so long he had been in Yu's shadow, he was finally having a chance to shine. He knew he had said he had no problem playing second banana to Yu Narukami, but there was still that nagging in his mind, wondering what if he had been the leader of the Investigation Team. It was tempered, tempered by friendship and knowing that Yu wasn't trying to lord over any of the Investigation Team. He had genuinely been concerned about all of them. And the fight they had at the Samegawa had helped knock some sense into him. But it still existed, it would always exist.

And it reared its ugly head back when Yu brought Akira and the others to Inaba. For the briefest of moments, Yosuke had thought he was being replaced as Yu's right hand man. The one that could be relied on to hold the line at the back, to be the anchor. Another one like Yu would be able to be that anchor a lot better than Yosuke. Akira was able to adjust as needed. Yosuke only had the wind to call to his aid. It was only in actually interacting with Akira, with the rest of the Phantom Thieves, that Yosuke was able to put his need to be something back in its hole.

But Yosuke had still been pushed out of the spotlight. That big city kid in him still craved attention, craved to be able to make something of himself. And this, this was something that he could do. Not Yu, not Naoto, not even Akira.

Stay behind and take out as many Shadows as possible.

It was… overly simplistic. And as Teddie said, they just had to hit the things as hard as they could. He went low. Chie jumped from his shoulder with a harsh kick that sent another Shadow tumbling off the edge. The only problem with the plan was the sheer number of Shadows.

For every one that Yosuke either shoved off the edge or slashed into, two more seemed to take its place. He was forgoing depth and lethality for dragging his knives further. But they were slowly being pushed back.

He blasted another Shadow with a Gurudyne only to have the blast of air shoved back into him, about to cause him to tumble over the edge. And he didn't know how many meters it was down there, but he knew it was far enough he'd be a mess on the pavement.

"Ted!" Chie shouted. The blond boy rushed over and caught Yosuke by the arm, yanking him up. She in turn went for the one that had repelled Yosuke's wind. A back hand pushed one of the thing's arms away before she brought her hand up, fingers extended...

And then punched.

Yosuke was hardly surprised when he saw the Shadow stumble back and then off the edge. Chie was a self-taught martial artist in Jeet Kune Do. He had lost count how many hours, and hours, and hours she watched Martial Arts films and practiced the moves in them. Even her hands were useful weapons to her. He rushed over and yanked Chie out of the way of a sword. He grit his teeth a bit as it caught his shoulder a bit. It wasn't deep, but it wasn't pleasant either.

"Damn it Yosuke! I have it!" Chie shouted.

"Shaddup and save your breath for the fighting!" Yosuke shouted back at her. But that was how their relationship was. They were both hard headed and quick to anger, they were always butting heads, but whenever they weren't… He didn't want to give that up. And it meant he was going to protect her, even if she didn't want it.

"Oooh! You are getting it when this is over!" She snapped out with a high kick. There was a harsh crunch of… something before the Shadow fell backwards and didn't move as it dissolved. Yosuke winced slightly in sympathetic pain. He'd been there.

"Looking forward to it!" Yosuke said as he dug his daggers into another Shadow. And he did. It just meant that they would be there to fight and argue and butt heads again.

"Quit flirting and keep fighting!" Rise said as she cracked what Yu had called a Mara in the side with her baton. It stunned it before she shivered and shoved the thing off. "Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew!"

Not that Yosuke blamed her. He didn't want to touch them either. That particular Shadow looked very similar to… Yeah… Throwing them off the edge would be the best possible solution if possible. Seeing more coming up, he used a Magarudyne to throw them off.

"Thanks Senpai!" Rise called out cheerfully.

"Doing what I can." Yosuke grunted as he felt Chie's buffs run out. Still, he dropped and made himself as small as possible. Just in time to dodge a sword being swung for his head. He sprang back up, almost gutting the Shadow from groin to throat, getting splattered with that brackish fluid.

" **Raaargh!"** It was a baleful howl, filled with murderous rage and hatred. A howl they were all too familiar with

"Shit!" Rise screeched, "Reap-" Boom!

The warning came just a little too late as a round drilled through the Shadows to slam into Chie's shoulder, causing her to spin and blood to splatter out as she dropped.

"Chie!" Yosuke shouted and scrambled to his feet, rushing for his girlfriend. He had to take out a Shadow that got in his way and even Teddie cut one down as they made their way over to her.

"I'm okay." Chie said with a grimace. "I've taken worse." She sat up, but her shoulder looked rough. Yosuke helped her up to her feet, taking a moment to look at it for anything that would keep it from healing. Not seeing anything, Yosuke quickly administered a Diaharan.

They turned to stare down the Reaper that was slowly advancing on their position.

"Do we even have the firepower to take that thing down?" Yosuke asked. He wasn't sure. But if they tried to run, all they'd be doing was taking it right to Yu and the others. And given the fact it floated, Yosuke wasn't certain if they could just toss it off the edge either.

Chie rolled her shoulder before she took her jacket off. She quickly tied it around her waist despite the blood soaking through her light yellow top. "I might just have just the thing." She said. "But it's going to take a lot of luck, and I could use a speed boost Yosuke." She grimaced a bit and Yosuke wasn't certain he wanted to know what she was going to do.

Yosuke nodded his head and quickly cast the ability on her. He was surprised to see Teddie cast his own buff twice. "Keep you going a little longer Chie-chan." Teddie said with a smile. "Yosuke and I will handle the small fry."

Chie gave her own smile and nodded. She bent down a moment to tighten her greaves. At the howl of the Reaper, Chie straightened up. "Raah!" She yelled at it like she was mimicking it in annoyance. She then tore off straight for it. She brought her arms up to block as she charged straight like a bull ignoring the Shadows that were trying to get at her.

"Damn it Chie!" Yosuke said, he didn't want Chie fighting that thing alone! He made to follow her, he hadn't expected her to charge headfirst like that at the Reaper. And he definitely didn't want her getting behind the Shadows that they were trying to push back. It seemed like it was a perfect recipe for disaster.

"Let her go, Yosuke." Teddie said somewhat sharply, already moving to engage the next Shadow. "We have our own issues right now, and if she can take the Reaper, let her. We did the best we could to help her."

Damn it, damn it… "Then let's get through this faster!" Yosuke said and rushed into the next Shadow. He hated that Teddie was right. The usual care he might have had with his knives was abandoned. He stabbed and slashed and stabbed and slashed. But it never seemed enough. A torrent of arrows took out several Shadows as the Reaper lashed out at Chie, but Yosuke could barely see through the mass of Shadows.

But they soon had to forget about the fliers. They were getting swarmed, and even slowly pushed back. Every step he retreated, Yosuke felt himself getting further and further from Chie. A booming blast of energy reminded him of one of Yu's Megidolaoans, and yet the Reaper hadn't turned its attention towards him and Teddie.

"Yosuke!" Rise said, panicking. She was barely holding a Shadow back with her baton, threatening to be pushed off the ledge..

He turned and drove a knife into it deeply, half dragging it off. But the wound didn't seem to do much. Neither did the next one. He took a blow across his chest. Not good, not good. He had hoped to use the bridge to better funnel the enemies, but his team didn't have enough maneuvering room.

"Chie!" Yosuke shouted. "Retreat back to the tower!" He ordered. "Ted! Help me with this damned thing!" Rise was crawling back as he tried to keep the creature at bay.

Teddie turned and blasted it with ice, driving it off the edge before he turned and blocked another Shadow with his claws. "Yosuke! We need to clear a path!" Yosuke could see where Teddie had taken a few licks of his own, his upper thigh bleeding and his pants torn, but he kept fighting on.

Yosuke saw Teddie's Persona card show up and he rushed over. He actually leapt over Teddie and came down to slash through his own card while Teddie cut through his. Immediately, their combination attack started off, with kunai raining down before the inevitable explosion that cleared out the Shadows.

Chie took the chance, driving her foot into the Reaper one last time and knocking it down before running back, making sure to zigzag back and forth. Together, the group of four rushed for the tower, giving them more space. Yosuke knew his plan had failed, that more were going to funnel in.

He saw that Chie looked a little crispy, but not too worse for the wear, though her pants were slightly scorched. He tried to cast a Mediarahan, but found that it fizzled before he could muster the energy for it. "Ted, think you can heal us?" he asked.

The blond tried and shook his head. "Sorry Yosuke, I'm a little tapped." he said.

"Well shit." Yosuke heard the howl of the recovered Reaper and pulled out an energy drink, tossing it to Teddie. He was going to need it. "Looks like things just got a lot harder."

 _Take Your Time_

Naoto slowly eased her revolver down as she watched Yu run off. She tucked it back inside the shoulder holster underneath her coat. She inhaled deeply and exhaled before she took a moment to kneel down and untie her boots. She then tightened the laces and began to tie them again. She didn't want her boots slipping.

"You okay Naoto-kun?" Yukiko asked as she made her way over with Kanji. "It's okay to regret it, but there's really not much-"

"I don't regret my decision." Naoto said with a slight smile. She looked at the raven haired girl as she put the finishing touches on her boots, tugging everything nice and tight. "I don't regret pointing my gun at Senpai, I don't regret telling him to go without me." She said. "But… if I did have a regret, it's that I couldn't go with him. Joker… Akira, he needs Senpai up there with him. I would have liked to go with Senpai, keep him safe, keep him safe from himself." She said. She rose to her feet. "You know, I sort of envy you, Yukiko-senpai." Naoto said, turning to face the older girl.

"Me?" Yukiko asked, surprise etched all over her face.

"Yes. You." Naoto looked briefly to Kanji before upwards. "You have the power to protect and heal those closest to you." Naoto said. She then turned and met Yukiko's eyes. "I can only bring destruction with my Persona. 'I have become Death, Destroyer of Worlds.'" She shook her head a moment. "So I will put those talents to use, buying Senpai and Akira all the time that they could need."

"Well, I ain't got much in the way of protecting people either." Kanji said. "Best I can do is act as a big meat shield." He lifted his plate up a bit. "Don't got much in the way of ranged either, but I suppose I can call some lightning down."

Yukiko shook her head. "Listen to you two." She said, sounding exasperated. "No wonder you two combo together, being as gloomy and pessimistic as you are." She clearly ignored Kanji's sound of indignation. "We _will_ make it through this." She narrowed her eyes at Naoto. "So don't go-"

"Shadows are already here!" Kanji called out.

Naoto turned, drawing her revolver. Six shots rang out and four Shadows dissolved into that black ash that quickly faded away as well. With a practiced hand, she ejected the rounds and slapped in a fresh speedloader. At the same time she slammed her revolver through a card and a block of ice caught another Shadow.

Yukiko turned, sweeping her fan out and embers launched out before exploding. It wasn't quite her Burning Petals, but still watching her set fire to the Shadows before Kanji brought lightning down on them was still impressive.

One survived, landing while still smoldering. It was a poor decision when Kanji rushed over and smashed its face into the ground with a heavy use of his plate. But the onslaught let the fliers know they weren't getting by them without distracting them and so more and more took to landing or trying to use spells from a distance.

Naoto summoned Yamato-Sumeragi once more before using a judicious use of Mumodoon on the fliers. She watched as the shadows seemed to spring out and skewer the Angel like Shadows. There was something ironic about that. One came down for her but Yukiko launched a blast of fire over her shoulder to send it tumbling off.

Naoto dropped to her knees, dodging under another Shadow. She then watched as Kanji rushed over and knocked it down to its knees from a powerful hit from behind. A single shot of her revolver finished it off. Two more shots that whizzed past Yukiko punched through another Shadow that tried to come down with its fist at her.

"Kanji-kun, can you still keep up?" She asked as she turned, taking three more shots and ejecting the rounds once more.

"You know it!" he shouted as he moved behind her. At the dual smashing of their Persona cards, bones erupted from the ground to tear at the various Shadows before an eruption similar to a Megidolaon sounded out.

"Stay close to Yukiko-senpai!" Naoto called out as she hopped backwards to avoid another sword coming for her. She worked quickly to pull out another speedloader, swearing under her breath as she dropped it and had to reach for another. While she could, in theory, have 'infinite' ammo in her pouch since the Shadows didn't know how many she had, she still had to put the speed loaders back in.

She carried five and had just dropped one.

Naoto dropped a Heat Riser on Kanji and then Yukiko. She knew she needed to conserve her energy but there was still work to be done and Yamato-Sumeragi's natural energy regeneration would be enough for her for a time. She dropped a third on herself.

"I'm going to try and give us some breathing room!" She shouted before she dropped a Megidolaon just past the Shadows and just slightly below the platform. The explosion sounded out and she saw cracks forming along the various ramps and even the side of the tower.

Another burst of electricity and fire from Yukiko and Kanji managed to buy them some time from the various enemies around them.

"It's a start." Yukiko said, breathing a bit heavier and slowly getting it under control.

"Second wave will be coming shortly. Kanji-kun, stick with Yukiko-senpai." Naoto said. She inhaled deeply and actually took the custom tailored jacket off. She dropped it on the ground. The brief fight had shown her it was a detriment. And she was getting hot wearing it.

She went to pick up the speedloader she had dropped and decided to hold it in her off hand. She was going to need the extra rounds much faster.

"You were going to say something earlier, Yukiko-senpai." Naoto removed her hat and ran her hand through her hair a moment before she put her hat back on.

"It's nothing." Yukiko said before offering a smile. That smile turned to a frown. "Up above!" she shouted before she waved her fan. Petals began to drift before a fierce explosion of fire made quick work, and once again they were being assaulted.

This time from above and from below.

Naoto for her part was taking to the flying targets. She had felt like her marksmanship had been slipping, letting Akira and the others take point while she and Yu often had to hang back. But she was pleased to note that she could still shoot rather well. And given the power of her revolver, on some of the more 'Angel' looking Shadows she was breaking wings if she could concentrate long enough to fire at the right spot.

There was a grunt from Kanji and Naoto turned her focus over to the blond boy who was staggered slightly. A bad looking welt was forming on his forehead before he crushed his Persona card and a bolt of lightning caught the Shadow. "I'm alright." He said, catching a swing of a sword with a heavy swing of his plate. He followed it up with smashing his forehead into the brow of the Shadow to stagger it.

The Shadows began to move towards Yukiko and Kanji in mass, two of them were forcing the male back. He took a heavy gust of wind and grunted once more. Yukiko barely dodged a blast of ice, spinning slightly and snapping out with her closed fan. While not the most physically gifted of the Investigation Team, getting smacked in the face with a closed fan was still a jarring thing.

Naoto used the opportunity to take the Shadow's head off with her Revolver.

Naoto continued taking shots, or using single target elemental spells while she tried to take stock of the situation. Something had changed. The Shadows were more organized now. One would attack while another was locked with Kanji, only for the process to repeat. Disengage, attack, lock in place. They were trying to get in closer to Yukiko as well. She was using her natural grace to move between them for a time, but there was only so much she was going to be able to do.

Naoto frowned a bit more before she cast a Mamudoon once more. It helped thin the Shadows, but she also dropped a Megidolaon. She was burning through her reserves fast, and it wasn't getting any easier. But the two widespread attacks managed to buy the other two breathing room.

Yukiko cast a quick heal on Kanji who delivered a devastating physical blow with Takeji Zaiten. It almost completely destroyed the Shadow in a single blow. It only took a second blow from kanji himself to break it.

Naoto continued scanning the mass of Shadows, seeing some going upwards regardless. There had to be a sort of commander among them but where…?

"Yukiko!" Kanji shouted, just as the dark haired girl screamed.

Naoto's eyes cut over, revolver coming up to see Yukiko was grabbed from behind and one of the 'Angels' were flying her towards the edge. "Kanji-kun, zap it!" Naoto began to race towards the side.

A powerful singular blast of lightning struck the Shadow as Kanji followed her order without question. Naoto rushed over and managed to catch Yukiko as she dropped, but the force of Yukiko's fall forced the slender girl to her knees and almost sent her tumbling off the edge with Yukiko. Naoto grit her teeth as she held tight to Yukiko's jacket. She tossed her revolver behind her as she reached out and grabbed Yukiko's arm with her other hand. And seeing her speedloaders tumbling out of her pouch, Naoto knew the fight was going to get that much harder.

Rushing footsteps sounded and suddenly strong arms were around her waist, hauling her and Yukiko back up. Kanji half collapsed himself before he picked up the plate and smacked a Shadow that came flying in. "We need to scatter these bastards!" He shouted.

"You alright?" Naoto asked Yukiko.

"Yes, I'll be fine." She stood as quickly as she could and launched another Maragidyne to set fire to a majority of the Shadows. She narrowed her eyes and snapped her fan open. "Burn!" she shouted before she cast Burning Petals and more thoroughly roasted the various Shadows.

Naoto picked up her gun and tucked it into the holster. She didn't know what was going to happen after Yu and Akira beat Yaldabaoth, but she wasn't going to take a chance and leave it lying around. She grabbed the two stiletto knives she had kept since her Reflection, yanking them from the holsters on her wrists.

Definitely not ideal, she had been their long range specialist and now she was out of ammo with the exception of six rounds for her revolver. She gave a grimace. It also didn't help that fighting with knives were not among her repertoire of skills aside from the very basic of the pointy end went into the Shadows.

It also didn't help that, unlike Yosuke's own daggers, the stilettos were more designed for stabbing rather than slashing. It meant that her aim had to be on point.

Naoto used her smaller form to move around Yukiko and Kanji. She watched as the fliers tried to focus on Kanji, but he used his plate to bat them down. He forwent any form of defense and focused purely on offense, planting his feet and swinging as hard as he could to take the Shadows down. Each swing was punctuated by a loud yell. Yukiko moved with more lithe grace, snapping out with smaller fire balls from her fan to more precisely figure out which of the swarm of Shadows were actually weak to fire. Once she was able to figure out which were, she blasted them with fire.

Naoto felt almost… useless as she had to back away from one Shadow that tanked the knife to the shoulder, clearly not at all bothered by the physical damage. She quickly swiped the knife through the tarot card to summon up Yamato-Sumeragi. It did not tank the blast of ice that froze it solid.

Naoto's mind raced, trying to figure out the best way that they could get out of it. But the enemies were numerous, and they didn't hold a good tactical advantage. If they tried to run back down the ramp, there was a good chance they would get knocked off. And staying on the platform was not good, eventually another of the Shadows would try to grab one of them and take them off the platform and-

Her thoughts went scattered with Yukiko's shout. "Kanji!" The largest of them went down, with Yukiko moving to cover him despite the Shadows trying to swarm them.

Naoto grit her teeth before she dropped another Megidolaon, exploding it above the Shadows so that they would get taken out before they could swarm Yukiko and Kanji. She made her way towards her friends, skidding to a slight stop. "He's unconscious!" Yukiko was already rifling through her pack for something to help wake Kanji up.

Naoto looked up and kept casting several of her spells to blast at the Shadows, but she saw one preparing something. She tried to focus fire on it, but three other Shadows took the spells for it. "Down!" she shouted at Yukiko and half forced her down against Kanji's body, trying to put herself over Yukiko.

They needed to keep their Healer going for as long as possible. It was up to Yukiko to keep them going.

Naoto hissed as white hot pain lanced along her back. And she felt the heat of blood spilling down under the vest and her shirt. She got up and cast another Mamudoon. She then felt the pain spike through her head as she also cast her Shield of Justice. IT was only good for one hit, but it would buy Yukiko some precious moments.

Kanji came awake from the smelling salts and quickly climbed up onto his feet. He blasted them all with Lightning. "Naoto!" he shouted at her.

"Right!" Naoto rushed over, bringing a knife through the tarot card as Kanji smashed his own.

The skeletal spikes began to stick out from the platform and walls, lightning arcing between them before the explosion off once more.

Naoto breathed heavily, feeling nauseous and having the coppery taste in her mouth that was familiar with a hard run. But the Shadows kept coming, she tightened her grip on the knives, the leather slick with her sweat.

 _Take Your Time_

Yu wiped his mouth and swished some water in his mouth before spitting it out. He breathed hard for any air. His pulse pounded in his ears and he had a metallic taste in his mouth that went with the taste of bile. He had been running so far, so long, so fast that his body had inevitably fought against him and it left the mess on the tower. It wasn't pleasant and he was taking precious seconds to gain more air in his lungs.

Up a tower. It just had to be up a tower.

He continued running forward. He was glad he was in as good of shape as he was. He could hardly imagine someone like Sojiro making the run. Dojima might have been able to make it, but he probably would have been rasping for air as well.

And none of those thoughts were important.

He pushed his legs to drive him up faster, further. He could feel the familiar ache in his bones, in his muscles. How many times did he push himself like this during his investigation of the TV World? How many times had he pushed himself like this during basketball? He could only recall twice. Once when Kou had needed a good game to pull him out of his funk. The second when Nanako had been taken.

And again he was thinking of things that were unimportant.

Yu gripped his sword and pushed himself harder. He had seen the numbers of Shadows that had been flying towards the top. Naoto and Yosuke had been correct. Even if they could stem the tide of a hundred Shadows, it was a hundred Shadows that Akira didn't have to fight. He had to finish this up. He had to finish the fight before his friends…

He spotted the top and dug deep. He grit his teeth and put every last bit of strength he had into racing to the top. And immediately, he was besieged by a Shadow. In one swift slash, he cut it down. His body felt tired. But if he had just a few moments of Izanagi-no-Okami fixing him up, he'd be right as rain.

But with the mass of Shadows, he couldn't see Akira. The Shadows had swarmed the top and were now throwing bodies at the Phantom Thieves in full. He saw flashes of nuclear, blasts of ice, blasts of lightning, gusts of wind, flashes of fire, but he could not see Akira. "Joker!" he yelled out. He deflected a descending blade and swung through the Shadow. He turned and stabbed through yet another.

"Here!" He saw a red hand shoot up through the Shadows.

Yu dropped his shoulder and charged. He pushed a Shadow that he caught about the midsection as he made his way over towards Akira. He cut the Shadow down before a swipe of his hand sent him to Yoshitsune. "Hassou Tobi!" He barely had to try to connect. The Shadows were trying to swarm him as well.

And his persona cleared a small radius around them of the Shadows, gouges where Yoshitsune's blade dug into the ground they were on. It was getting slick with the brackish blood of the Shadows that tended to remain.

He grabbed Akira and hauled him to his feet before he turned and deflected another blow. "Thanks!" Akira said, looking worse for wear. "Crow and I tried to hit Yaldabaoth with a double Heat Riser Megidolaon." Wait, Akechi was there? "Oracle has my knife, down to one last bullet. Crow has more, but we got swarmed before he could give me a spare mag."

Yu grimaced a bit. Odds were definitely not looking in Akira's favor. "Then, it's time we used that." He said. "It's the only way we're breaking through all these Shadows."

"Shit, that?" Akira asked with a grunt. "That always takes everything I have."

"I'll buy you time. Scientist and Magician stayed behind with the rest of my team to buy me the chance to get here. Let's make it count." Yu had Izanagi-no-Okami to recharge him. "So when you go down, I'm going to need you to recover as quick as you can."

Yu turned, swinging his sword to cut down some of the advancing Shadows. He saw Akira blast them back with a gust of wind to try and shove them away. THe both turned at the same time. Yu swiped through his Persona quickly and he watched as Akira removed his mask with his right hand.

Their left hands clasped up between them.

"Helel!"

"Lucifer!"

"Armageddon/Armageddon!" Their cast of the spell was perfectly in sync. Yu had summoned Helel, his ultimate Persona of the Star while Akira summoned Lucifer. Formerly what Yu used, he instead released it so Akira could use it for this express purpose since Akira didn't have Helel.

Both persona shot up into the air, wings spread before they vanished into brilliant light that went into the clouds above. The clouds began to darken and Yu and Akira both went to their knees. Lightning began to cascade down from above, blasting Shadows in chunks. Yu couldn't help but smile with a grim satisfaction as the Shadows were being destroyed in huge swathes, especially as they rushed in defense of Yaldabaoth, keeping the God protected.

Every new lightning bolt was another couple dozen destroyed. And the lightning even rained down past the top of the tower, streaking at the Shadows below. Because of the nature of the lightning, it didn't follow the rules of normal lighting, striking with pinpoint accuracy. One bolt even shot through the side of the floor and several more followed through to go _inside_ the tower.

The storm lasted for only a minute at most. But when it was over, the skies were finally, finally clear of Shadows.

Yu breathed a bit heavier. He barely swapped over to Izanagi-no-Okami before he pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled slightly but he kept his sword in his hand and forced himself to stay standing as he grit his teeth. He reached down and hauled Akira up by the shoulder.

Akira breathed heavily, wheezing for everything. The fight had been running too long on either of them. "I'm tapped." he said.

Yu nodded and he shrugged his bag off before shoving it into Akira's arms. "Thieves!" He barked out to get the attention of all the Phantom Thieves. "Take Joker, head down the ramp to get out of the line of fire and get him recovered enough to fight." His eyes met with Crow who had stood up from his own fight, ejecting the magazine from the pistol. Rage still built up when Yu thought about Goro Akechi.

Makoto came over and grabbed Akira, though he noted she looked exhausted too. "You sure?" She asked. "A few of us might be able to stay behind…"

"No." Yu said and inhaled. "I can buy some time."

"You shouldn't have to." Akira said.

Yu chuckled a bit and he ran a hand through his silver hair. He then took off the white duster he had been wearing, passing it over to Akira. He was tempted to tear the sleeves off the white long sleeve for mobility, but he quite liked the sweater. "Take your time getting rested." He told his fellow Wild Card. "And remember, sometimes lightning strikes twice." He left Akira to puzzle over that statement while he walked forwards, dropping the duster that would, with luck, stay there under its own weight.

It had been burdening him for a while with his own sins, sins that he might not be able to escape from. He remembered the time in Inaba, where he confronted his Reflection. Now, he no longer felt that weight upon his shoulders.

" **Seeker of the Truth, you cannot defy me."** Yaldabaoth spoke from above.

Yu inhaled a bit. Thing still wasn't lying to him. "Nope. Probably not." Yu said as he continued forward. He saw the others moving towards Akira, even if they paused to look back towards him, they had to know he could handle himself. "I'm just a distraction."

" **If you cannot win, if you know you cannot win, then why persist in fighting? Lay down your sword."**

Yu looked to the sword. The few brief moments of respite that he had since unleashing Armageddon. They told him his body was tired. It was sore. There wasn't a single bone or muscle in his body that wasn't crying out in agony. His chest demanded more air than he had been giving it for so long. His palms were sweaty, his sweater clung to his back with sweat. And briefly, he wondered what the soles of his shoes looked like.

He took a deep inhale, filling his lungs to the point they screamed they were too full before he exhaled deeply. He squared his shoulders and shifted his sword back into his preferred stance. He stepped out slightly with his left foot and he looked up at Yaldabaoth. He gripped his sword a bit better. He heard what sounded like a helicopter and he paused to see a news helicopter actually flying around the skies. Uh… Huh… That was going to be problematic.

"You want to know why I persist in fighting?" Yu asked the God. "Them." He pointed towards the Helicopter. "The people that can't fight for themselves. You want my sword? Then have it! Izanagi-no-Okami!"

His Persona formed beside him in all his splendor. From the long blade with its circular guard to the white duster lined with vivid crimson. Izanagi-no-Okami spun his sword around a moment. The tip came along the ground, sparks kicking up before a bolt of lightning rocked Yaldabaoth.

" **Insolent pest, if that is your decision, then so be it!"** The large God raised its gun, but both Persona and the user were moving. Yu rushed ahead, dipping down into a slide while Izanagi-no-Okami leapt forward and used his blade to knock the barrel of the gun up, if even slightly.

And Yu got to see Yaldabaoth fight. A sword, a gun, a book, and a bell on each arm. Izanami had been just as dangerous, but he tried to stay moving, tried to keep the God's attention away from Akira. He kept throwing out dangerous, powerful spells that rocked the God whether it was a Ziodyne or a Megidolaon. He could hear the chopping of the blades of the helicopter flying ahead, no doubt trying to get an idea who they were, what they were doing.

"The world doesn't need you!" Yu shouted. "They don't need me, they don't need the Phantom Thieves, the world is capable enough of making their own decision. People aren't sheep to be led by a shepherd!" He landed roughly on his shoulder from throwing himself out of the way. He rolled and quickly got to his feet, blasting Yaldabaoth once again. "Yes, there are wrongs in the world, but by attempting to wrestle control from people, to take away their free will, you are only adding to it!"

" **Humanity longs for a God, Seeker of the Truth. Izanami-no-Mikoto knew this,** _ **you**_ **know this. It is inevitable."** The gun came forward and blasted out a loud, booming shot. Yu barely dodged away from it in a desperate attempt.

"Maybe they do." Yu admitted. He grit his teeth and swapped away from Izanagi-no-Okami. A dangerous thing, but he needed to try other things. It was why he went to Beezlebub. "But as long as there are people that refuse your rule, you're clearly not the God that humanity needs. I refuse you, the Phantom Thieves refuse you." He blasted the God with a Blazing Hell.

" **You have fallen, Seeker of the Truth. Your comrades have fallen."** The screens floating around the God showed the signs of his friends, laying down on the ground and not actively moving. Yu wasn't sure if they were dead or not, and it hurt him to see them like that. His heart clenched, wondering if Naoto was still alive.

"It doesn't matter!" Yu said sharply. He wondered how long the screens had been playing. "All you've done is show your infallibility, you're scared of us, scared of the Phantom Thieves. Scared that we can actually beat you! You are giving Humanity hope as they watch us take you on and you cannot finish the job!"

He heard the sound of booted feet coming up and suddenly the sound of a shotgun firing rang out. Ryuji stood next to him as he fired off more rounds. "You're right!" he said, looking to Yu. He could see Ryuji's half cocked grin on his face. "I don't need much to go on, and I make for a good meat tank.' The blond offered.

More booted footsteps followed by automatic gunfire and the sharp clack of heels. Ann and Yusuke had come up as well. And while Ann could probably use a breather, Yusuke was clearly ready to fight like Ryuji was.

"I'll work to slow him down, it might not be much but it should let you hit him with something big, right?" Ann said as she and Hecatate began to move, casting and occasionally snapping out a fire ball.

Haru was next to come up, a grenade sailing over Yu to slam into Yaldabaoth as they began to make their way around. None of them bothered to stay still. The slightest misstep could see them defeated, and they had to gamble for precious moments for Akira. Even Akechi came up, using Loki to throw out a Megidolaon. Soon enough, all of the Phantom Thieves except for Akira were running around, doing what they could to Yaldabaoth. And despite not being Akira, Yu began to bark out orders.

"Crow, form up with Queen and Noir!" Yu said as he dashed to the side "Focus on hitting it as hard as you can!" he said. "Fox, Skull, Panther! Focus on trying to throw its aim off!" he said. "Mona, form up with me!" He rushed over. "Focus on keeping people up! I'll focus on keeping you from being hit!" He immediately took the page from Skull, and proceeded to run with Mona half on his shoulder, his sword held loosely.

" **I will not be denied! Seeker of the Truth, BEGONE!"** The large pistol the God carried in one of its arms rose up and aimed at Yu before it went off with a booming retort.

Yu leapt back, only to watch the ground crack all around him from the round striking it.. His eyes widened as he practically watched as what he was standing on began to collapse. His first thought was Mona. He had to get Mona to the others. "Skull!" he shouted, feet already moving forward. He could feel the rubble sliding backwards and chunks separating. "Catch!"

He then threw Mona as hard as he could, stepping into the throw and trying to follow up with his run. Instinctively, he brought his arms up and braced as a second shot took him square on and stopped his forward momentum. Yu felt his foot come loose and he began to fall backwards, eyes wide as he looked around. He saw Akira coming up to get back into the fight and they both knew Yu was falling.

Arsene shot over the edge, hand outstretched and wings tucked tight against his back while he dove for Yu. And Yu reached out a hand for the Persona, but it was like the chains were holding him back, weighing him down.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira could only watch in horror as Yu began to fall. Time seemed to slow down as he reached out, yelling out. "Fool!" A friend was about to die. And he was powerless to stop it. He couldn't stop it. It would be his fault, all his fault. Something seemed to snap inside Akira. "Arsene!" He shouted, summoning his first Persona and sending it chasing after Yu. But it was like several chains seemed to be holding Arsene back. Akira reached out to grab the chains.

Something was holding him back still. Something was holding back his inner self. And in order to save a friend…

A myriad of images flashed through his mind. Morgana, Makoto, Haru, Yusuke, Sojiro, Ann, Ryuji, Akechi, Futaba, Chihaya, Justine and Caroline, Iwai, Tae, Kawakami, Ohya, Shinya, Hifumi, Mishima, Taronosuke, Sae… Yu. He thought of each of the people that he bonded with in his path, he thought about everything that they had each taught him.

' _Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to hell itself!"_ He remembered the very first words Arsene had told him. He had. He had been chained to Hell from the very beginning. And it was time to break those chains, time to let go. He had found what it was his journey had been about. And it was time to evolve from the Fool.

He gripped the chains and gave a strong yank. And they absolutely _shattered._ Arsene disappeared down the edge and Akira turned to once more face Yaldabaoth. Something was building inside of him, a true self, something so powerful, it could no longer be chained to the path of Hell.

Arsene came shooting back up from his dive, half slinging Yu up onto the roof once more. Akira faced Yaldabaoth and stepped forward as his Persona continued shooting upwards into the clouds. He could see the faint crimson glow on his Persona as he began to walk forward. Lights began to fall down from the darkened clouds overhead from where Arsene had disappeared to.

" **So you have failed to harness the power."** Yaldabaoth's tone was almost mocking.

"It's over." Akira said almost softly. He understood Yu's almost cryptic remark. He hadn't been speaking about actual lightning. He had been talking instead about the spark that had originally summoned Arsene. He could see his friends, winded and tired, barely able to stand. Even Akechi looked worse for wear. "You can't win. At every turn, you have been denied, you have been thwarted." Akira said. And he thought he heard something on the wind, something that was growing louder.

"Go get them Phantom Thieves!"

"Kick his ass!"

"You can do it!"

Akira closed his eyes a moment and reached up to his mask, the typical motion when he summoned a Persona. He crushed it in his hand, blue flames erupting around his glove for a moment.

" **No matter how many prayers the foolish masses send your way-"** Thunder erupted and lighting cackled in the clouds above. They darkened with the coming storm.

"What the-?" Ann asked, looking up. The others quickly followed her example

He knew what was up there already. He had already seen it before. He didn't need to see the massive form of Satanael slowly descending from the darkened clouds but he took it in anyway. He knew the impressive sight it made with massive horns jutting forward, and a vivid crimson sash across a chest decorated with darkened silver plates. Six massive wings jutted out, spreading wide and sending gusts of wind over them all.

"Holy shit!" Ryuji said.

"Is that a Persona?!" Futaba asked loudly, goggles up to look at the massive form.

" _ **I am Thou, Thou art I! Thy bonds have become the Wings of Rebellion and break the yoke upon Thine Heart! Go forth and declare my name! My Power is yours to use as you see fit, Trickster!"**_ Satanael spoke from his place.

Akira felt full. He felt full of energy. He turned around and gave a sharp snap of his fingers. Healing light began to rain upon his friends letting all of them go from having been hurt and injured, to being able to stand up a little straighter, a little less in pain. A little less fatigue in their forms.

" **Fools! This is why man is doomed!"** Akira watched as a black orb formed at Yaldabaoth's chest before it rained the sort of black and red tinted ichor that made the shadows upon the Phantom Thieves. Akira didn't bother trying to block, only stepping forward. It fell off of all of them to no effect. " **Impossible!"** It was… amusing to hear the God's disbelief.

Akira drew his gun. A gun he had gotten from another version of him that had sided with the God. He looked up as he held the gun up. A gun with a single shot in it. He could feel the movement of his Persona behind him, drawing its own gun and breaking the barrel open to load it. It had a gun similar to a Thompson Contender hunting pistol. It could be fitted with a longer rifle and stock, but it was intended as a powerful single shot pistol. Another blast from Yaldabaoth didn't even rock him. Was this what Yu felt like at every turn? Akira wasn't certain.

"Begone." Akira told Yaldabaoth. He turned his gaze upwards towards the God more as the gun was raised up past him. "Satanael!" He called out.

" **You would dare deny the people their-"**

Akira's gun went off, a quieter sound compared to the massive boom that was caused by Satanael's shot. The clouds parted as the round tore through the head of the God before continuing on for some time.

Yaldabaoth was quiet for a time. " **What… Power…"** It began to fade away before disappearing into a cloud of gold sparkles.

"Look!" Ann called out.

Akira glanced up as a large cup formed and began to descend.

"Ain't that a treasure?" Ryuji asked excited.

Akira chuckled a little bit at that. He heard footsteps coming up from behind him and he turned to spot Yu bending down to pick his coat up. "Glad you're in one piece." HE said to the other Wild Card.

"Nice catch." Yu said simply, looking to the golden cup as Morgana began to approach it. "The rush will go away." He said. "The sort of infinite power and invincibility, that fades. Though, I'd be willing to bet you're going to be as hard as I am to put down permanently." Yu said, glancing back to Satanael that was still floating there before dispersing into blue embers.

"Morgana!" Akira turned his attention as the golden cup began to glow brightly. Haru's cry was definitely pulling him away from thoughts of Akechi.

"Bye guys, it's time I went home." Morgana said. A bright flash of light and they were suddenly on the ground, waist deep in crimson fluid

"The Hell?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Naoto!" Yu rushed past Akira and lifted his girlfriend up who had been in the water. All of the Investigation Team looked like they had just walked through Hell. They all sported cuts, burns, bruises, and Akira was moving over. Makoto and Ann were moving over as well to heal. But Yu beat them to it with a quick use of Salvation, something he used twice just to be on the safe side.

Then the red fluid shattered like glass, catching everyone by surprise. Yu moved to keep Naoto from getting hurt, but the substance ended up just turning into dust that began to drift off. The clouds began to part once more to show the blue skies above, and for once Akira was glad to see them, the feel the heat of the sun starting to come down on him. It almost hurt his eyes.

The large jutting bones that dominated the skyscape began to disappear as well and lights began to fade off of everything.

"Why is-?" Ann started.

"The Whole world is a product of Cognition." Morgana said. "Not just the Metaverse." He sounded happy. "It can be free re-made. The same goes for you and everyone else." They turned towards Morgana to see him glowing.

"Dude, Mona-" Ryuji started.

"Mona-chan!" They moved to get over to him. Akira definitely didn't like the idea of his little buddy disappearing. He reached for him but was yanked back as a bolt of energy cleaved through the concrete.

Morgana began to look around. "Soon a new world will come." He said "One where Mankind isn't held captive. The world will shine brightly as long as you hold hope in your hearts."

"But what will happen to you?!" Makoto asked.

"Damn it Morgana, we're not letting go of you!" Akira held his hand out towards the now floating cat.

"Remember, there is no such thing as the 'real world.' What each person sees and feels, those are what shape reality. This is what gives the world infinite potential. Even if you feel only darkness is ahead, as long as you see it through together, the world will never end." Morgana slowly drifted out of sight and Akira lowered his hand, clenching his fist tightly. It wasn't right!

And as he glanced around as the glowing light died down, he saw that all the Phantom Thieves were back in their day to day clothes. Akechi was nowhere to be seen either, probably having slipped off while they were all busy.

"Models!" Yu hissed as he and Naoto clambered to their feet. The various members of the Investigation Team and Phantom Thieves were quick to realize what he was talking about and quickly tried to get their weapons put away.

Unfortunately, they weren't quite quick enough. A police officer made his way over towards them. "Hey what are-?" He started.

Yu cut him off. "I'm super sorry officer." He even offered a bow. "I'm in charge of transporting props for a play the drama club is working on for Tokyo University. I asked a few friends to help, but some of us took a nasty spill. We're trying to get them put away as quickly as possible so as not to cause a fuss."

"Yeah, sorry, clumsy feet." Chie said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "I'm pretty uncoordinated outside of martial arts and when I started going down, I just reached for the nearest person."

The officer gave them something of a stink eye for a while, looking over each of them before he settled on Yu once more. Akira was worried. Chie had offered more information than they needed to offer. IT was something Yu had taught him, don't get too deep into the lie. The more layers there were, the harder it was to remember everything. But finally, the officer shook his head. "Get them put away." he said rather gruffly. "And stick together. We had a prisoner escape and he killed a number of officers. Get where you're going and then get home." He said.

"Of course Officer." Makoto said offering her own bow. And soon everyone gathered their things up, put them away and made their way to a secluded alleyway. And everyone noticed as snow began to fall slowly, drifting down from the sky.

Akira was in thought when he felt a hand against his shoulder. He glanced up to see Yu looking at him. "Stop thinking about it." The older teen said. "Akechi made his own decision."

Akira sighed. "Yeah." He said nodding his head. "He did. I just wish it didn't have to be like that."

"Oh shoot!" Ryuji said. "Christmas is tomorrow!" Several heads turned to look at him. "I gotta jet, I forgot to get my mom somethin'!" He took off running and there were some bemused looks.

"I guess we'll find out about Shido soon enough." Yusuke said. "Hmm… I think some Taiyaki would be quite delicious right now." He began to walk off.

"It's been fun Senpai, but I think I'm going to head off." Rise said. "I got a hotel room thankfully, and I need a nap."

"We'll head out too." Kanji said, motioning to Yukiko.

"Thanks guys." Yu said, holding a hand out.

Yosuke caught the outstretched hand and gave a grin. "Anytime partner. Maybe next time will be less crazy." He said as he began to walk off with Chie as well.

Rise sighed and shook her head. "Come on Teddie. No one should be alone on Christmas Eve." she said and began to lead the blond boy.

"Does this mean-?" He asked, sounding excited.

"Of course not!" Rise said rather firmly. "You just get the honor of escorting an Idol." She said playfully, not at all meaning it in the slightest.

Futaba chuckled. "I should probably get home to Sojiro." She said and winced. "But he's going to be mad if I get home myself.' she said. She looked to Akira hopefully.

He was about to answer and say that he'd escort her home when he was beaten to the punch. "I'll take you home Futaba-chan." Haru said. "I'm in the mood for some curry and Boss' coffee." She looked over to Akira and offered a smile before she began to lead Futaba away to a discussion of curry.

Ann glanced at her watch and sighed. "Ugh… I have a shoot tomorrow." She said. "I really should get going and try to get some sleep myself. I'm exhausted." She began to walk off as well.

Akira felt his lips quirk into a slight smile. He looked to Makoto and then to Naoto and Yu. "Think we pulled it off?" he asked, his smile turning to a slight frown.

"Well, no one is talking about the tower. Or seeing our battle." Naoto offered. "You haven't been recognized. I think whatever it was that we did, it may have erased the memories of anyone that bore witness to it that doesn't have a Persona." The sleuth gave a grimace. "It's the best hypothesis that I have, and I dislike how weak it is." She added.

Akira nodded his head a moment. "It's better than nothing." He sighed softly. He looked to the other pair a moment. "Thanks. Both of you." He said. "This journey has been…" He shook his head slightly.

Yu shook his head. "Don't mention it." The silver haired teen offered a slight smile. "You guys helped Naoto and I as well. Now cheer up, it's Christmas." He said. "And personally, I think I'd like to stop by a store, grab a small cake, and enjoy it." He said. He shouldered his bag a bit better. "And I'd like to get away from this square more before I get caught in my lie."

Akira nodded his head and he watched as Naoto and Yu began to walk off. He hoped their Christmas was a good one.

He turned to face Makoto and was about to suggest something when another voice caught up to them. "Makoto, and Kurusu-san." Akira turned to see Sae walking up, looking a bit frazzled. "I wasn't expecting to see you, I mean I had hoped but…" She shook her head and composed herself. "I don't even know where to begin with what I just saw." She said. "All that red liquid, the battle… and now everything is…" She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head once more. It was a little surprising that she remembered the battle. Akira wondered briefly if it was the people he shared a close bond with. He'd have to ask Sojiro if he remembered anything. "Kurusu-san, might I speak with you?" She asked, brushing some hair back behind an ear.

Akira looked to the Prosecutor a while and nodded his head. He looked to Makoto and offered a smile. "I'll catch up later." He said. He stepped forward and with Sae began to walk a ways away from Makoto.

Sae turned to face Akira once she was sure that Makoto couldn't quite see them. She took a moment. "Akechi escaped. Can I assume that you don't know where he is?" she asked in a low tone. Technically, she could get into a lot of trouble for bringing it up with a civilian.

Akira shook his head. "No. He came, and left before things returned to normal. Sorry." He said. And he meant it.

Sae inhaled and nodded her head. "Damn." She muttered. "Then I don't have much of a choice." Sae looked up to Akira with sharp eyes. "We don't have a case against Shido. He confessed to his many crimes, but without a correlation between the Mental Breakdowns and the Metaverse, we're sunk." She said. "Akechi was a key witness. I was sure that eventually he would give something up on Shido, but without him…" She shook her head. "I need you to be a witness. But it would get out what you've done, the police and prosecutor's office won't let you be a hero. They'll attack at your past record as well. 'Gross Misconduct' they'll call it. You'll end up going back to a detention center, and in solitary confinement. If they get at least you, I can make sure they won't go after the rest of your team and fabricate evidence."

Akira nodded his head. Somehow, he knew that it would come down to this. Somehow, in the back of his mind, he had always known that eventually he would have to give himself up. Perhaps it was the Reflection of himself that had given him Satanael, perhaps that had been when he knew. He inhaled and looked around a moment, looked at the world that was better off thanks to his efforts. "Huh… I've always prided myself on trying to do the right thing." Akira said. "Almost a year ago, I think I stopped a young woman from being raped by Shido. Back in April, I had gone after Kamoshida because a girl had been raped." He turned to Sae properly.

"I just stopped the embodiment of humanity's subconscious from taking over because it was the right thing to do." Akira looked to Sae, watching as she took everything in. "And now, you're telling me my reward for all of that is a cell huh?"

"That's right." Sae at least had the manners to look apologetic about it.

Akira ran a hand through his hair. "Fine." He said. "I'll do it. I'll turn myself in."

He could see the surprise in the older woman's face, before a slight smile crossed her lips that was underscored with sadness. "I had a feeling that would be your answer." She said softly. "Thank you. I'll try to keep you from being in solitary." She said. "No one deserves to be treated like that."

Akira shook his head. "Don't bother." He said. He could see the surprise that colored her face. "It'll keep me safe, so don't worry about it. Better alone where I don't have to worry about anyone." Sorta, but Akira had already taken one ass beating in jail.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry it has come to this." Sae said. "Shall we go then?"

Akira shook his head. "Not yet. It's Christmas Eve." He said. He glanced over his shoulder where he saw Makoto. "I'd be a bad boyfriend if I stood your sister up on Christmas Eve. See you tomorrow Sae-san."

"B-boyfriend?" Sae asked, sounding surprised, but Akira was already walking towards Makoto.

The conversation had certainly put a damper on his mood for Christmas. That and losing Morgana. And tomorrow he would have to turn himself in. Or else he and his team would be inevitably arrested. He was about to pull his glasses from his pocket before he tucked them away and kept them away. He didn't care to try and look non threatening anymore.

It didn't help.

"Akira-kun?" Makoto asked, tilting her head just slightly.

"It's nothing. Want to walk about Shibuya square, maybe do some window shopping?" Akira asked with a smile. "I have some spare money, and Yu's idea of a small cake and spending Christmas eve with my girlfriend sounds wonderful." It was the closest to normal that Akira had gotten since he had gotten to Shibuya.

Makoto blushed brightly but nodded her head. "It never stops making my heart flutter when you call me that." Makoto admitted softly.

Akira smiled a little bit at that. "Well, I'm glad you enjoy it." He said softly.

Together they walked about Shibuya Square, talking about nothing. Mostly it was school, but considering Akira was still the top ranked student of his year, there was nothing to worry about there. And Makoto did well enough that she was easily in the top five of her year.

Akira thought he might have seen Naoto squeak by her by a few points on the exams.

They got back to Le Blanc just after eight and headed right up to Akira's room. He moved over to the heater and turned it up a little bit, checking the kerosene levels at the same time. It would do fine. He then got out the card table they had used while using his place as a base of operations and set it up in front of his couch.

"Might not be much, but it'll do." he said as he set the cake down on the table. "I'll go make us some coffee too."

Akira headed down the stairs and made some quick coffee. He was just warming up the last thermos of coffee he had, but it would be more than enough for them. He took it back upstairs once it was at a nice hot temperature. He smiled as he spotted Makoto removing her coat and taking the chance to cut the cake.

"So, we're finally alone together." Makoto said with a smile as she sat down. "What should we do?" she asked. "This isn't any different than usual… is it?"

Akira chuckled and sat down with her. He set a mug of coffee in front of her. "You make every moment special Makoto." He said.

He saw her face flush and she turned away. "How can you say that with a straight face?" She asked. Someone might take her for being indignant, but Akira could hear the amusement in her tone.

"I can because I mean it." Akira said. He smiled a little bit at the other girl.

"I don't think it's fair." Makoto said, taking a sip of the coffee. "You're sitting there teasing me while I'm drinking coffee, my heart rate is accelerating rather unfairly."

"And it's not due to me being my usual charming self? You know, your boyfriend?" Akira was amused by Makoto's comment.

"Not in the slightest." Makoto said, trying to keep a straight face but Akira could see the way her lips pulled upwards slightly.

"Well, my heart is beating a bit rapidly too." Akira admitted. "It usually does whenever I'm around you. You're this amazing woman with dreams and ambitions, the world is just ripe for your taking." He took a drink of his own coffee.

He saw Makoto flush again and she tried to hide it by eating a large piece of the cake. But Akira took the time to savor it. He didn't know when, or if, he would see Makoto again after tomorrow. He wanted as many memories of her blushing and smiling as he could get.

"Oh, right." Makoto reached into her bag and produced a small box. "It might not be much, and I didn't really know what to get you…" She said.

Akira accepted the box and opened it to see the watch inside. It was similar to what Yu wore, professional looking and done with a black band. "Thank you." He said gratefully. He reached over and set it on the work table he had. He stood up and went over to his shelves to grab a small item he had stashed away, bringing it back. "I managed to get something for everyone while I was laying low. Here." He passed over the present.

Makoto tilted her head and opened it up, pausing a moment. "This is... " She said, gasping softly. "You got me a signed copy of the manga I was reading while I was following you around?" she asked as she opened the cover.

"That's right." Akira said and sat down once more. "Went out on a limb and figured it was a favorite based on the well worn spine."

"You remember the strangest of things." Makoto said, placing the lid back on the case. "Thank you though." She said with a smile. "It means you pay attention to me."

"Always." Akira said, taking in his girlfriend for a time.

"I… I don't mean to change the subject suddenly," Makoto started. "But Sis is in charge of the Shido case and she's hit a wall… Not sure what, but all she's told me is she's having a hard time getting people to testify." She closed her eyes. "I trust Sis, and I know she'll do her job to the best of her ability… But it's scary not knowing what comes next." She said.

Akira looked down to his coffee a moment, looking into it. He had to turn himself in to keep his friends safe. Makoto especially. But his girlfriend had apparently taken that moment to open her eyes and had spotted his contemplative silence. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Akira inhaled a bit. "I'm sorry." he said softly, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, sounding confused. She looked away at his silence and shook her head a moment. "I-I'm sorry for bringing up such a strange topic, on Christmas Eve no less…" She said. "I'll be going now." She stood up, brushing some hair back as she did so.

Akira was about to let her go when he reached out and took her wrist. "Hey… please…" He said softly as she turned to look at him. "Stay for the night. There's something I need to tell you." He said. He could see the surprise on her face, he was after all asking her to stay the night. But having her there might help him find the strength to do what he needed to do.

Makoto frowned as she contemplated things before she sat down. "Okay." she said softly.

Akira took her hand in his again, enjoying the simple action. He gently brushed his thumb over the back of her hand. "Sae-san… asked me to testify." Akira said.

"What?" Makoto asked quietly.

"Without Akechi or anyone else to testify, Shido doesn't go down. She asked me to testify." He'd keep the fact he was protecting his team out of it. "The police already got my fingerprints, got my picture, I kept them from getting my name… But… I'm a known quantity to them." Akira said. "If I go to testify, I'm going to get slapped with Gross Misconduct while on probation. But… it's the only way to guarantee that Shido goes down. It's the only answer I have…"

"There has to be another way!" Makoto said rather loudly.

Akira shook his head. "There isn't. And that's okay, I've already readied myself to the best of my abilities for this." He said and offered Makoto a strained smile. "After all, I'll have you here tonight to give me strength." Sometimes doing the right thing wasn't doing the right thing, and he could see the pain on Makoto's face. But he didn't want her to find out after he had already gone to the police station.

"This isn't fair." Makoto said, but was clearly resigning herself to his decision.

"No, not it isn't." Akira said. "So please, just stay, and talk to me about anything or nothing." he said.

Makoto nodded her head and wiped at the tears forming in her eyes. "Okay." She said softly.

Chapter End

 **A/N: Hooh boy. This is late. Sorry, super super sorry! Work has been crazy, video games have been crazy. I'm trying to diet and exercise to get in a semblance of shape and have little energy to actually do things.**

 **I decided to finish things up in one fell swoop instead of dragging this out for another chapter. Next chapter we still have stuff for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. I estimate another five~ish chapters and I'm hoping to have everything wrapped up by May.**

 **Enjoy, and look forward to Royals, I certainly am.**


	53. Chapter 52: Complications

Chapter 52: Complications

Yu walked with Naoto away from Shibuya square, making their way towards central street and his home a little ways away. He knew they both ached something fiercely. All the running and the day's events had worn on them. And thankfully, as he remembered, they had gotten the cake to share the day before. Neither of them had known how busy they were going to be though, so it made things a bit easier.

"I think this might be the first time I just sleep." Yu said. He had never really felt the exhaustion others did with Mementos and the Metaverse, but now it was like he was ready to sleep for a few days.

"Mm. I think I will join you with that." Naoto said softly. "Though I will likely have to report to the Police Prefecture tomorrow." She said, giving a soft sound of annoyance. Not that he blamed her for that. Naoto got cranky when she was tired.

"How's your shoulder?" Yu asked. Her coat was hiding the cut along her shoulder she had taken, but only barely. Without it, someone would be able to see where the blue top had been cut open.

"Healed, thanks to you." Naoto said. Truly, Salvation was a good thing to have.

Yu paused a moment, almost pulling Naoto to a stop. "I feel like we're being followed." He said, his hand dipping into his duffle bag and grabbing the hilt of his sword. He wasn't about to be attacked because he was caught with his pants down. He and Naoto both turned to look down the street a moment, both of them tense. "Come on out." He said sharply.

Only to see Morgana padding up to them.

"Morgana?" Naoto asked, bending down. "But we thought- Why didn't you go with Akira?" She asked.

"Well… it's embarrassing but after such a heartfelt goodbye, I really thought I was going to disappear." The cat said. "And by the time I made the idea to go after Akira, I couldn't find him, but I spotted you two heading for the train station. Do you think I can at least stay the night?"

Yu sighed and settled down. He took his hand from his duffle bag. "Yeah, yeah." He bent down and picked up Morgana, he tucked the cat into his duffle bag.

"Ooh… much more room than Akira's bag. Though, I could definitely do without the sword." He said, poking his head out.

Yu shook his head. "Just do me a favor, don't look around the house too much." He said. "I'd rather not my folks asking me why there's cat hair everywhere."

"And my room still contains sensitive police information, so off limits." Naoto said. She tugged her cap down a bit more on her head, shaking her head. "We'll take you back tomorrow." she said.

Yu gave a murmur of his own assent. That was a good idea. But as they began to come up to his home, Yu actually drew up short once more. He blinked a moment, and he saw Naoto pause and follow his gaze to the carport beside his home.

Where another car was sitting, blocking in his motorcycle and his parents' car.

Yu's footsteps quickened as he made long strides towards his house. Who could be there at this time? He grabbed his keyes and he watched as Naoto moved to match his stride. His keys jangled as he brought them up to unlock the door, pushing it open loudly.

"Yu!" He was suddenly seized about by his biceps and pulled in closer. "You're not hurt are you?" The female voice demanded, half shaking him. "We saw you fall! You were fighting with a sword and- and... And Naoto-san, are you alright?" Yu could only blink as the frantic figure moved past him to grab Naoto. "You were fighting too! You got injured! There was so much blood!"

And when Yu spoke, it was with no small amount of disbelief. "M-Mom?" He asked, baffled and dumbfounded. His parents shouldn't have been back until March.

And it was probably his statement that kept Naoto from throwing his mother to the wall and pinning her.

"Mom?" Morgana echoed at the same time that Naoto did poking his head out of his bag, both sleuth and cat looking at the woman that had given birth to Yu Narukami.

"Wahh! Talking cat… Monster… thing!"

"Mom!" Yu finally yelled to get his mother's attention. "The Hell?! I have so many questions right now!"

.That seemed to actually get the woman to stop and let Yu take a good look at her. Maaya Narukami was a woman of a bit taller stature, actually being close to Ann's height. Her dark hair was pulled into a braid that hung over one shoulder. She had on a pair of thin wire frame glasses done in a nice metallic blue that had a pair of sharp blue eyes that were looking to Yu. She was slender and still looked to be dressed in her business suit, or at least most of it. The blazer was missing from the pantsuit, leaving her in a white blouse tucked into and a pair of charcoal gray slacks. There was no makeup, and his mother's eyes looked red and puffy like she had been crying and he could see the starting wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes.

" _You_ have questions?" His mother asked sharply. " _I_ have more questions I imagine, starting with why _you_ were fighting for your life?!"

Yu recoiled a bit, reminded that his mother _had_ somehow seen that fight, as _impossible_ as that sounded. He ran a hand over his face a moment. He locked eyes with Naoto for a moment. "Coffee?" he asked.

"Coffee." She said, nodding her head.

"Coffee…" Yu turned away from his mother to go and start the coffee.

"Yu!" His mother was clearly not intending for him to get away.

"Mom, with all due respect, sit down, shut up and let me get some coffee." Yu said a bit snappishly at his mother. He could see her recoil in surprise at his comment. "I have been fighting since about nine this morning, running and fighting, I am exhausted."

"Yu, quit snapping at your mother. Maaya, let him be." Yu turned to see his father coming in from his bedroom. "But we _will_ be having this conversation Yu." The older man said.

Jouji Narukami was just a bit shorter than Yu, a product of a bad case of scoliosis. He still had the same broad shoulders and his silver hair was cropped short. Yu thought the moustache looked ridiculous. And his father had a pair of sharp gray eyes that matched Yu's. His father was dressed in a plain brown suit, the blazer off. No doubt his father had been in the middle of changing clothes when he heard him and his mother speaking rather loudly.

Yu headed into the kitchen and quickly began to brew coffee. He prepared Naoto's just the way she wanted it, black with sugar. His own he had plain black and bitter. His mother got creamer with a hint of chocolate syrup and his father also got black. He brought the coffee out and began to set them around the kotatsu.

He and Naoto sat on one side of the kotatsu away from his parents. "So?" His mother asked a bit impatiently. And in unison, both he and his father gave a sigh.

"That's… disconcerting." Naoto said, looking between the two Narukami males for a moment, no doubt seeing the similarities.

"Alright, before we get into this story, can you two explain a few things for me?" Yu asked. "You said you shouldn't be back before the first week of March. It's Christmas." Two months ahead of schedule.

"We're only here for the week." Jouji said, heading off his wife. "The company we're doing work for in San Francisco is closed until the new year. We decided to come back and see if we couldn't spend Christmas with you."

Yu nodded his head and took a sip of his coffee. It made a certain amount of sense. "How much did you see?" he asked.

"We saw you racing up the tower. We saw Naoto-san fighting. We saw. You. Fall." Maaya said, looking sharply at Yu. "The TV suddenly snapped on to show you guys fighting, we had no idea what was going on." Her features softened. "I thought I lost you Yu." she said softly.

"More reason to thank Akira for the save." Yu said and sighed. He looked to Naoto a moment, just taking in her stoic quiet for a while. "I take it you didn't see it happen either, did you?" He asked her.

"No." Naoto said, her fingers tightening just slightly on the mug. No doubt she wasn't thrilled to be hearing that Yu had almost died. And there would have been no saving him had he hit the concrete.

Yu inhaled deeply and took a drink of his coffee. He leaned back a bit onto his heels, thinking about it for a long time and trying to figure out how in Hell he was supposed to explain things to his parents. All he had wanted to do was spend Christmas alone with Naoto. Now he had to explain to his parents and deal with Morgana who he had thought just disappeared not that long ago.

"Yu," He looked up to his father. "I realize that your mother and I have been rather… distant parents all your life." Yu was surprised to see his father even had the grace to look a bit embarrassed at that. "But we do love you, and we're worried about you." Yu was about to say something but his father cut him off. "Yu, you've already made it painfully obvious that we haven't been there as much as we should have been." Jouji Narukami shook his head a moment. "You came back from Inaba, glowing and radiating and talking nonstop about your friends, about your time there with your Uncle Ryutaro, about your Cousin Nanako, even about Shirogane-san sitting beside you. I am painfully aware that I may not have been the closest or most loving of parents, but I have listened. Please, don't punish us for being concerned. We just want to know what we saw."

"The Collective Unconscious Wish of Humanity twisted into a God of Control." Naoto said as she lowered her coffee mug.

"Not what I'd start with." Yu said with a slight grimace. "But, she's right." He looked to his parents, inhaling a bit. "When I went to Inaba, I was drawn into a fight that has been going on longer than I want to know about. It was an experiment by… something that called herself a Goddess. She granted the power to traverse into a different world and show another facet of themselves to three men." He shared a look with Naoto who nodded and stood up.

He watched his parents follow his girlfriend as she walked over to the TV and stuck her hand through the surface, making it ripple like water.

"For whatever reason, I can't traverse over by myself anymore. Or maybe I can, I don't know, I haven't tried in a while." Yu said. "But in Inaba, I forged bonds that can't be broken, fighting alongside my friends and trying to get to the truth of the matter of what was going on. Three people died in pursuit of that truth."

Yu's mother nodded her head. "Ryutaro mentioned the murder case. He said you seemed tense about it going on, but didn't seem to let it get to you and tried to be a normal high school student."

"Yes, his partner was the one that perpetrated those crimes." Yu's father said.

"He was pushing people through the TV." Yu said as Naoto came and sat back down. "Every time the fog lifted in the TV world, the denizens got more ferocious. And they killed two of the people. The third was a copycat that almost threw us off the scent." Indeed, had it not been for Naoto's act, Adachi may have gotten away with it. "When I found out about what was happening, there was no way that I could just sit back and watch it happen." Yu closed his eyes a moment. "Originally it was me, Yosuke, Chie, and Teddie. Yukiko was added shortly after, then Kanji, then Rise, then Naoto here." He turned to look at his girlfriend. "I was under some suspicion by Uncle Ryutaro, but that was to be expected. When I came back… I was happy, more happy than I think I had ever been. I had friends, I had a girlfriend, and I had done good work. I kept that damned fog from spilling from the TV world, I kept it from consuming Inaba and turning everyone into Shadows or having Shadows attack everyone, I don't know." Yu shook his head a moment.

"Then he stayed here." Naoto said softly.

"I… Don't understand Shirogane-san." Yu's father said, confused. His parents had clearly been paying attention and listening but it was such a drastic change that they couldn't quite keep up.

Yu sighed softly. "The Power I was granted by Izanami was called Persona. As I said earlier, it is another side of you, maybe the truest side of you. But I, unlike my friends, was given the power of the Wild Card. I wasn't limited to just one Persona. I had many, dozens. Innocent little creatures that just wanted to help, noble warriors that acted like a bulwark for my team… And monstrous murderous things that wanted nothing but the chance to kill and destroy. They were all _me_ but after coming back here, I could no longer express those parts of myself. And it was killing me, it was slowly eating away at me as I stayed here in Shibuya, away from my friends, unable to express these newfound sides of myself." Yu closed his eyes for a moment as he bared all to his parents.

He took a moment and shrugged out of the jacket he was still wearing. He lifted the sweater he had on and tossed it to the side. He opened his eyes to see the surprise on his parents' faces. "I risked everything in Inaba and I became someone to so many people. I was a friend, a mentor, a confidant, a leader, a boyfriend." He motioned to Naoto. "That's what Naoto means when she says then I stayed here. I stopped being _me._ The real me, the real me represented by my Persona. My truest Persona, Izanagi-no-Okami. And no, I didn't name him that. The name just pops into your head."

"Mine is Yamato-Sumeragi, the epitaph for all the Emperors of Japan. The names are often ostentatious, pretentious even. Akira's was Satanael, the original Rebel against God." Naoto supplied. "And all of that is only the background."

"I can only imagine how crazy it all sounds too." Yu said, shaking his head. "The repressed sides of people, their true feelings, a God of Control manifested by people's desire to just give everything up? Fighting against all of that? Risking all because of that? I'm only twenty and I've seen more combat than some veterans of the JSDF. I have more combat experience than Uncle Ryutaro and he's SAT trained. And I find out, I find out that everything I'm capable of… it just wasn't enough to beat the God of Control. And to further add to my plate, my parents witnessed me fighting." Yu lightly punched the ground beside him. "I can't even begin to understand the hell is going on and normalcy passed me up almost three years ago now."

"Yu…" His mother spoke softly, her gaze soft. But there were no words that could be offered between Yu and his parents. He had drifted so far away from them. They were career professionals that helped set up any number of business deals. Yu had strayed from the path of going for an office job and had been away from it for a long time.

His father inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly. He took a large drink of coffee, clearly gathering his thoughts before he set the cup down. "Is it over?" He asked. And there was where Yu got it from, a sort of practicality that took the impossible and looked for the concrete.

"Should be." Yu said. "Shido won't be elected, Yaldabaoth is defeated. Izanami was beaten years ago." So it should all be over.

"Then what do you plan to do now son?" His father asked. "What's your plans for the future?"

Yu glanced for a moment to Naoto. They had talked about that very discussion several times, but it seemed that the chance to talk to his parents about it had come much faster than he had anticipated. He turned to gaze back to his father. "I plan to move back to Inaba." He said. "I'll stay with either Naoto or Uncle Ryutaro." He said. "I can get a job either at Junes or the hospital I worked at before, that'll let me pull my weight again. Plus Nanako is still too young to be really cooking. I'll be taking online courses for teaching. I don't know if I'll teach at Yasogami High or not, but I want to be teaching. I want to have a stable home life where I'm not having to travel constantly." Yu said.

He had questioned it after Naoto had been shot, but further discussions with his girlfriend had confirmed that they would both like that stability.

"I want to be there for my friends, I don't want to neglect my girlfriend anymore." Yu said. And he had saved enough to act as a nest egg for a little bit if living with Dojima or Naoto didn't work out.

"You love her then?" Yu's father asked neutrally.

"It was the hardest thing to do to leave her behind today." Yu said, nodding softly. "And even if we don't work out, I'll still be proud to call her friend."

"And you Shirogane-san?" Yu's father turned his attention to Naoto.

"Senpai… He… He means the world to me." Naoto admitted, blushing and gazing down. But she raised her eyes and let them bore into Jouji Narukami. "My life has been better and brighter for knowing Yu Narukami, and having his love, especially when others sought the same, it brings more joy to me than I know how to put into words. That he has stood by my side through all the issues we have faced as a couple, I can confidently say that I love him."

His father nodded a moment and looked to Yu for awhile longer. "I know you don't need it, but you have my blessing with your plans." He said.

"Jouji!" Yu's mother said loudly, turning to her husband.

"He looks at Shirogane-san the same way I look at you Maaya. Like there's nothing else. And if we tried to keep him here, we'd be losing our son. At least this way, Ryutaro can keep an eye on him and help him if he needs it." Yu's father said.

Yu's mother opened her mouth before closing it and sighing softly, shaking her head. "For the record, I don't like it." She said. Yu went to try and allay his mother's worries, but she cut him off. "I'm your mother." She said with a wry grin. "I'm always going to be worried about you. Always. Just make sure to come visit as often as you can."

Yu nodded his head at that. "I can manage that." He said. He'd make the time when his parents were in Shibuya, just as he should have made the time for everyone else. "Now, can we please go get some sleep? I'd love to catch up properly in the morning, but like I said, we've been running and fighting since this morning." Yu said.

"Just one last question," His mother said. She glanced towards Morgana. "Can he really talk?" she asked.

"Yes, though he has been oddly quiet. And I'm going to assume that the reason you can hear him is the same reason you remember the fight. Which I have no damned idea why that is." Yu said, shaking his head as he looked to Morgana.

"This seemed like a really serious conversation and me speaking up might make things more difficult." Morgana answered. "Hi, I'm Morgana. I also use a Persona." Yu was amused to see the leery looks they were sending the cat. "I'm technically with Akira's group, but I got seperated and spotted Yu and Naoto, so I'm staying with them for the evening."

"It is a talking cat." His mom said, rubbing her face in disbelief.

"Not the weirdest thing I've seen, but I can see why you'd be bothered." Yu said with some amusement. He finished his coffee and watched as Naoto drank hers down as well. They both stood up, various aches and pains filling them.

"I'm grabbing a shower first, Senpai." Naoto began to make her way up the stairs.

Yu smiled with a hint of amusement while he watched her trudge off. He inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled before he reached down for his sweater.

"Son..." His father sounded in shock and Yu paused. He heard his mother gasp as well.

He then slowly turned around and spread his arms out to show the scarring on his back. "Word of advice, lightning sucks to be hit by, dodge if you can." Yu said.

"How did you hide that from us?" His mother asked, sounding horrified.

"Very carefully." Yu said as he slipped his sweater on. "I can still move with full range because of how active I am."

"Was that also gotten in Inaba?" His father asked.

Yu laughed a bit as he bent down and picked Morgana up. He turned to look at his parents as he held the cat in his arms. "Almost all of the noticeable scars on my body, I got in Inaba. But the one that hurts the most is this one." He pointed to where he knew the scar was from Naoto shooting him. "At one point, Nanako was kidnapped and taken into the TV world. We went after her and my team was mind controlled. Naoto shot me." He said.

Yu then left his parents to contemplate his words, what he had told them, what they had seen. He headed up the stairs to get ready for bed. He grabbed a pillow and set it outside the door for Morgana and put the cat down on it. "Sorry, but I think tonight will be a night just for Naoto and I."

"I understand." Morgana said as he began to circle some to get comfortable. "Hey Yu?"

"Yeah?" Yu paused to look at the cat, crouching down slightly.

"Thanks for everything. I know you didn't have to help us, I know you could have just as easily turned us in or left us to our own devices." Morgana said. "But it was nice having some backup like you."

Yu nodded his head. "I won't say it was fun but… I did feel like my old self again, my real self. Now I know not to lose that self."

"Would you go back and change anything if you could?" Morgana asked, tilting his head.

Yu inhaled a bit but refrained from answering the question. There were a number of things that he would have liked to change, but such a question was… difficult to answer. After all, if he did something different would things still have turned out okay? "Good night Morgana." Yu said as he went into his room.

He got his own sleepwear together and took out the futon. He also texted everyone to inform them that somehow, someway, his parents had seen what had happened and retained their memories. He also invited everyone to come meet his parents. And when Naoto came into his room, he headed off to take a shower of his own. Truly, he was just ready for bed. He dried off and changed while he was in the bathroom

When he came back to the bed, he saw Naoto was still up and waiting for him. Yu made his way over and climbed into the futon with her, drawing the covers up over both of them. He felt her turn into his body and he turned to glance at the Detective for a while.

"It's over." Naoto said softly, wrapping her arms around him. "We're finally done. We're finally safe."

Yu nodded his head and inhaled. "At least for now." he said softly. "Hopefully no more Metaverse shenanigans though." He was realistic about that. Neither of them knew if Philemon or Igor or whatever the enemy of Philemon was had anything more in store for him or Akira. And unfortunately, if he or Akira were dragged into something else, so would their friends.

Naruto laid her head on his chest and just listened to his heartbeat for a while. "Senpai," She said softly. "What happened at the top of the tower?" Yu could hear the pain in her voice, not knowing how he might have died had to be eating at her.

"Akira and I used Armageddon as we planned, wasting the Shadows. Akira went down and I started battling Yaldabaoth on my own. I'm the only one that really can." He said softly. "The others started to come and join me, helping out as they got their energy back, even Akechi was there. And just before Akira could join us… Yaldabaoth destroyed part of the tower I was standing on." He said softly. "I managed to get Morgana out but…"

But he had still been slipping.

Naoto buried her face into his chest. "I hate and love how selfless you are at times." she said. "Please, try to be more conscious of yourself in the future." She said.

Yu nodded softly and he moved up to gently brush his fingers through her hair. But he knew that things were bound to get easier for a time. He just had to believe that. He'd get his degree, he'd go into teaching.

And hopefully he would be by Naoto's side during that time.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira grunted a moment as he sat up. Christmas Day. It was just before day break. He heard the gentle snores coming from his bed and he looked over to see Makoto still asleep. Not that he blamed her. He'd still be asleep if he could be. But having slept on his couch for the night, it was time to get up as his body was aching something fierce.

Inhaling, he got part of his Shujin Uniform out and began to put everything on. Black slacks, white t-shirt, and the suspenders. He grabbed a dark blue jacket and tossed it on, though not the one he had been wearing while he was trying to hide who he was. He kept his glasses off and sighed a bit. He grabbed his phone a moment and brought up the newest number that had been put in.

' **I'll be along shortly.'** He texted Sae Niijima, he wanted her to know that he hadn't forgotten what he had said.

' **I take it Makoto is still with you?'**

' **She's still asleep. I'll be waking her up before I go. I won't be bringing my phone.'** He grabbed his wallet and tucked it inside his jacket.

He set his phone on the work counter he had, alongside the old laptop he had fixed up. He glanced around a moment, taking in the space that Sojiro had let him have. He wouldn't be waking to the smell of coffee and curry any longer. He swallowed thickly as he sat down and rested his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands in front of his face. No more Morgana stretching out on his chest.

He closed his eyes and hung his head. It wasn't right. Why did he have to keep getting shafted by Justice? What was the damn point?

But then he knew. It was for his friends, and Akira Kurusu would do anything for the friends that he had made. He opened his eyes to look over to Makoto. He stood up and made his way over towards her. "Makoto." He said firmly and gently touched her shoulder.

She jolted awake, fist cocked and ready to come swinging. But she paused as she blinked and registered who it was that woke her. "Oh… Akira-kun." She said. "Sorry about that, I just… I went on reflex." She said.

Akira nodded his head. "It's time." He said.

He watched her tilt her head in confusion before the prior night's conversation came rushing back. And then her look sobered. She swallowed and nodded softly. She swung her legs out of the bed, bare feet touching the cold hardwood. "Jeez, that's cold." She said and moved to grab her boots.

"I'll make us some coffee." Akira said. If it was to be his last day, he wanted to leave to a cup of warm coffee in him, to the smell of it brewing.

He headed down the stairs and quietly set to work, grinding the house blend fresh. He could handle the more expensive beans as he pleased, but for this he just wanted a cup of good Le Blanc Coffee. Coffee he couldn't get anywhere else. He watched the process, a process he had memorized by then. And while his cups of coffee were still routinely beaten out by Sojiro Sakura, Akira liked to think that he made a mean cup of coffee.

He finally pulled two cups of coffee and began to prepare them. Makoto liked hers with real cream and heavy sugar. In fact, he knew how each one of his friends liked their coffee. Ann liked it with lots of cream and lots of sugar. Ryuji preferred his with an additional shot of espresso to keep him going. Yusuke had a monstrosity using vanilla, cream, cinnamon, chocolate syrup, and caramel. But if he couldn't, he'd take it straight black and slightly cooled to drink all in one go. Futaba didn't really drink coffee, instead sticking to his stash of sodas, often the Dr. NEOs. And Haru's was simple, two spoonfuls of sugar with a dash of salt.

He also knew their tastes in curry. Ann liked it beef, not too spicy but with heat. Ryuji liked it with meat of any kind and as hot as he could make it. Yusuke liked his to be mild and vegetable as it was cheaper. Makoto liked chicken with a hint of a kick with her rice on the side. Futaba liked it anyway she could get it. And Haru liked the vegetable curry but wanted things on the spicier side.

He was finishing up washing the dishes when Makoto came down and looked at him. "Akira-kun," She said. He glanced up. "You're crying…" She whispered.

"Am I?" Akira dried his hands and reached up. Sure enough, there had been tears spilling down his face. "Well… That's rather unbecoming of the Leader of the Phantom Thieves." He said with a slightly rueful chuckle.

"Akira-kun," Makoto whispered. "What's wrong?" She asked as she moved around the counter.

What was wrong… More like what wasn't wrong… But then he knew. He knew what was wrong. He had already seen the Reflection in the mirror to this. The version of himself that had won, had gotten Satanael and beaten Yaldabaoth and then had come to a different world to fight himself.

There was no happy ending. He didn't want to go. He wanted to stay there with Makoto, or run away with her. Run away with all his friends, continue their work as the Phantom Thieves, continue to put the bad guys away and give courage to people. He wanted to continue to help people.

But he _had_ to go. To make sure that Makoto and Haru and Yu and Naoto and all the rest got to be safe, he _had_ to go meet Sae Niijima at the Police Station.

Akira inhaled deeply. He ignored the tears that wanted to spill down once more. He turned to face Makoto and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms tight around her. He could feel her stiffen up in surprise. But slowly her arms wrapped around him and she leaned into him. He squeezed her tightly, he never wanted to forget the feel of her arms around his body, her slender form against him

"Makoto Niijima, from the bottom of my heart, thank you." Akira said softly. "You have brought so much light to my life, I'm not sure where to even begin to thank you for what you have done for me. And I am more sorry for this than I can say." He gave another tight squeeze before he stepped away. He looked to her face, seeing the tears that wanted to spill down.

"I love you Makoto." Akira said softly before he turned and headed out of Leblanc in the early hours of the morning. He didn't look back, he couldn't look back. If he did…

The Fool _had_ to become the World.

 _Take Your Time_

Makoto barely made it to a bar stool before she slumped down. Her hands trembled as she reached for the cup of coffee. But she couldn't grab it, not without spilling it onto the saucer. She felt so hopeless in those few moments. She stopped trying to grab the cup and instead just buried her face in her hands, finally sobbing.

She never heard the door open. But eventually the smell of cigarettes and cologne was near her, a hand touching her shoulder. She looked up to see Sojiro Sakura, looking at her with concern. "Where's Akira?" he asked.

"Oh Boss…" Makoto said, tears flowing still. "He's gone. Sis… She needed…"

"Jeez… thought I taught him better than to make a girl cry." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'll wait until the others get here to hear this story." He said. No doubt Sojiro still knew that it wasn't going to be a happy ending of a story. He gently helped her up. "Come on, the others shouldn't see you like this." Makoto could only nod and walk as he lead her towards the small bathroom

The door closed behind her and Makoto went to the sink, starting it up. She just stood there for a time, crying softly. She couldn't quite stop the sniffles or the sobs. She knew Akira was doing the right thing… She knew that in order for society to reform, that Shido needed to be brought to justice.

But Akira was being sacrificed.

She began to wash her face. Makoto looked up to see the water dripping from her face and into the sink below. She stared at the mirror for a long while. Akira needed her. Needed all of them. And here she was, hiding in a bathroom.

Hadn't she sworn to herself to never be that person that just rolled over and let others walk all over her?

She dried her face and this time when she looked in the mirror, Makoto's eyes were filled with determination. She didn't know what she could do, but she would clear Akira's name. It wasn't impossible, and then no one could claim 'Gross Misconduct while on Probation.' Akira would likely get quite the blackmark on his record, but they wouldn't be able to hold him anymore for breaking his Probation.

She stepped out of the bathroom and glanced towards Sojiro who was busy preparing what he normally had to. It had since become daybreak, a bit of time passing since Akira had left. "Boss, I'm going to need another cup of coffee please." Makoto said. "Something strong, cream with heavy sugar."

Sojiro turned to look at her a moment. "Oh? Looks like you've pulled yourself together." But he began to make her the cup of coffee she asked for.

Makoto nodded her head. "It'll take some research, but that's something I'm good at." Makoto got her phone out and began to look things up while she sat at a booth.

She heard Futaba come in after some time and glanced up. "Hey, where's Akira?" Futaba asked as she made her way to her usual seat.

"Futaba-chan, I need you to get your laptop. I'll explain everything when everyone else is here, but Akira-kun did something stupid but important." Makoto said as she continued reading on her phone. She needed to figure out what they'd need.

It looked like they needed a name.

Eventually, Yusuke, Ann, Ryuji, and Haru showed up, much at the same time. And Ryuji came in like his usual boisterous self. "Merry Christmas!" He said, drawing it out. But he seemed to take in Makoto sitting and reading on her phone and Futaba looking visibly down. "Hey, what's with this gloomy vibe? Where's Akira?" He asked.

"Sit down and I'll explain when the Investigation Team gets here. They deserve to know what happened as well." Makoto said as she returned to her phone. There were some looks around before everyone took their seats.

And Haru sat on the same side as Makoto, briefly glancing over her shoulder. "What are you looking at Mako-chan?" she asked.

"Something to help Akira-kun if we can pull it off." Makoto said.

"What's happened to Akira?" Ryuji asked, suddenly sitting straight up. And it was of little wonder. Ryuji had been by Akira's side the longest, even before Morgana. But Makoto didn't answer him, choosing to continue with her research.

Eventually Yu and Naoto came into Leblanc followed closely by the rest of the Investigation Team. It certainly made Leblanc a little cramped, but there was plenty of room as long as there wasn't a fire. "Hey guys, I even managed to find a mangy cat." Yu joked as he pulled Morgana of all cats out of his bag and set him by Futaba. However, he was quick on the uptake. "What's happened?" he asked more seriously.

"Yeah, and where's Akira?" Yosuke asked, glancing about.

Makoto finally set her phone down and inhaled deeply before exhaling. Her throat felt tight, but she decided to push ahead. "Akira-kun went to turn himself into the police." She said.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Ryuji yelled the loudest of everyone as he jumped to his feet.

"Why? What happened?" Ann asked, desperate for answers, but soon everyone was talking over each other.

"Shut it!" Makoto finally yelled out herself, letting Queen come out in full. "Maybe if I didn't have to talk over all of you, I can explain what I know and how we _might_ be able to help!" The silence that filled the cafe at her yelling was thankfully complete/ Makoto settled back into her seat a bit with a calmness she didn't really feel.

"When Akechi came to help us, or kill Akira-kun I'm not sure which, he put a big wrench in Sis' case. As in, there's no one else that would testify against Shido." Makoto said. "And without someone to testify the correlation between Shido's crimes and the Metaverse, Shido will walk. Everything we did will be for nothing. And if Shido walks, every last bit of what Naoto-kun did will be for nothing. Her getting shot will be for nothing."

"No one could testify against Shido's accomplices except Shido." Naoto said with a soft mutter of understanding. "Sonofa-"

"Akira-kun decided to go of his own volition after Sis asked him." Makoto said. "He's doing it to protect us all. With Akechi in the ground, Shido in jail, there's no one that's going after Akira's life as hard as before. So he left this morning. The higher ups would try to put a stop to the Phantom Thief nonsense, even if they had to fabricate evidence against us. By Akira-kun going to them, they can think we're finished." And it pissed Makoto off something fiercely. "The problem is his past record. If it wasn't for that, there'd be so little they could actually prove. But he's on probation."

"Gross Misconduct, immediately back to jail." Naoto said with a grimace. "He's a minor, so he'd likely only be in until he's eighteen. But by then, they might tack more onto him."

"I would have to double check some of Sis' books," Makoto said, giving Naoto a bit of a look at her interrupting. "But if we can prove that Akira-kun was innocent of the original assault crime, that Shido falsified the report…"

Futaba nodded her head. "That's why you need me to get my laptop." She said. "I might be able to pull up some videos, but I'd need the original date and where it took place." She said. "I can get video evidence."

"It'd be unlawfully obtained." Naoto said. "The prosecutors will have a field day with that and probably slam Akira with more."

"Then what can we do?" Rise asked, looking between Naoto and Makoto.

"Not sure how much we can do out in Inaba." Chie said. "And it's not like we can stay here in Shibuya for weeks to help settle the matter."

"You guys leave that to us." Haru said. "We appreciate the help so far, but this is for our Leader." She said and gave a soft bow and a smile.

"She's right." Yusuke said. "You needn't stick your head out so far."

"Hey… what about Dojima-san?" Kanji asked.

Yu shook his head. "Dojima won't be able to help out as much as you guys think. While he's pretty well respected in Inaba, he's a small town detective versus possible homicide detectives of a big city." Not to mention Dojima had no real reason to be asking about Akira Kurusu.

Makoto glanced towards Futaba. "Akira-kun has mentioned saving a woman." She said, gaining Futaba's attention. "The video might not help us with evidence, but if we could instead convince the woman to testify that she was pressurized by Shido into giving a false report about the assault," Makoto said meaningfully.

Futaba nodded her head. "And if we can have a picture of the woman, then we can have a face to ask around about." She said.

Makoto nodded her head. She then turned to Naoto. "I… I don't mean to presume… but would it be possible for you to get the name of the woman?" Makoto asked.

"Oh yeah, the police hafta keep stuff like that, right?!" Ryuji asked, getting excited at the idea.

"Please Naoto? We can leave it to you, right?" Morgana asked, standing up on the counter he was on.

"The cat really does talk…" Sojiro said from behind the counter, staring at Morgana a bit in surprise.

Naoto sighed and touched her hat, tilting it down slightly. Makoto frowned a bit, surely Naoto wasn't going to decline helping them? "It is a big risk." Naoto said neutrally.

"Come on!" Ryuji said a bit aggressively. "We can't just leave Akira in jail! What risk would there be?! Your reputation?"

"Ryuji!" Yu snapped at the blond boy. "It is not just about Naoto's reputation." He said.

"My family has been around for five generations of detectives." Naoto said. "It is not my reputation I worry about, it is the reputation of my grandfather, my mother, my father." Naoto looked over towards Ryuji. "It is one thing to ruin your own reputation, that would be your choice. But it is another to ruin someone else's. But I did not say that I would not help. I will see what I can dig up. Kindly don't insinuate that I won't help. I would have thought, after everything we have been through, that you would have learned by now that I do care for my friends rather deeply."

Ryuji had the good grace to look away. "Sorry… It's just… after everythin' we've been through, Akira doesn't deserve to be in jail. And… he was the first person to treat me like I wasn't some fuck up. And… I still don't have a handle on bein' much of an upstandin' person. I just know Akira needs our help."

Naoto nodded her head a moment. "Once I get a name and Futaba is able to get a picture, I recommend going to Ichiko Ohya with this." Naoto offered. "Ohya-san knows Akira, and she is friendly enough for a reporter." Makoto had to give Naoto credit, she wasn't phased by Ryuji in the slightest, merely accepted the apology for what it was for and continued to focus on their current problem.

Yu gave a slight snort and shook his head. "So much for no more problems, huh?" He asked, looking at Naoto.

"Indeed." Naoto said, her own tone was tinged with amusement. "We need a vacation." She sipped at her coffee.

Makoto gave a slight snort of amusement, but she couldn't help but agree with the assessment, especially after how the past several weeks had gone.

 _Take Your Time_

Akira sighed as he got off the train and began to look around. He knew that he had to look strange to the regulars that rode that particular train at that particular time. He was a young man that looked dejected, because he was, and seemed lost. Mostly because he didn't want to go where he knew he was heading. Someone bumped past his shoulder and he sighed a bit before starting to move with the flow of traffic. Despite what he wanted, there was no point in holding everything up.

A small niggling part of him continued to remind him that he could turn around. He could be back to Leblanc before it opened for the morning, probably not before Sojiro got there, but before it opened. He could call the Prosecutors bluff. They didn't have anything on him. They didn't have anything on his friends.

He ignored that little part of him.

He was going to the police station and that would be it. Sae needed him to testify, and that would be it. Shido's advocate was going to grill him and put him on the spot and it wasn't going to be pretty. But Akira was determined to see this through to the end and make sure Shido saw the justice that was coming to him.

He snorted with amusement. Justice. A word that had left a bitter taste in his mouth not a year ago, now it left hope blooming in his chest. Hope for a better world. He was going to be paraded in the paper as a pariah for everyone to hate. Someone that had been soliciting anarchy or some sort of crap that he was sure someone would love to spout about him.

His reputation would be well and truly in tatters. Not that he had much of a reputation to begin with, what with the criminal record. He shook his head. Even getting any savings would be difficult, getting a business loan would be near impossible. He couldn't ask his mother for anything after all. He doubted any office would accept a resume, and teaching? He'd be lucky if he was laughed out of the building.

It meant he was even called back.

But Gross Misconduct while on Probation, it was almost like a noose was tightening up around his neck. He might be able to find work after high school with some of his confidants, but working in Sojiro's shop wasn't going to bring much in. There was a reason after all why Sojiro didn't have any other employees. Iwai's shop? It was too specialized. No way was he going to be able to make a career out of that.

Akira gave a derisive laugh. He was about to go turn himself into the cops, the last time he had been there he had gotten his ass handed to him and narrowly dodged an assassination attempt. And he was thinking about potential careers for a criminal out of prison.

"I must be crazy." Akira said, shaking his head.

He came to the police station and paused momentarily. He wondered if he should have let Sojiro turn him in and claim that ridiculous bounty on his head. Nah... That would just get Sojiro into trouble.

His feet dragged him in and he glanced around, seeing everyone milling about. It wasn't yet busy, what with it being early in the morning. But he went to the officer on duty at the front desk. What exactly was he supposed to say?

"Can I help you kid?" The uniform at the desk asked, sounding bored. Not that Akira blamed him, it looked to be an older man in his forties that was still working a desk job and in uniform at that. How many younger men in plain clothes were above him?

"Yeah… I suppose you could." Akira said with a sigh. He cleared his throat a moment. "I am the Leader of the Phantom Thieves, here to turn myself in." He said it loud enough that everyone could hear him. But he was also sounding rather bored himself. He half expected to be tackled to the ground, yet everyone just kept milling about.

"Sure you are kid." The uniform at the desk said. "Look, we've had about two dozen imposters come in since-"

"I was captured by a full group of armed officers including two SATs, had my shit kicked in while I was imprisoned down in the underground cells, last one in the west wing on the right by the way, pumped full of drugs in an attempt to make myself talk, and signed my name as 'Go Fuck Yourself' to the Detective trying to get me to sign a testimony in my name." Akira said bluntly. "I can name every victim in order since April, and not just the big names but the small ones too. But lo and behold, I come in here and try to actively do the right thing and turn myself in so I can testify against Shido for the murders he committed, especially Okumura-san he tried to pin on me, and I'm getting turned away by some jaded uniform working the front desk?"

Okay, he was actually getting worked up. He needed to calm down before he made too big of a scene. Actually… Damn, he forgot his cell phone.

"You know what? I don't have time for politeness. I'm going home." Akira said and turned on his heel.

"And renegade on our deal?" An amused voice sounded out. He turned to see Sae leaning against a wall with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"N-niijima-san," The officer at the front desk said, clearly not expecting her.

Akira looked at the coffee and shook his head. "That looks awful and weak. What are you doing drinking that?"

"Sorry, I didn't have time to go and get proper coffee, so I'm making do." Sae said. She then glanced towards the officer at the desk. "Your superior will know what a good job you have done." She said neutrally, but even Akira felt a chill run down his spine. She looked to another Detective. "Would you please handcuff him and take him to a holding cell?" She asked. "And be gentle, he is here of his own accord."

The officer in question came over and hesitated a moment. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to cuff yourself, would you kid? Sorry, but I don't know how you do the whole 'stealing hearts' business."

Akira snorted and held his hands out. He accepted the handcuffs and made a grandiose show of putting them on and even clicking them nice and tight so that he couldn't escape. He held his hands out for inspection, fingers curled inwards.

The Detective checked the cuffs, making sure that they were secure before he began to lead Akira by the shoulder towards the holding cells. He even got one to himself, how generous. He was given a thorough patdown where they didn't find anything. He had just taken enough money for the train and that had been it.

The Detective undid the handcuffs and took a half step back. Akira took a half step forward and splayed his hands out. "Boo!" He said. He couldn't help his little joke, especially given how the Detective was being so damned worried about him. Though he supposed he did take it a bit far, especially seeing the Detective's hand drop down to his pistol.

"Kurusu-san." Sae said in a warning manner.

"Sorry, sorry. Nerves are worked." Akira said and he looked to the Detective. "No hard feelings?" He asked and held a hand out. "I promise, I can't take your heart without my cellphone."

The Detective grunted a moment and took Akira's hand. "Yeah, no hard feelings." He said, though it felt like he was trying to crush Akira's hand. "Detective Tomokazu Fujimaru." He offered.

Huh… This was the detective that Naoto had called a favor in with. But he looked so bland. Like there was just nothing notable about him. Except his tie. His tie had pawprints as a design. Akira liked his tie.

Akira sighed and moved to sit down on the cot. No doubt he'd be transferred soon enough to an actual detention facility.

"We'll get Shido." Sae said. "I promise."

Akira smiled. "I know." He said.

He had to believe that the woman could do her job, and do it well. Or else, what was he doing there?

Chapter End

 **A/N: Sorry, having some complications with this chapter's posting.**


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